Kissito Alerts April 07
April 7, 2009 by admin
Filed under Healthcare Alerts
Source: McKnights
Title: Budget amendment would end bonuses for nursing homes with violations
Date: 4/7/09
- The Senate approved an amendment to the budget bill that would eliminate bonuses paid to nursing homes and other government contactors that “fail to meet basic performance requirements.”
- The amendment also ends bonuses awarded to contractors and government executives responsible for over-budget projects and programs that fail to meet basic performance requirements.
Source: McKnights
Title: Better benefits management introduction of part E could improve medicare
Date: 4/7/09
- The AMA believes a more efficient Medicare program would also include the Medicare part E concept.
- Part E would provide catastrophic coverage, which would improve cost sharing.
- With Part E, some beneficiaries might no longer need to purchase a supplemental medigap insurance.
Source: Health Care Finance News
Title: Hospital employment down in march
Date: 4/6/09
URL: www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/hospital-emplyment-down-march
- Employment at U.S. hospitals fell 0.7% in March 2009 to a seasonally adjusted 4,709,900 people, 2,000 fewer than in February.
- The number of unemployed persons in the U.S. increased by 694,000 to $13.2M.
Source: Health Care Finance News
Title: Colorado to deny payment for avoidable medical errors
Date: 4/6/09
URL: www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/colorado-deny-payment-avoidable-medical-errors
- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter issued an executive order last week directing the Colorado Dept of Health Care Policy and Financing to craft new safety guidelines, including the denial of payment for avoidable medical errors.
- The executive order directs the dept. to : implement a policy to deny or reduce payments for in-patient hospital Medicaid claims for procedures that involve avoidable medical errors known as “serious reportable events”, also, to work with other health organizations to create a patient safety organization.
Source: Health Care Finance News
Title: AMGA launches interactive online compensation database
Date: 4/6/09
URL: www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/amga-launches-interactive-online-compensation-database
- The AMGA has launched an online database containing salary and financial operations data from medical groups nationwide.
- The data provides information on compensation for health care professionals and on medical group financial operations.
- The survey results assists health care organizations in evaluating the competitiveness of compensation levels for their group’s physician and key administrative staff and provides invaluable insight into the relationship between physician compensation and productivity.
- The web based service features data search and export functions for medical and surgical specialties, mid-levels, administrative positions, and more.
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