Healthcare Financial Management articles from March 2008

Healthcare Financial Management archives from March 2008

As enrollment climbs, Medicare advantage plans are being scrutinized.(Medicare Advantage)
March 1, 2008... As Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment continues to climb, a new report prepared for the Kaiser Family Foundation, released Jan. 30, compares the value of extra benefits provided by private fee-for-service (PFFS) and other types of MA plans. On...

Doesn't take long to hit $2 million these days.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... DOESN'T TAKE LONG TO HIT $2 MILLION THESE DAYS: According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust, 55% of employees with employer-sponsored coverage had a lifetime limit in 2007, including 23%...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is updating the 60-day national episode rates and per visit amounts under the home health prospective payment system for CY08.(CMS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is updating the 60-day national episode rates and per visit amounts under the home health prospective payment system for CY08. CMS is also refining the case mix methodology and rebasing...

CMS is implementing provider education activities to notify independent laboratories eligible to bill the carrier for these services that they may do so through June 30, 2008, regardless of the beneficiary's hospitalization status, in accordance with the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007.(CMS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ... CMS is implementing provider education activities to notify independent laboratories eligible to bill the carrier for these services that they may do so through June 30, 2008, regardless of the beneficiary's hospitalization status, in...

On June 24, 2005, CMS implemented instructions to the common working file (CWF) for editing Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facility claims for social admissions.(CMS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ... On June 24, 2005, CMS implemented instructions to the common working file (CWF) for editing Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facility claims for social admissions. The CWF edits/informational unsolicited responses (IURs) 7284 and 7548...

Don't stop believing.(CMS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... DON'T STOP BELIEVING: Sixty-six percent of healthcare opinion leaders surveyed believe that enhanced transparency on quality and price is very important to help patients make informed choices about their care, according to a November 2007...

HHS proposes $737 billion budget for FY09.(Healthcare Spending)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt released details of President Bush's FY09 budget request to Congress for the department in early February. The budget proposes total outlays of nearly $737 billion for HHS, an...

Section 413(a) of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 required CMS to pay a 5 percent bonus payment to physicians in a designated physician scarcity area (PSA).(CMS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ... Section 413(a) of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 required CMS to pay a 5 percent bonus payment to physicians in a designated physician scarcity area (PSA). The initial effective period of the PSA bonus payment was for dates of...

Yes, that says "not likely".(CMS)
March 1, 2008... YES, THAT SAYS "NOT LIKELY": However, 53% of those same healthcare opinion leaders agree that consumers with health savings accounts are not likely to make use of price and quality data to inform healthcare decisions.

New report on prescription drugs shows strong role for states.(State Watch)
March 1, 2008... At least 38 states are introducing legislation this year to make pharmaceuticals more accessible and affordable to the general public, according to a nationwide report released in early February by the National Conference of State Legislatures...

By means of an interim final rule with comment period (Federal Register, Jan. 18, 2008), CMS is implementing the continuation of the revisit user fee program for Medicare survey and certification activities.(FEDERAL REGISTER)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ... By means of an interim final rule with comment period (Federal Register, Jan. 18, 2008), CMS is implementing the continuation of the revisit user fee program for Medicare survey and certification activities. On Sept. 19, 2007, CMS published...

Through a proposed rule (Federal Register, Jan. 25, 2008), CMS would clarify, expand, and add to the existing enrollment requirements that durable medical equipment and prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers must meet to establish and maintain billing privileges in the Medicare program.(FEDERAL REGISTER)
March 1, 2008... ... Through a proposed rule (Federal Register, Jan. 25, 2008), CMS would clarify, expand, and add to the existing enrollment requirements that durable medical equipment and prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers must meet to...

State of emergency.(FEDERAL REGISTER)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... At 642 per 1,000 people, West Virginia topped a ranking of the states in terms of hospital ED visits. California ranked lowest, at 262, according to www.statehealthfacts.org.

By means of a proposed rule (Federal Register, Jan. 29, 2008), CMS would update the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals.(FEDERAL REGISTER)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ... By means of a proposed rule (Federal Register, Jan. 29, 2008), CMS would update the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals. It is also proposing...

A new proposed rule (Federal Register, Jan. 18, 2008) would add section 1915(j) to the Social Security Act, allowing states to provide self-directed personal assistance services (PAS) through a state plan option.(FEDERAL REGISTER)
March 1, 2008... ... A new proposed rule (Federal Register, Jan. 18, 2008) would add section 1915(j) to the Social Security Act, allowing states to provide self-directed personal assistance services (PAS) through a state plan option. This section would set...

Profile shmofile.(FEDERAL REGISTER)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... PROFILE SHMOFILE: Of 810 primary care physicians surveyed, 64% found patient satisfaction profiles at least moderately useful--but 47% of respondents said they never used those data to change patient care, according to the July 2007 Health...

Stable credit outlook for not-for-profit healthcare sector: Moody's.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)
March 1, 2008... In its January 2008 industry outlook, Moody's Investors Service reported that it has a stable credit outlook for the not-for-profit healthcare sector in 2008, though its outlook for 2009 and 2010 is less certain. The report also discusses the...

S&P announces new actions to strengthen credit ratings process.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)
March 1, 2008... Standard & Poor's Ratings Services announced Feb. 7 that it has begun implementing a broad set of 27 new actions to further strengthen its ratings operations and better serve capital markets around the world.

Efforts to reduce number of uninsured now compromised: reports.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... New reports released Jan. 28 by the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured describe aggressive efforts by states in the past year and a half to expand coverage to low-income children and their families, but the...

Medicare Part D projected costs continue to drop: CMS.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The overall projected cost of the Medicare prescription drug benefit is $117 billion lower over the next 10 years than was estimated last summer due to the slowing of drug cost trends, lower estimates of plan spending, and higher rebates from...

CMS has no authority to limit state expansion of Medicaid: Dems.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... In a Jan. 14 letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, House and Senate Democrats blasted December 2007 action by CMS that denied Ohio's request to extend health coverage to more children through Medicaid.

Aetna to pay physicians for online consultations.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Aetna announced in mid-December that it will reimburse physicians participating in most of Aetna's medical plans nationwide for webVisit consultations in more than 30 specialties, including allergy and immunology, neurology, cardiology, and...

Washington to not pay for 'never events'.(Quick Hits: Top News Stories of the Month)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Washington is the fourth state to announce that it will not pay for "never events," joining Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Vermont. Gov. Chris Gregoire announced on Jan. 29 the adoption of the resolution by the Washington State Hospital...

A ride to remember.(Member Spotlight)
March 1, 2008... When Kirk Kamien's father, Harold, a retired NYPD motorcycle sergeant, died of a heart attack in January 2001, Kamien wanted to do something that would honor his father's memory by helping others in need. Remembering his father's love for...

A tasty tribute: hospital anniversary cake featured on food network.(ETCETERA)(Baltimore's Union Memorial Hospital )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The cake prepared in honor of the 150th anniversary of Baltimore's Union Memorial Hospital is getting national attention--more than three years later. "Ace of Cakes," a popular show about a Baltimore bakery,...

Survey reveals top reasons healthcare workers leave.(From the Headlines)
March 1, 2008... A recent survey examined the top factors that drive healthcare employees to leave a job--and the answers may surprise you. The survey, "Feeling the Pain of Health Care's War for Talent: Selection Forecast 2006-2007," conducted by...

Strengthening weak links in patient accounts management.(20 Years Ago in hfm)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Twenty years ago, the cover article in the March 1988 issue of hfm dealt with ways to obtain and maintain quality in the patient accounting department, now commonly known as patient financial services. At the time, quality control was a...

What's new on our Web site.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Building a New Payment System. See "Resource Library," then "Revenue Cycle," then "Pricing," and click on the title of the document. Medicare Regulatory Resources. See "Resource Library," then "Reimbursement," then "Medicare," and...

Reader: Daschle's comments in November article objectionable.(VIEWS)
March 1, 2008... The November 2007 issue of hfm included an article by Tom Daschle entitled "Politics and a Pragmatic Paradigm for Health Reform." In the past, hfm has presented the viewpoints of many authors on the topic of health reform, and I encourage the...

An opportunity to make a difference: my theme as HFMA Chairman--Make a Difference--focuses on choosing to invest our life, time, and talents to make a lasting impact on others: our families, profession, workplace, and community.(FROM THE CHAIRMAN)(Column)
March 1, 2008... The stories I have shared in these columns show the efforts and commitment of healthcare professionals to making a positive difference, even in the face of daunting challenges. We have each chosen health care as our profession because we...

The path to community benefit.(FROM THE EDITOR)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... At a recent event, I found myself sitting next to the CFO of a nearby hospital. I asked her what I always ask healthcare CFOs: "Why are you in healthcare finance rather than in some saner industry?" She told me that she used to be in...

Earn Founder's Points by reviewing hfm articles.(HFMA NEWS)(Healthcare financial Management)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... If you enjoy keeping up with the latest healthcare finance trends, hfm may have an opportunity for you. We're seeking HFHA members with the expertise necessary to review articles submitted for publication in the magazine. If you have the...

Coalition provides education, technical support on completing the new Form 990.(HFMA NEWS)(Healthcare Financial Management Association )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... HFMA is part of a coalition, the 990 Coalition for Hospitals, that is providing technical support to the IRS as it develops instructions for hospitals on completing the new Form 990. The coalition also will provide education to hospitals on the...

Applications now accepted for Helen M. Yerger award.(HFMA NEWS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Chapter leaders: Now is the time to prepare your entries for the Helen M. Yerger Special Recognition Award! The award honors outstanding performance achieved through excellence in chapter programs, services, and...

The lame duck budget: why should you care? Why should you care about a lame duck president's last budget--one up for review by a Democrat-controlled Congress that can't wait for the moving vans to pull up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.?(EYE ON WASHINGTON)
March 1, 2008... There are at least a couple of reasons, one related to legislation, the other to regulation. Legislation The Bush budget for FY09, released Feb. 4, proposes cuts to generate healthcare "savings" of $200 billion for 2009-13. It's no...

Policing your commercial payments staying in (or getting in) the black.(MANAGED CARE)
March 1, 2008... The American Hospital Association (AHA) has reported that 25 percent of U.S. hospitals lost money during 2005 (AHA, TrendWatch Chartbook 2007, Trends in Hospital Financing, Chart 4.1). Healthcare leaders are all too aware that today's...

Diagnosis: missed opportunities for payment.(REVENUE CYCLE)
March 1, 2008... For an oncologist, the key to diagnosing and treating a disease begins with careful, considered investigation. For the oncologist who also must be a financial manager, the same could be said for handling a financial crisis. In early 2005, when...

Community benefit: how much is enough? Many tax-exempt hospitals could do a better job accounting for the community benefit they deliver, and thereby show that they are truly worthy of tax exemption.(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hospitals' elevated public stature left some surprised when, in recent years, Congress began asking questions about whether not-for-profit hospitals deliver enough "community benefit" to justify their tax exemptions....

Schedule H: what hospitals should do to prepare: Schedule H of the new Form 990 requires detailed reporting of the community benefit hospitals provide, beginning with tax year 2009. Is your organization ready?(FEATURE STORY)
March 1, 2008... The redesigned Form 990 has the potential to help tax-exempt hospitals better tell their community benefit story--but completing the new form could amount to a major undertaking for hospitals, particularly those that have never prepared...

Budgeting--or refusing to budge? How budget workshops can reduce the pain: budgeting doesn't have to be everyone's bete noire. St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, La., found a way to take the fear out of the process.(FEATURE STORY)
March 1, 2008... The right budget, the first time, every time. Sound like the impossible? Not when you consider the quality imperatives from a patient care perspective--the right care, the first time, every time. Budgeting can certainly cause a type of pain and...

CFOs and quality managers bridging the disconnect: your hospital may have internal barriers that are preventing it from achieving desired patient care outcomes.(FEATURE STORY)
March 1, 2008... Healthcare organizations continually strive to provide high-quality care. With growing accountability for providing and demonstrating best practice care, organizations look for new ways to achieve best practice clinical and financial outcomes....

Profit centers in clinical care departments an idea whose time has gone: a case can be made for converting a hospital's clinical care departments from profit centers into standard expense centers.(FEATURE STORY)
March 1, 2008... In recent years, profit centers have proliferated in both teaching and community hospitals. Originating in the early 1900s in the private sector, they were introduced to hospitals in the mid-1970s, when Robert Heyssel, MD, former president of...

Gainsharing in health care meeting the quality-of-care challenge: in health care, gainsharing carries unique challenges, but the benefits are worth the effort.(FEATURE STORY)
March 1, 2008... The healthcare industry today is taking small steps along a path well worn by the manufacturing and services industries--the path toward embracing gainsharing as a means to align incentives between parties with different economic interests. And...

Building the business case for patient-centered care: patient-centered care has the potential to reduce adverse events, malpractice claims, and operating costs while improving market share.(FEATURE STORY)
March 1, 2008... Nearly 30 years ago, inspired by her own traumatic healthcare experience, Angelica Thieriot conceived of a healthcare model designed not only to treat patients, but also to comfort, engage, and empower them. At the time, an approach calling for...

Disaster planning checklist for CFOs of healthcare organizations.(hfm TOOLBOX)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... According to the National Safety Council, the 10 most common problems or errors with emergency response plans are: 1. No upper management support 2. Lack of employee buy-in 3. Poor or no planning 4. Lack of training and...

Lessons learned from extraordinary leaders: leadership and management are distinct, but the nuances are often hard to define.(LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT)
March 1, 2008... Managers focus on where we are today, making sure we are doing things correctly. Leaders are visionaries, taking us to where we need to be and making sure we are doing the right things. By nature, leaders have not only a clearly defined vision,...

Healthcare IT: health plans understand the need: we are frequently reminded of both the importance of IT in health care and the extent to which the healthcare industry trails other information-intensive industries in its use of IT.(INSIDE IT)
March 1, 2008... When it comes to care delivery, we see the data indicating the low adoption of electronic medical records or electronic health records by providers and personal health records for consumers--and we still can't agree on the definition of these...

Unscrambling eggs versus improving shock absorbers: how did we get into this mess in barely six months?(CAPITAL FINANCE)(Column)
March 1, 2008... As I write this column, Ambac has just lost its triple-A rating and MBIA is under review for a similar downgrade, possibly within the week. By the time you read this, other equally portentous events--positive and negative--will have occurred or...

Calendar.(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... NATIONAL EVENTS May 5-8 Twelve seminars will cover financial and HFMA's Spring Seminars healthcare business management, revenue cycle Seattle improvements, consumer-focused practices, ...

Jamalia L. Brashears.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Brashears has joined Ernst & Young, Health Sciences and Advisory Services, New York, as senior. Formerly, she was program associate, healthcare cost and coverage, New York State Health Foundation, New York.

Michael A. Peer, CPA.(PEOPLE)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Peer has been appointed shareholder, Kolb+Co., Brookfield, Wis.

Derick Perkins.(PEOPLE)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Perkins has been appointed manager, Deloitte Consulting Extended Business Services, LLC, Houston, Texas. He had been project manager, TPAS Consulting, Sugar Land, Texas.

Nicole Sheldon, CHFP.(PEOPLE)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sheldon has joined Otsego Memorial Hospital, Gaylord, Mich., as financial analyst. She had been financial analyst, reimbursement, Mercy Hospital Cadillac, Cadillac, Mich.

Christine K. Wagner.(PEOPLE)(American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wagner has been elected Georgia Chapter president, American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management, 2008-10. She is an account executive for the state of Georgia, Emdeon Business Services, headquartered...

Cynthia Denton.(PEOPLE)( Palm Drive Hospital)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Denton has joined Palm Drive Hospital, Sebastopol, Calif., as chief business officer. She had been director of business development, RelayHealth, a division of McKesson, Alpharetta, Ga. She is the current chair of HFMA's Northern California...

Wendi Elder.(PEOPLE)
March 1, 2008... Elder has been named national director of revenue cycle, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif. Formerly, she was PFS director, Shasta Regional Medical Center, Bedding, Calif.

Randy H. Hamil, FHFMA.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Hamil has been named corporate vice president, revenue cycle, St. John Health System, Tulsa, Okla. He had been division vice president, revenue cycle, Ardent Health Services Oklahoma Division.

Tracy B. Hursh, CPA, CIA.(PEOPLE)(Madigan Army Medical Center & Western Regional Medical Command)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Hursh has been appointed auditor, internal review office, Madigan Army Medical Center & Western Regional Medical Command, Tacoma, Wash. He had been audit manager, Catholic Healthcare Audit Network, Tacoma.

Kenneth J. Klein.(PEOPLE)
March 1, 2008... Klein has been named manager, contracts development, corporate contracting, St. Joseph Health System, Orange, Calif. Previously, he was contracts manager, UCI Medical Center, Orange, Calif.

Trends in emergency department capacities and costs.(DATA TRENDS)
March 1, 2008... Recent declines in the total number of hospitals and beds nationwide have raised questions about effects on emergency department (ED) services. A study of Medicare cost reports for the years 2000 through 2006 indicate, however, that such...

The essence of community benefit: "I wish Senator Grassley was sitting here with us for that last discussion.".(FROM THE PRESIDENT)(Healthcare Financial Management Association)
March 1, 2008... I spoke these words during the January meeting of the Board of CHRISTUS Health, headquartered in Dallas. The board had been discussing the organization's mission, values, and community service. The discussion was wide ranging, but every word...