Healthcare Financial Management articles from April 2003

Healthcare Financial Management archives from April 2003

2003 physician fee schedule gives 1.6 percent increase. (Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The much-sought-after update to the 2003 physician fee schedule was published in the February 28 Federal Register and was implemented March 1. The new fee schedule averages a 1.6 percent increase over 2002 rates. A 4.4 percent decrease...

CMS issues proposed outlier rule. (Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Contrary to what CMS administrator Tom Scully had previously announced, CMS issued the rule intended to curb excessive outlier payments as "proposed" rather than as "interim final." Thus, rather than making the rule effective immediately, as...

House approves key healthcare bills affecting medical liability. (Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... On March i3, the House approved the "Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2003" (HR 5). The bill, which passed largely along party lines, seeks to mitigate the current medical malpractice insurance crisis by...

Long-awaited HIPAA rules arrive. (Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... CMS has posted on its web site the final rules for HIPAA security standards and the modifications to the HIPAA electronic data transactions standards and code sets (MTSCS), following publication of the rules in the February 20 Federal Register....

HHS expands quality initiative to home health field. (Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... With formal announcement of the program February 20, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson kicked up the throttle on the home health quality initiative (HHQI). Patterned after what was put in place for nursing homes, the HHQI pilot is slated to start in...

CMS reports home health claims processing problem. (Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A problem in the Medicare claims-processing systems of the Palmetto, Cahaba, and UGS regional home health intermediaries (RHHIs) is preventing some home health PPS claims from being processed appropriately, CMS reported on February 28. Affected...

HHS inspector general Janet Rehnquist. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... HHS inspector general Janet Rehnquist has called for CMS to use the lower of the rates for either hospitals or ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) to remove payment disparities between the two providers for similar services. Lowering hospitals'...

Producer Price Index (PPI). (In Brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Producer Price Index (PPI) for health services rose by a modest 0.5 percent in January, following a 0.1 percent decrease in December. By comparison, the overall PPI for finished goods rose 1.6 percent in January, seasonally adjusted,...

CMS issues payment and billing changes for OPT. (Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... CMS informed intermediaries in a February 19 program memorandum (PMA-03-011) that outpatient physical therapy (OPT) providers may bill Medicare using the outpatient rehabilitation HCPCS codes listed in the PM and receive payment under the...

CMS to help facilitate additional documentation requests. (Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... CMS has published instructions that should help contractors implement a revised rule on additional document requests (ADRs). PM AB-03-021 instructs the Medicare Claims System (MCS) to create a mechanism to send an ADR to ordering physicians or...

States tackle the health insurance crisis. (State Policy Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The problems just don't seem to want to go away. Small - employer health insurance premiums continue to skyrocket at double-digit rates. Individuals' health spending continues to rise through higher premium sharing, deductibles, and copayments....

Capturing creative thoughts. (From the Chairman).
April 1, 2003... Legend has it that Abraham Lincoln drafted the Gettysburg Address on the back of an envelope. And among the wall hangings in the boardroom of Southwest Airlines is the framed paper cocktail napkin on which the airline's original "Texas...

Reports document hospital spending growth. (Industry Watch).
April 1, 2003... A new report indicates that labor costs accounted for the largest share of hospital spending growth for 2001-03. The report, prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers and sponsored by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Federation of...

Health services field adds jobs in January. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Health services employment rose by 18,000 in January 2003, close to the average monthly growth for the healthcare industry in 2002, according to employment statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on February 7. On a...

AHA report refutes cost impact of consolidation. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Research commissioned by the American Hospital Association (AHA) says merger activity is not a factor in the rise of healthcare costs, contrary to the conclusion of a 2002 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) study. The BCBSA study,...

Study finds most HMO preservice appeals disregard medical necessity. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A study of preservice appeals at two large U.S. HMOs showed that most preservice appeals addressed provider choices or contractual coverage issues, rather than medical necessity. The study was published by JAMA on February 19, 2003. The appeals...

Kaiser Permanente partners to automate medical records. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Kaiser Permanente announced February 4 it is partnering with Epic Systems Corporation to put its 8.4 million patient medical records on-line. The company promises that within three years patients, physicians, and other authorized healthcare...

BCBSA reports how premium dollars are spent. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The growth in health plan administrative costs contributed only modestly to the increase in premium costs from 1998 to 2002 according to a report by Milliman USA that was commissioned by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). ...

Health services PPI rose modestly in January. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Producer Price Index (PPI) for health services rose 0.5 percent in January, following a 0.1 percent decrease in December. By comparison, the overall PPI for all finished goods rose 1.6 percent in January, seasonally adjusted, following a...

Medicare physician payment conversion factors with initial and final conversion factors for 2003, 1999-2003.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Medicare Physician Payment Conversion Factors with Initial and Final Conversion Factors for 2003, 1999-2003 Conversion Factor 1999 $34.7315 2000 $36.6137 2001 $38.2581 2002 ...

Patient safety is top IT priority for 2003. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Patient safety tops the list of priorities for healthcare information technology (IT) executives, according to the results of the 14th Annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Leadership Survey, released this month....

M&A activity soars in fourth quarter 2002. (Industry Watch).(healthcare merger and acquisition activity increases)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M & A) activity market posted strong gains and ended 2002 with a surge in transactions according to Lrving Levin Associates, Inc. In the fourth quarter of 2002, 286 deals were announced, representing an...

HFMA seeks protection of SCHIP funding. (HFMA News).(the State Children's Health Insurance Program)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... HFMA has joined 12 other healthcare organizations in sending a comment letter to Congress expressing strong support for bipartisan legislation introduced to restore funding to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The letter...

HFMA member of NUBC. (HFMA News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... HFMA recently rejoined the National Uniform Billing Committee (NUBC), a voluntary committee that maintains the integrity of the UB data set and serves as the discussion forum for developing mutually agreed upon data elements. The NUBC also...

Congress urged to avoid DSH payment reductions. (HFMA News).(healthcare associations urge Congress to enact Medicaid disproportionate share hospital legislation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... HFMA and 10 other healthcare associations have sent a letter to Congress urging the immediate enactment of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) legislation to avoid a reduction in funding for state Medicaid programs. The amount...

Renegotiating the social contract. (Eye on Washington).(President Bush is working to reinvent Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid)
April 1, 2003... Not since the halcyon days of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society has so much fundamental change been suggested to the three pillars of the American social contract: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Riding a wave of confidence following...

John J. Gantner. (Executive Insights).(the treasurer of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital discusses the work of a CFO at a hospital)(Column)
April 1, 2003... John J. Gantner, treasurer, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey Sometimes a CFO has to make a leap of faith that he or she is making the right decisions, because those decisions can involve intangibles that...

Renegotiate outsourced transcription contracts with both Privacy and Security Standards in mind.
April 1, 2003... Today, most hospitals use outside transcription vendors to provide all or some of their transcription services. Vendors range in size from independent contractors who pick up tapes and deliver hard copy reports to sophisticated international...

Containing revenue-cycle costs. (Business).(a plan for healthcare providers to cut costs)
April 1, 2003... Healthcare providers often have cut operating costs in the revenue cycle without considering the overall impact of revenue-cycle performance on the organization. Organizations that cut staffing, and then experienced a significant reduction in...

Are you meeting customers' emotional needs? (Patient Financial Services).
April 1, 2003... "Frustrated. Confused. Caught in the middle. Cynical. Afraid. Intimidated. Hassled. Discriminated against." These are the words that members of a 2001 focus group used when describing how they felt when hospitals collect and communicate...

Drug card setback highlights need for cost relief. (Medicare/Medicaid).(the move toward a prescription drug benefit is proceeding slowly)
April 1, 2003... With the debate for adding a prescription drug benefit under Medicare heating up in Congress, staying on top of the many drug proposals is a challenge. One proposal that previously showed great promise was a program to have CMS solicit sponsors...

Compliance what's around the corner? Clinical trials, CDM accuracy, experimental drugs, and patient privacy are a few of the things that keep compliance officers on their toes. (Cover Story).
April 1, 2003... "Are all patients in clinical trials identified as such at registration?" "After a sponsored study, what is done with any residual funds?" "Do we know when physicians are using non-Medicare-approved devices?" "Do we know who...

What price is right? Hospitals struggling to offset financial losses resulting from caring for Medicare and managed care patients need a systematic pricing strategy. (Feature Story).
April 1, 2003... To many hospital financial executives, pricing strategy may seem unimportant, given the current preponderance of fixed-fee payment. The Medicare and Medicaid programs usually pay for both inpatient and outpatient care on a prospective basis....

Best practices for preempting payment denials: high-quality data are meaningless unless they are carefully analyzed and the results reported to the hospital's key decision-makers. (Feature Story).
April 1, 2003... Denied payment of claims submitted to managed care organizations is a problem that touches virtually all providers that participate in managed health plans. The impact of denied claims on operating revenue typically is substantial. As part of a...

Preparing for asset retirement: are you recognizing asset retirement obligations when they are incurred? SFAS No. 143 suggests this practice to help to improve comparability between organizations' financial statements. (Feature Story).
April 1, 2003... For years, accounting for asset retirement obligations has presented a challenge for providers. Similar healthcare organizations frequently have accounted for similar obligations related to asset retirements differently, which has reduced the...

Above see level. (HFMA ANI 2003 Baltimore).
April 1, 2003... Dear hfm reader: As President and CEO of HFMA, I invite and encourage you to attend HFMA's 2003 Annual National Institute (ANI) in Baltimore, June This year's ANI will highlight new trends, new perspectives, and new solutions. And it...

See healthcare finance at a new level. (HFMA ANI 2003 Baltimore).(a discussion of the highlights of the HFMA's Annual National Institute's premier educational event for healthcare financial professionals )
April 1, 2003... HFMA will be hosting Annual National Institute (ANI) 2003, the premier educational event for healthcare financial professionals, June 22-26 at the Baltimore Convention Center. ANI 2003 will offer healthcare financial leaders an incomparable...

Concurrent sessions: an educational banquet! (HFMA ANI 2003 Baltimore).(a discussion of the educational sessions to be held by the HFMA's Annual National Institute)
April 1, 2003... The goal of HFMA's Annual National Institute is to offer HFMA members and other healthcare professionals a highly focused opportunity to improve their professional skills and knowledge. And to this end, this year's ANI offers more than 65...

Coaching managers. (Leadership and Management).(in a hospital-based medical practice)
April 1, 2003... Imagine you're the manager of a busy hospital-based medical practice. You get a call from a payer who wants to discuss why so many of your claims are late or contain incorrect information. You overhear an irate patient berating a staff...

Why does an IT investment fail to deliver returns? (Digital Perspectives).
April 1, 2003... Assessing and comparing different IT investment proposals are complex challenges and are likely to remain difficult for the foreseeable future, especially given that IT investments can have significant and diverse value. (a) Nevertheless,...

Fundamentals of Health Care Financial Management: A Practical Guide to Fiscal Issues and Activities, Second Edition. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... By Steven Berger Jossey-Bass, Inc., San Francisco, 2002 363 pages; $65 Steven Berger's Fundamentals of Health. Care Financial Management: A Practical Guide to Fiscal Issues and Activities was written to provide healthcare managers with...

St. Vincent's Hospital & Healthcare. (People).(Ascension Health appoints Katherine A. Arbuckle as vice president of finance)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Katherine A. Arbuckle, FHFMA (Greater St. Louis Chapter) Ms. Arbuckle has been appointed vice president, finance, Ascension Health, St. Louis. Previously, she had been assistant vice president, finance, and assistant CEO, St. Vincent's...

University of Alabama Hospital. (People).(Cleveland Clinic Foundation appoints Sydney K. Rountree as executive director of finance)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Sydney K. Rountree, FHFMA (Northeast Ohio Chapter) Ms. Rountree has been appointed executive director of finance, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland. Previously, she was CFO, The University of Alabama Hospital, Birmingham, Ala.

Eastern Health Systems. (People).(Warren Averett Kimbrough & Marina L.L.C. hires Brian S. Romine)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Brian S. Romine, CPA (Alabama Chapter) Mr. Romine has been named manager, Warren, Averett, Kimbrough & Marina, LLC, Birmingham, Ala. Formerly, he was manager of reimbursement, Eastern Health Systems, Birmingham.

Plante & Moran, LLP. (People).(names Bernard Ostrowski as a partner)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Bernard Ostrowski (Central Ohio Chapter) Mr. Ostrowski has been named partner, Plante & Moran, LLP, Dublin, Ohio. Formerly, he was partner-in- charge, Health Sciences Tax Practice, Ernst & Young, Columbus, Ohio.

Glacier Financial Services. (People).(promotes Christopher A. Ohde to vice president of client services)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Christopher A. Ohde (Colorado Chapter) Mr. Ohde has been promoted from client services manager to vice president, client services, Glacier Financial Services, Englewood, Colo.

The Foster Group, Inc. (People).(hires Fred Hatcher as senior healthcare sales representative)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Fred Hatcher (First Illinois Chapter) Mr. Hatcher has joined The Foster Group, Inc., Chicago, as senior healthcare sales representative. Previously, he was regional account manager- Mid West, HealthStream, Inc., Nashville, Tenn.

United Government Services, LLC. (People).(RSM McGladrey hires Christopher M. Urwin)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Christopher M. Urwin (Iowa Chapter) Mr. Urwin has joined RSM McGladrey, Moline, Ill., as associate, healthcare consulting. Previously, he was senior auditor, United Government Services, LLC, Moline.

HealthSouth-Treasure Valley Hospital. (People).(hires Michael Long as assistant administrator)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Michael Long (Idaho Chapter) Mr. Long has been named assistant administrator, HealthSouth-Treasure Valley Hospital, Boise, Idaho. Formerly, he was budget, DSS, and reimbursement manager, St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, Boise.

North Broward Hospital District. (People).(hires Kevin M. Sheehan)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Kevin M. Sheehan (Florida Chapter) Mr. Sheehan has been named regional director of finance, North Broward Medical Center, Pompano Beach, Fla. Previously, he was senior financial analyst, North Broward Hospital District, Fort Lauderdale,...

Anne Arundel Medical Center. (People).(hires Carolyn Rader as compliance auditor)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Carolyn Rader (Maryland Chapter) Ms. Rader has joined Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis, Md., as compliance auditor. She had previously been senior associate, KPMG, LLP, charge master practice, Baltimore.

Healthcare Consulting Practice. (People).(Chapin Revenue Cycle Management L.L.C. appoints Richard W. LaForge as vice president)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Richard W. LaForge, CPA (Florida Chapter) Mr. LaForge has been appointed vice president, business development, Chapin Revenue Cycle Management LLC, Tampa, Fla. Formerly, he was practice leader, Healthcare Consulting Practice, Tribridge,...

HCA-The Healthcare Group. (People).(promotes Beverly Wallace to president)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Beverly Wallace (Tennessee Chapter) Ms. Wallace has been promoted from senior vice president, revenue cycle operations management to president, financial services group, HCA-The Healthcare Group, Nashville, Tenn.

MASH. (People).(promotes Cheryl. E. Kaufmann to director of customer relations)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Cheryl E. Kaufmann (Arkansas Chapter) Ms. Kaufmann has been promoted from Arkansas operations manager to director of customer relations, MASH, Dover, Ark.

MSA market factors determine hospitals' appropriate level of charges. (Data Trends).(medical service areas)
April 1, 2003... Hospital CFOs are continually challenged to balance their charges at a "market" rate. It is important that they are not grossly undercharging or overcharging for services. As in any business, the market-pricing averages of frequently performed...

The new hfm. (From the President).
April 1, 2003... For years you have told us hwo valuable HEALTHCARE FINANCE MANAGEMENT magazine is to you. And we have been proud to provide you a monthly publication full of news, nalysis, and practical actions that can help you excel. However, HFMA...