Healthcare Financial Management articles from March 2005

Healthcare Financial Management archives from March 2005

Opinion editorials in hfm?(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... Given HFMA's status as a 501 not-for-profit entity, I was shocked to see the January Eye on Washington column b v lobbyist Jeanne Schulte Scott ["Privatizing Social Security: Can Medicare Be Far Behind?" pp. 30-31]. Political opinion editorials...

How should we assess the effectiveness of IT performance?(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... As a healthcare CIO of several years, I was encouraged with the coverage afforded IT in the January 2005 issue of hfm. However, I am compelled to offer some comments on the article written by Vince Ciotti and Trish Birch, "How does your IT...

CMS creates regional Medicare Advantage PPOs.(Policy Watch)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Preferred provider organizations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Medicare beneficiaries will have an additional choice among Medicare Advantage plans beginning Jan. 1, 2006. The MA final rule, published by CMS in the .Jan. 28 Federal Register, provides for new regional MA PPOs located in 26 regions...

Billing requirements clarified for critical access hospitals.(Policy Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Medicare intermediaries are required to pay the facility amount for physician services rendered to a critical access hospital under the method II payment category, CMS clarified in a recently published transmittal. Under this category,...

Physician pay-for-performance pilot announced.(Policy Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Medicare will soon begin a pilot program that will pay physicians in 10 large group practices up to 5 percent extra for lowering costs and providing higher quality care. according to CMS administrator Mark McClellan. The cost measures will be...

Governors urge Medicaid reform.(Policy Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Medicaid reform is the No. 1 priority for governors. according to the National Governors Association's recent letter to the Administration and Congress. However, the NCA cautioned federal reform must not shift additional costs to the...

... CMS announced that 2005 physician fee schedules posted by carriers prior to Nov. 19, 2004, might be incorrect.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ... CMS announced that 2005 physician fee schedules posted by carriers prior to Nov. 19, 2004, might be incorrect. CMS assures providers the fee schedule included in the CD-ROM as part of the 2005 annual participation enrollment mailing...

... HHS issued a proposed rule in the Feb. 4 Federal Register that would establish standards for electronic prescriptions for Medicare-covered drugs when the new benefit takes effect on Jan. 1, 2006.(Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ... HHS issued a proposed rule in the Feb. 4 Federal Register that would establish standards for electronic prescriptions for Medicare-covered drugs when the new benefit takes effect on Jan. 1, 2006. E-prescribing enables a physician to...

MedPAC on specialty hospitals: moratorium and payment change.(Policy Watch)(Medicare Payment Advisory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... In January, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recommended payment updates for 2006 and also concluded (for now) its consideration of specialty hospitals with several recommendations to Congress. Regarding the specialty hospitals, MedPAC...

Supreme Court casts doubt on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.(Policy Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions indicate that the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines have been applied improperly in federal court sentencing of criminal defendants, and in the future, use of the guidelines will not be mandatory. The action...

... CMS has issued clarifications and corrections to its Dec. 1, 2004, inpatient psychiatric facility PPS transmittal, which provided claims processing instructions for the IPF PPS final rule.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ... CMS has issued clarifications and corrections to its Dec. 1, 2004, inpatient psychiatric facility PPS transmittal, which provided claims processing instructions for the IPF PPS final rule. Areas addressed include inconsistency in the...

... CMS has updated the Program Integrity Manual to clarify that contractors must consider all documentation during a medical review, to include information such as physical and occupational therapy evaluations, physicians' letters, other written physician evaluations, or any document that provides relevant information about a patient's clinical condition.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ... CMS has updated the Program Integrity Manual to clarify that contractors must consider all documentation during a medical review, to include information such as physical and occupational therapy evaluations, physicians' letters, other...

Submission of Medicare electronic claims mandatory starting July 1.(Policy Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Administrative Simplification Compliance Act of 2001 prescribes that "'no payment may be made under Part A or Part B of the Medicare Program for any expenses incurred for items or services" for which a claim is received in a non-electronic...

25 percent of TennCare enrollees cut; child coverage preserved.(Policy Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-Tenn.) has taken steps to reduce the new revenues needed for TennCare's 2005-06 year from $647 million to $75 million. The Medicaid waiver program will cut 323,000 adult enrollees who are not eligible for conventional...

States focus on health issues to minimize future healthcare costs.(State Policy Watch)
March 1, 2005... Obesity rates among children and adults have risen continuously since 1960. During the past three years, the media, public health advocates, and both federal and state policymakers have devoted significant attention to this escalating American...

Demystifying the billing process.(From The Chairman)
March 1, 2005... Hospitals are challenged to balance their mission to the community and financial viability. The plight of the almost 45 million Americans who are uninsured and the millions more who are underinsured has been reported extensively by the...

Not-for-profit hospital margins improved in 2004, but credit gap widens.(Industry Watch)
March 1, 2005... A Standard & Poor's report on not-for-profit health care has found a widening gap in hospitals' credit quality in 2004, a gap that is expected to expand further in 2005. Median ratios generally improved across the sector, with improvement more...

JCAHO releases patient safety goals.(Industry Watch)(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recently released for review a list of draft goals and requirements that will form the basis for selection of the 2006 National Patient Safety Goals. These annually updated goals...

Fourth-quarter healthcare employment costs moderate.(Industry Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Fourth-quarter 2004 compensation costs for healthcare services rose 0.6 percent, down from a 1.3 percent increase in the third quarter, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index data released Jan. 28. For hospital services,...

Health market changes prompt use of hospitalists across United States.(Industry Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Increasing financial pressures, problems with patient flow in hospitals, a growing focus on patient safety, and rising malpractice costs have spurred the use of hospitalists, a new breed of physicians who specialize in caring for hospitalized...

2004 hospital payment growth slows, home health payments strengthen.(Industry Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Payments received for hospital services increased by 4.9 percent in 2004, exhibiting weaker growth than the 5.8 percent annual increase of 2003, according to preliminary Producer Price Index (PPI) data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor...

Health law practitioners: Medicare/Medicaid reform is top priority.(Industry Watch)
March 1, 2005... Health law practitioners say that their No. 1 issue in 2005 will be Medicare and Medicaid reforms relating to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, according to a BNA survey published in January. Fraud and abuse...

Seniors turn to physicians, Medicare, and pharmacists for help with Medicare drug benefit.(Industry Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Senior citizens are likely to say they would turn to their physician, pharmacist, or the Medicare program for help in making decisions about the new Medicare drug benefit set to begin Jan. 1, 2006, according to a new tracking survey released...

Study: look at U.S. long term care costs.(Industry Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The average cost of long term care in the United States across all services categories was $72,240 in 2004, according to research recently released by Genworth Financial. Costs in urban areas were 20 percent higher than in nonurban areas,...

Rural physician incomes on par with urban physicians.(Industry Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Although lower incomes are often cited as an obstacle to recruiting physicians to practice in rural America, average physician incomes in rural and urban areas do not differ significantly, according to a national study released on Jan. 26 by...

Nursing group recommends patient safety improvements.(Industry Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Many hospital caregivers said they had seen a coworker take dangerous shortcuts or show poor clinical judgment but did not speak up about their concerns, according to a study recently released by the American Association of Critical-Care...

Quotes of note.(Industry Watch)
March 1, 2005... "For too long, America's seniors have struggled to pay for their medicines. Today sets in motion historic developments for the elderly and disabled. In less than a year, for the first time, Medicare will offer a prescription drug benefit to...

Physicians doubt error-reduction interventions.(Industry Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Physicians are skeptical of some of the most commonly prescribed interventions to reduce medical errors, even when the interventions are supported by published evidence, according to a recent study published in the February issue of Academic...

HFMA seeks to improve eligibility transmissions.(HFMA News)(Healthcare Financial Management Association )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... HFMA has joined a new industrywide initiative to develop operating rules for transmitting eligibility and benefits information. The Operating Rules Committee, spearheaded by the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare, is a self governing...

Spring seminars visit San Francisco, Alexandria.(HFMA News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... HFMA begins its 2005 Spring Seminar Series March 14 to 17 in San Francisco and April 11 to 14 in Alexandria, Va. (Washington. D.C. area). Sessions are geared to the interests of CFOs. financial and operational professionals, and other...

Founders conversion process completed.(HFMA News)
March 1, 2005... HFMA's Founders point conversion process is now complete, and members can view their updated points under the system online. Chapter Founders contacts have begun using a 24-hour online reporting system to report member Founders points to HFMA...

Region 8 and 10 offer southwest conference.(HFMA News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... HFMA's Region 8 and 10 will present this year's annual conference, "Indulge the Spirit of Learning," April 10 to 12 in Phoenix. Highlights of the event will include the presentation "Inside and Outside the Beltway--What SHOULD Be Keeping Health...

What do the parties' top 10 lists say about health care? Three days after George W. Bush was inaugurated for his second term as president, Senate leaders from both sides of the aisle laid out their 2005 legislative agendas, and while their stated goals might appear to be the same, the contrast between the two sets of priorities couldn't be more striking.
March 1, 2005... A look at where health care falls on the two parties' lists of legislative priorities gives some perspective on their approaches to changing the healthcare system. What Say the Republicans? Of the first 10 legislative bills proposed by...

Cutting to the heart of the theory the latest on charity care litigation.(Managed Care)
March 1, 2005... The nation's not-for-profit hospitals, which represent 85 percent of the industry, are at the center of a growing debate. As of November 2004, 70 lawsuits had been filed in federal court, with the cases targeting nearly 300 facilities for their...

The future of APCs: a look at Medicare's 2005 changes and industry trends.(Medicare/Medicaid)
March 1, 2005... When Medicare implemented its APC-based hospital outpatient PPS in August 2000, it was expected that many private payers would adopt the system in an effort to control rapidly rising outpatient spending. Contrary to expectations, private payers...

Ready for prime time? Make your financial assistance policy a class act: hospitals should feel free to offer uninsured patients discounts or financial assistance to pay for healthcare services; but they also should make sure their financial assistance policies are ready for the bright light of regulatory scrutiny.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2005... Nearly 30 years ago. Milton Friedman wrote There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch. To which hospitals might respond, "Have you heard about health care, Milton?" Hospitals traditionally have provided a great deal of care to indigent and...

Policies and practices for uninsured patients practical strategies: the number of uninsured patients is growing. What can you do to help your organization address this issue?(Feature Story)
March 1, 2005... A patient shows up at your hospital for a scheduled procedure. He tells the admitting clerk that he just lost his job and has no health insurance. A patient calls your hospital to schedule surgery. The scheduling clerk gets the impression...

Are you a master of charge capture? One healthcare organization lost more than $2 million annually because its chargemaster was out of date. In another, the radiation department system was not integrated to the hospital system, resulting in half the charges being erroneously dropped.
March 1, 2005... Fiction? Hardly. Healthcare organizations can lose millions of dollars every year because charge capture is incomplete or data are not transferred correctly. When the ambulatory payment classification system was implemented on Aug. 1,...

Healthcare tipping points: two tipping points, cost and quality, promise to forever change the healthcare landscape as we know it.(Commentary)
March 1, 2005... American health care in 2005 is poised at the edge of two significant "tipping points"--those times when an entire industry, or even a national culture, can shift in a fundamental way from yesterday's tried and supposedly true working...

Supply and conquer: West Jefferson Medical Center was able to bounce back from a $10 million operating loss by taking an active role in improving its procurement processes and aggressively negotiating with vendors.(Feature Story)
March 1, 2005... In 2002, despite numerous prestigious rankings and a national reputation for medical excellence, West Jefferson Medical Center in New Orleans was suffering financially. Culminating five consecutive years of operating losses, the 462-bed...

hfm toolbox.
March 1, 2005... do your charity care and financial aid policies measure up? [] Has your hospital signed and filed a Confirmation of Commitment with the American Hospital Association concerning its charity care, discounting, and billing and collection...

ANI: the healthcare finance conference special preview.(Annual National Institute )
March 1, 2005... Check out these highlights of the ideas, tools, and results you'll find at this year's ANI Whether you are new to the field or a seasoned executive, whether you want to make a career change or improve your performance in your current...

Solving the communications breakdown: are your hospital's department heads financially savvy?
March 1, 2005... As consultants, my colleagues and I work with hospitals and health systems all over the country. One of the first things we do in any new engagement is meet with department heads to find out what they know, among other things, about the...

Is the federal government serious about health IT? It was a banner year for health IT. In 2004, the president outlined a plan to ensure that most Americans would have electronic health records within 10 years.
March 1, 2005... The position of national coordinator of health information technology was created to promote this plan, and David Brailer. MD, PhD, was readily appointed to the post. Soon Brailer and former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson unveiled their report...

Niche markets show potential for increased revenue; do niche plays hit the mark? Should we build or buy?
March 1, 2005... Those are routine questions for most industries, but health care is now embracing them as well. Let's look at how some hospitals have viewed buy/niche opportunities in a clinical area of great concern to many: cardiology. Niche plays focus...

Mastering the Complex Sale: How to Compete and Win When the Stakes Are High!(Book Review)
March 1, 2005... Mastering the Complex Sale: HOW TO COMPETE AND WIN WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH! By Jeff Thull John Wiley & Sons 240 pages, $24.95 www.wiley.com High value sales present a challenge to even the most experienced professional. In Mastering...

Calendar.(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... Spring 2005 Seminars March 14-17 April 11-14 Level Seminar San Francisco Alexandria, VA Financial Management I/A Achieving Breakthrough ...

Patty DeLucas, FHFMA, CFP, CPA (Colorado Chapter).(appointed at A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Ms. DeLucas has been named financial consultant, A.G. Edwards & Sons. Inc., Evergreen, Colo. Formerly, she was vice president, finance, Support Services, Inc., Greenwood Village, Colo.

Brandon M. Harrison (Tennessee Chapter).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mr. Harrison has joined Horne, LLP, Nashville, Tenn., as associate. He had been manager. accounting department. C-lover's Lock Service, Clarksville, Tenn.

David Bailey (Indiana Pressler Memorial Chapter).(Community Memorial Healthcare Inc)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mr. Bailey has been named CEO, Community Memorial Healthcare, Inc., Marysville, Kans. He had been vice president, operations, White County Memorial Hospital. Monticello, Ind.

Russell Gardner (First Illinois Chapter).(appointed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mr. Gardner has joined Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, as manager, Blue Cross reimbursement. Previously. he was contract management system coordinator, University of Chicago at Illinois Medical Center, Chicago.

Stuart May (Metropolitan New York Chapter).(appointed at New York City Health & Hospital Corporation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mr. May has been appointed CFO, New York City Health & Hospital Corporation, New York. He had been vice president, administrative and financial services, St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital, Wayne, N.J.

Daniel Bugarin (Northern California Chapter).(appointed at RMA Healthcare Services)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mr. Bugarin has joined RMA Healthcare Services, Yuba City, Calif.. as national director, new business development. Formerly, he was regional sales executive, The SSI Group, Inc., Mobile, Ala.

Daniel Schulte, CHFP, MBA (Wisconsin Chapter).(appointed at Spectrum Oversight Advisors)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mr. Sehulte has joined Spectrum Oversight Advisors, Pewaukee, Wis., as partner. Formerly, he was national practice manager, Siemens Health Services, Malvern, Pa.

Carolyn Tuttle (Arizona Chapter).(People)(Medhelp, Inc.)(appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Ms. Tuttle has been named director, out-of-state Medicaid billing, Medhelp, Inc., Phoenix. She had been Medicaid manager, NHI Billing Services. Phoenix.

Peter R. Najawicz (First Illinois Chapter).(People)(Roy Lester Schneider Hospital )(appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mr. Najawicz has been appointed CFO, Roy L. Schneider Hospital, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Previously, he was a controller with Central DuPage Health, Winfield, Ill.

Domenic Delmonico: on writing and reviewing for hfm.(Healthcare Financial Management Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Do you know Dorothy Karmowski? If you do, you are probably an author or a technical reviewer for hfm. As the professional magazine of our Association, hfm provides these two great opportunities to members. Each of us has faced a difficult...

Michael Bigelow (Massachusetts Chapter).(People)(University of Rochester Medical Center)(appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mr. Bigelow has joined the University of Rochester Medical Center, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, Rochester, N.Y., as project administrator, ANC study coordinator. Formerly, he was finance manager, department of hematologic oncology, Dana...

Antoinette Cashow (Northern California Chapter).(appointed at Catholic Healthcare West)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Ms. Cashow has been named manager, operations support, Catholic Healthcare West, Woodland Clinic, West Sacramento, Calif. She had been manager, Mercy Clinic Norwood, CHW/Woodland Clinic, West Sacramento, Calif.

Debby Chanen, FHFMA (Southern California Chapter).(appointed at Glendale Adventist Medical Center)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Ms. Chanen has joined Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale, Calif., as senior director of managed care. Formerly, she was director of payer contracts, Southern California Healthcare Systems, Pasadena, Calif.

Olga Grullon (New Jersey Chapter).(appointed at Christ Hospital)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Ms. Grullon has been appointed director, internal audit and special projects, Christ Hospital, Jersey City, N.J. Previously, she was director of finance special projects, Bon Secours & Canterbury Partnership for Care, Jersey City.

On HFMA and life.(Healthcare Financial Management Association )
March 1, 2005... It may take time, but patience and loyalty eventually receive their reward. That's an adage that Joe Pajor, a member of HFMA's Connecticut Chapter, can attest to from personal experience. As a long-suffering Boston Red Sox fan, Pajor...

U.S. hospitals see overall rise in bad debt, but regional differences are striking.(Data Trends)
March 1, 2005... Managing bad-debt expense is a time consuming challenge to the financial performance of hospitals. Although improved processes and locus on management of the revenue cycle can greatly mitigate its impact, the realities of uncompensated care...

State of health care: in his State of the union address, President Bush offered a group of tools, but not a comprehensive solution, for our health system's complex challenges.(From The President)
March 1, 2005... President Bush summarized h is healthcare proposals in this passage of the 2005 State of the Union address: To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care more affordable, and give families greater...