Healthcare Financial Management articles from July 2007

Healthcare Financial Management archives from July 2007

IRF "75 percent rule" effective, but costs continue to increase: CMS.(75 percent rule)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
July 1, 2007... In a memo issued June 8, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated information on the implementation of the so-called "75 percent rule" of the inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) prospective payment system (PPS). The...

Charity begins at somebody else's home.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... CHARITY BEGINS AT SOMEBODY ELSE'S HOME: Three New Jersey hospitals have filed for bankruptcy protection in the past three years, and 20 hospitals have closed in the past 20 years, according to the New Jersey Hospital Association, which partly...

AHRQ's annual state snapshots highlight states' gains and lags in healthcare quality.(Healthcare Quality)(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
July 1, 2007... New State Snapshots released June 11 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) show that states have made promising gains in healthcare quality while identifying needed improvements in areas ranging from cancer screening to...

... The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has issued a final rule (Federal Register, June 4, 2007) establishing regulations required by section 506 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.(FEDERAL REGISTER)
July 1, 2007... ... The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has issued a final rule (Federal Register, June 4, 2007) establishing regulations required by section 506 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of...

... CMS has issued a final rule with comment period (Federal Register, May 29, 2007) clarifying that entities involved in the financing of the nonfederal share of Medicaid payments must be a unit of government.(FEDERAL REGISTER)
July 1, 2007... ... CMS has issued a final rule with comment period (Federal Register, May 29, 2007) clarifying that entities involved in the financing of the nonfederal share of Medicaid payments must be a unit of government; clarifies the documentation...

You do the math.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... YOU DO THE MATH: The Leapfrog Group's 2007 Hospital Quality and Safety Survey reports that only 96 U.S. hospitals have a full computerized provider order entry system in place--out of 1,318 hospitals that responded. Another 85 say they are...

... CMS has published a proposed rule (Federal Register, May 25, 2007) that would clarify the Medicare program provisions relating to contract determinations involving Medicare Advantage (HA) organizations and Medicare Part D prescription drug plan sponsors.(FEDERAL REGISTER)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... ... CMS has published a proposed rule (Federal Register, May 25, 2007) that would clarify the Medicare program provisions relating to contract determinations involving Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations and Medicare Part D prescription drug...

So maybe this is why CPOE is so slow in coming.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... SO MAYBE THIS IS WHY CPOE IS SO SLOW IN COMING: The Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated that 136,000 Americans were employed as health information management professionals in 2000; to meet the expected demand, there will need to be a 49%...

Alabama first to add self-directed home-based services through its state Medicaid plan.(State Watch)
July 1, 2007... Alabama is the first state to receive federal approval to allow self-directed personal assistance services (PAS) as a feature of its Medicaid plan, eliminating the need for repeated requests for time-limited section 1115 demonstration programs...

... On March 19, 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released Transmittal 1208, which instructed Medicare contractors to continue to accept the Form CMS-1500 (12-90) version due to reports of an incorrectly printed version of the Form CMS-1500 (08-05) that was being sold by some print vendors.(CMS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... ... On March 19, 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released Transmittal 1208, which instructed Medicare contractors to continue to accept the Form CMS-1500 (12-90) version due to reports of an incorrectly printed...

... CMS has clarified the no-pay billing instructions for skilled nursing facilities.(CMS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... ... CMS has clarified the no-pay billing instructions for skilled nursing facilities. To bypass Medicare edits that do not allow 210 bill types to process when overlapping previously paid 22x bill types, providers must include occurrence span...

... CMS has identified changes required as part of the annual update to the inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF) prospective payment system for rate year 2008.(CMS)
July 1, 2007... ... CMS has identified changes required as part of the annual update to the inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF) prospective payment system for rate year 2008. These changes are effective for IPF discharges occurring on July 1, 2007, through...

We could've guessed as much.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... WE COULD 'VE GUESSED AS MUCH: Adults with negative healthcare quality experiences were much more likely to call for a complete Rebuild of the U.S. healthcare system than those with positive experiences--43% versus 27%--according to the 2006...

Missouri introduces bill to keep Medicaid from walking off into sunset.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... With their state's Medicaid program scheduled to sunset on July 1, 2008, Missouri Sens. Charlie Shields (R) and Michael Gibbons (R) introduced S.B. 577 in February to establish the Missouri Health Improvement Act of 2007, modifying various...

Drug downer.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... DRUG DOWNER: The average annual expenditure for prescription drugs for people ages 65 and older increased 130%-from $819 in 1997 to $1,914-in 2004. And their average out-of-pocket cost more than doubled in that same period, increasing from $483...

P4P program not associated with improved quality: study.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(pay-for-performance)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The performance-related financial incentives of a pay-for-performance program at hospitals were not associated with significant improvement in processes of care or outcomes for heart attack patients, according to a study reported in the June 6...

CMS requiring National Drug Code on Medicaid claims.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The Deficit Reduction Act includes a request that providers begin reporting by Jan. 1, 2008, the National Drug Code (NDC) for certain drugs and biologicals provided to patients in an outpatient setting for claims paid by Medicaid. The purpose...

CMS to further clarify NPI data dissemination policy.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)
July 1, 2007... In the May 30 Federal Register, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a notice describing who may have access to data in the National Provider Identifier system (the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System). CMS states...

SEC approves new guidance for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Securities and Exchange Commission)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The Securities and Exchange Commission has unanimously approved interpretive guidance to help public companies strengthen their internal control over financial reporting while reducing unnecessary costs, particularly at smaller companies.

U.S. continues to lag on most performance measures: reports.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The U.S. healthcare system ranks last compared with five other nations on measures of quality, access, efficiency, equity, and outcomes, according to the third edition of a Commonwealth Fund report analyzing international health policy surveys....

Study: self-pay patients charged 2.5 times more than other payers.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... People who lack health insurance and those who pay for care out of their own pockets were charged on average 2.5 times more for hospital services in 2004 than what health insurers pay and three times more than Medicare-allowable costs, a...

Proposed rule would pull graduate medical education from Medicaid.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... CMS released a proposed rule on May 18 that would clarify that costs and payments associated with graduate medical education programs are not expenditures for medical assistance that are federally reimbursable under the Medicaid program.

Classic collection.(Member Spotlight)(Tommy Cockrell's hobby)
July 1, 2007... Tommy Cockrell's hobby: buying and restoring older cars. Tommy Cockrell has owned more than 75 cars since he first learned to drive in the mid-1960s-and he's always on the lookout for his next automobile. Cockrell, FHFMA, COO of South...

A mentor for healthcare students.(Making a Difference)(Harris Brodsky)
July 1, 2007... Professor Harris Brodsky was named "mentor of the year" for his work with healthcare administration students. Long after retiring from his 30-year career as a nursing home administrator, Professor Harris Brodsky is continuing to make a...

Not a beary good patient.(Strange, but True)
July 1, 2007... A young bear wandered through the automatic doors of a medical clinic in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, last May, making his way through the waiting room, into a side room, and finally into a bathroom before an animal control officer arrived and...

Overheard.(ETCETERA)
July 1, 2007... "While we always hear that sunshine is the best disinfectant, sunshine can't do its work unless we open the blinds. The sooner we open those blinds, the better." -Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Max Baucus, D-Mont. of the Senate...

What's new on our web site.(ETCETERA)
July 1, 2007... HFMA Educational Report: Missed Opportunities: Your Strategy for Correct-and Complete-Charge Capture. See "Resource Library" then "Revenue Cycle:' then "Coding & Chargemaster;' and click on the title of the document. HFMA Fact Sheet: FY08...

Could banks be allies in managing health?(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Scott MacStravic, PhD Note: The following commentary recently appeared in HFMA Views, www.hfma.org/views. There has always been at least a logical connection between banks and healthcare organizations (HCOs). As financial services...

Children assured of their mother's care: nothing is more important for children than caring parents. But for one family, health problems coupled with a lack of insurance threatened a mother's ability to care for her children.(FROM THE CHAIRMAN)
July 1, 2007... In Austin, Texas, a 38-year- old mother of four struggled with "brittle diabetes." Her blood sugar levels fluctuated wildly, and her condition required careful monitoring. But because she and her husband could not afford health insurance, she...

Heroes and villains.(health care industry and health insurance industry been compared)(Column)
July 1, 2007... In 1992, the Clinton administration struggled to communicate its complex first budget plan to a wary Congress and public. Hillary Clinton, according to Bob Woodward, proposed a time-tested approach from the communications professionals'...

Reconstructing Hospital Pricing Systems: a new Patient Friendly Billing report.(HFMA NEWS)(Report)
July 1, 2007... The PATIENT FRIENDLY BILLING[R] project released its new report, Reconstructing Hospital Pricing Systems, at HFMA's Annual National Institute (ANI), June 24-27. Reconstructing Hospital Pricing Systems provides an overview of the current...

ANI's hottest collectible: chairman's pins.(HFMA NEWS)(Annual National Institute)
July 1, 2007... One of the hidden treasures of HFMA's Annual National Institute (ANI) is a pin that symbolizes the incoming chairman's theme. Each year, a limited number of these pins are available for distribution--and if attendees are lucky, they may take...

From Acorn to Oak and Beyond: a history of HFMA.(Healthcare Financial Management Association)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... HFMA turned 60 years old in 2006. Since the Association's inception, the changes in healthcare finance and HFMA have been incalculable. But some elements have persevered: HFMA continues to provide the most timely and practical information...

An investor's view of the mental health coverage issue: is it possible to draw a comparison between investing in the stock market and congressional action?(EYE ON WASHINGTON)(Viewpoint essay)
July 1, 2007... I've become addicted to some of television's investment advice programs, and it struck me recently how that guidance can be applied to issues Congress is addressing (or not). A stretch, you say? Well, consider what is happening with mental...

The competitive value of healthcare IT.(TECHNOLOGY)
July 1, 2007... Can the application of IT provide a competitive advantage to an organization? Over the past two decades, across a wide range of industries, answers to this question have been explored and will always be explored as a result of continued...

A pothole in the road to medical malpractice insurance reform?(MANAGED CARE)
July 1, 2007... Despite the many initiatives being advanced to control the spiraling cost of medical malpractice insurance and its consequent financial impact on providing health care, the one area consistently overlooked is the effect of managed care....

The next generation of revenue cycle management: the revenue cycle universe is changing. Are your revenue cycle operations keeping up?(Cover story)
July 1, 2007... In healthcare financial management, as in most other fields, the only constant is change. Over the years, our changing operational and reimbursement environments have meant that our profession has had to constantly adapt to survive, much less...

A disciplined approach to capital today's healthcare imperative: St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare adopted a finance-based approach to capital based on the approach used by successful companies in other industries, and in so doing better secured the organization's financial future.(FEATURE STORY)(Company overview)
July 1, 2007... The statistics tell the story: > Health care is one of the largest, most complex industries in the United States, now accounting for nearly $2 trillion in expenditures and 16 percent of gross domestic product. (a) > The industry is...

Lining up your service lines: manufacturing and health care may seem to have little in common. But guess where service lines came from?(FEATURE STORY)
July 1, 2007... These are not easy times for the healthcare industry. As service delivery has been expanded by new treatment modalities, the industry has grown more financially complex. The proliferation of outpatient services, expanded definitions of...

Healthcare reform initiatives the new wave: how far might healthcare reform go? And what are its economic and financial implications?(FEATURE STORY)
July 1, 2007... Perpetual discussion of health reform isn't work; it's a lifestyle.--Uwe Reinhardt, PhD, Princeton University, July 2006 A recent article referred to the U.S. healthcare system as "unraveling" and "falling apart" ("The Right Medicine," The...

"reCreate Jackson" a turnaround tale: in less than three years, Jackson Health System reversed the tide of enormous and increasing financial losses and has experienced two years of positive margins.(FEATURE STORY)
July 1, 2007... Jackson Health System in Miami-Dade County, Fla., turned an $85 million loss in FY04 into a $10 million surplus at the end of FY05, sustained in FY06, by implementing a transformational reorganization that included a renewed focus on finance...

Health care we must get it right: to make real progress in healthcare reform, healthcare organization leaders need to make quality and safety a priority.(COMMENTARY)
July 1, 2007... For many years, we in health care have been putting different labels on similar concepts as we strive to find answers to the challenging issues of quality, patient safety, and cost. We have attempted, although with great difficulty, to identify...

Tips on how to write your legislator.(hfm TOOLBOX)
July 1, 2007... Legislation and regulations can have a significant impact on providers. Today, it is more important than ever to be able to communicate clearly and concisely with legislators on important, relevant issues. Here are a few tips to help you...

Where is your organization going? Five key steps will prepare your organization for exciting changes in the healthcare industry.(LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT)(Viewpoint essay)
July 1, 2007... Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to hear several "futurists" talk about the directions in which health care is likely to move over the near and long term. More than 500 years ago, Nostradamus made predictions about the...

Retail clinics: here to stay: if you thought the so-called "miniclinics" were a passing fad, think again. Looks as if they will be more like a punch to the gut.(NEW REVENUE GROWTH)
July 1, 2007... In fact, several independent reports confirm that these alternatives to traditional primary care will have a major effect on the delivery of care and that their footprint will march quickly across the nation. I first discussed miniclinics...

Rocky investments have extreme risk takers taken over the market? Towering over the cocktail reception area at Standard & Poor's 2007 Health Care Finance Conference was a rock-climbing station festooned with kernmantel ropes, handholds, footholds, carabiners, crampons, and other dangly paraphernalia.(CAPITAL FINANCE)
July 1, 2007... A group of invitees small-talked about the risks involved in scaling it: "... a person could get killed...," "... acrophobia since I was a kid...," "looks like fun, but you'd never get me on that darn thing." One person described his...

Fall 2007 seminars.(Calendar)
July 1, 2007... Fall 2007 Seminars Oct. 1-4 Oct. 8-11 Level Seminar Minneapolis Nashville Financial Management B Fundamentals of Healthcare...

Tracy B. Berry.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Ms. Berry has been appointed senior vice president, revenue management, Centura Health, Centennial, Colo. Formerly, she was principal, The Chartis Group, Chicago.

Patricia A. Jorgensen.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Patricia A. Jorgensen at Sacred Heart Medical Center)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Ms. Jorgensen has joined Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, Wash., as senior financial analyst. Formerly, she was accounting/reimbursement manager, Whitman Hospital and Medical Center, Colfax, Wash.

Charles Salvo.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Salvo has joined The Lewin Group, Falls Church, Va., as principal. Formerly, he was senior manager, EGG Management Consultants, Arlington, Va.

Scott Smith.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Smith has been promoted from director, patient financial services, to director, revenue cycle, Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg, Miss.

Robert S. Smull.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Smull has been named senior manager, health care consulting group, Moss Adams LLP, Phoenix. He had been president, Smull Consulting, Philadelphia.

Matthew J. Claeys, CPA.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Claeys, principal-in-charge of hospital and health systems, LarsonAllen, Minneapolis, is relocating to LarsonAllen, Philadelphia, to lead the development of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast hospital assurance practice.

Kris P. Kurtz, CPA.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Kurtz has been appointed controller, Metro Health Corporation, Grand Rapids, Mich. He had been controller, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Clinton Township, Mich.

Kristen Ressler, CPA.(PEOPLE)(appointment )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Ms. Ressler has been named manager of budget and reimbursement, St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, Beech Grove, Ind. Formerly, she was accounting supervisor, Clarian Health Partners, Indianapolis.

Randolph Safady, CPA.(PEOPLE)(appointment at Centura Health)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Safady has joined Centura Health, Denver, as CFO and executive vice president. Previously, he was CFO and senior vice president, Adventist Midwest Health, Hinsdale, Ill.

Robert C. Schmitt, FHFMA, FACHE, CPA.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Schmitt has been named CEO, Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services, Gibson City, Ill. He was CFO, Gibson Area Hospital, Gibson City, Ill.

David Usher.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Usher has been promoted from staff accountant to patient financial services director, Pioneers Medical Center, Meeker, Colo.

Tara Tesch.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Ms. Tesch has been promoted from associate director to director, healthcare strategy, Navigant Consulting, Inc., Chicago.

Barbara Viskochil.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Ms. Viskochil has been promoted from manager, government programs, to director, Medicare and Medicaid services, University Health Care Hospitals & Clinics, Salt Lake City.

Joseph Winterhaler.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Winterhaler has been appointed CFO, St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago, Ind. Previously, he was senior vice president of finance, Edgewater Systems, Gary, Ind.

Lisa Walter, RHIA.(PEOPLE)(appointment at Revenue Cycle Solutions)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Ms. Walter has joined Revenue Cycle Solutions, Plano, Texas, as assistant vice president, health information management services. Formerly, she was director of health information and patient access management, NorthEast Medical Center, Concord,...

Ronald R. Zant, Jr.(PEOPLE)(appointment at VanderLugt)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Mr. Zant has joined VanderLugt, Mulder, DeVries and Elders, Grandville, Mich., as practice management consultant. Previously, he was president/managing partner, Physician Management Partners, LLC, Muskegon, Mich.

Impact of disproportionate share payments on Medicare payment.(DATA TRENDS)
July 1, 2007... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides an additional payment to hospitals that serve a large number of uninsured or underinsured patients. This additional payment, called a disproportionate share (DPS) amount, is reported...

hfm reviewers recognized.(hfm THANKS OUR REVIEWERS)
July 1, 2007... The staff of hfm thanks the following individuals for completing technical reviews of articles between March 1, 2007, and May 31, 2007. Donna J. Anglin, FHFMA John V. Berzinsky, FHFMA David Bolen, FHFMA * Robert F. Borchert,...

Hospital pricing: doing the right thing for the right reasons.(FROM THE PRESIDENT)
July 1, 2007... The drumbeat for rational hospital pricing is not going away; it's getting louder. Witness, for example, the recent study "From 'Soak the Rich' to 'Soak the Poor': Recent Trends in Hospital Pricing" by Gerard Anderson of the Johns Hopkins...

Are you ready for quality-based payment?(hfma roundtable)(Discussion)
July 1, 2007... Early strides for the quality-based payment movement have come about through successful demonstration projects and payer initiatives. As such, quality-based payment promises to remain high on the agenda for government and private insurers....

Telling the story of community benefit.(HFMA EDUCATIONAL REPORT)(The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati)
July 1, 2007... Cincinnati's University Hospital opened its doors in 1823 as one of the country's first teaching hospitals. A public, charitable organization, University Hospital's mission to "provide for the aged, indigent and orphaned," wasn't questioned for...