Sebelius

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Thursday that the deadline for compliance with the International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10) diagnostic and procedural codes will be delayed. A new compliance deadline will be determined soon.

Although the current Oct. 1, 2013, implementation deadline will be delayed, the MHA encourages hospitals to continue working toward completing the education, training and system upgrades necessary to prepare for the ICD-10 conversion.

To learn the degree of readiness and progress hospitals are making in their ICD-10 conversion efforts, the American Hospital Association (AHA) asks hospitals to complete an online survey. Login identifications and passwords were recently sent to each hospital chief executive officer. Members who have questions about the survey or need assistance with logging in should contact the AHA at (800) 530-9029. For more information on ICD-10 implementation, contact Jim Lee at the MHA.

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The 2012 MHA Health Political Action Committee (Health PAC) annual fundraising campaign begins Feb. 27. MHA-member hospitals were recently mailed their individual organizational fundraising goals, as well as additional information regarding the campaign.

To alleviate the legal concerns surrounding the administration of a Health PAC fundraising campaign within a hospital/health care system, the MHA is prepared to mail Health PAC solicitation materials on behalf of MHA-member hospitals upon request. To take advantage of this service, complete and submit the mailing service form to Stacy Dowdy at the MHA as soon as possible. A comprehensive toolkit containing the necessary instructions and materials on how to conduct a successful fundraising campaign will be mailed next week to any MHA-member hospital that has not submitted a mailing service form.

For more information, including general campaign details, materials and updated specifics about individual hospital goals, contact Stacy Dowdy at the MHA.

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Preparation for the 2012-2013 influenza season is the focus of an upcoming webinar presented by the MHA and the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). The free webinar will assist participants in reviewing the efficacy of their current policies on providing influenza vaccinations to health care personnel (HCP) and employees. Scheduled from 2 to 3 p.m. March 14, the session will include presentations from an MDCH official, an infection control expert, and representatives of Michigan hospitals that have successfully implemented mandatory influenza vaccination policies for their employees.

The MHA and the MDCH launched a partnership in fall 2011 to empower hospitals to take action if their influenza vaccination policies do not fully recognize the known threat that influenza poses to patients. In early October, members were sent a link to the MHA Web page outlining the importance of vaccinating HCP against the flu and describing available materials and resources to further explore the implementation of mandatory vaccination policies.

Although there is no fee for participation, registration for the webinar is required. Dial-in information will be sent to registrants prior to the session. MHA members are encouraged to employ this assistance in ensuring their HCP vaccination policies are best serving their patients, employees and communities.

For more information on influenza vaccines and patient safety, contact Sam R. Watson at the MHA. For assistance in registering for the webinar, contact Janice Jones at the MHA.

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Mental illness affects one in four adults and is the leading cause of disability in the United States. However, there are multiple challenges to the delivery of inpatient mental health services, most predominantly with treatment options and costs. The MHA Health Foundation webinar Psychiatric Medical Care Units: Improving Outcomes and Reducing Cost outlines strategies hospitals can adopt to improve quality and reduce the cost of psychiatric care in their organizations using Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, as an example. The webinar will outline treatment approaches using a recovery-resilience model of care, effective ways to engage interdisciplinary teams, the use of evidence-based assessment tools to improve patient safety, and treatment approaches for people who are addicts and homeless. The webinar is scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 28 and members can register for a connection fee of $195. For more information, contact Leigh Anne Jewison at the MHA.

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Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule implementing a Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requirement regarding self-identified overpayments. The law requires health care providers to report and return such overpayments within 60 days after the date the overpayment was identified or the date any corresponding cost report is due. The CMS noted examples of overpayments may include duplicate payments by fiscal intermediaries, Medicare payments for noncovered services or in excess of the allowable amount for a covered service, errors or nonreimbursable expenditures in cost reports, and receipt of Medicare payments when another payer had primary responsibility. The proposed rule notes that retention of the overpayment beyond the deadline may result in False Claims Act liability.

The MHA is examining the impact of a number of issues potentially created by the proposed rule. For example, the association is concerned that errors committed by claims processors may be attributed to hospitals. In addition, the CMS is proposing to extend the time period for reopening a cost report from three years to 10 years, to correspond with the proposed time frame for returning overpayments. The MHA will continue to review the proposed rule and will provide draft comments to members prior to the April 16 CMS deadline. Members with questions should contact Marilyn Litka-Klein at the MHA.

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Earlier this month, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) issued a final report summarizing the input received from four workgroups -- care coordination and assessment; education, outreach and enrollee protections; performance measurement and quality management; and service array and provider network -- considering issues related to the MDCH's plan to integrate care for the 200,000 Michigan residents who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Common themes and recommendations included the establishment of a pilot or phase-in process to evaluate the results before implementing statewide, the need for continued stakeholder input and oversight, the recommendation that the program incentivize high-quality care, and the identification of contractor and providers core competencies.

The MDCH will use the results of the workgroups in the development of its plan, scheduled for submission to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in April. Members with questions should contact Marilyn Litka-Klein at the MHA.

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Jennifer Woods, RN, MSN, CNML, was recently named chief nursing officer (CNO) at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital, Petoskey. In her new role, Woods will oversee all nursing operations for the hospital, guiding all areas of patient care. She joined Northern Michigan Regional Hospital in 1999, was named senior director of Acute Patient Care Services in 2010 and has been in line to assume the role of CNO as part of a planned succession to senior administration.

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• An educational session on the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) audits conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at MHA headquarters, Lansing. This free session will feature representatives from PHBV Partners LLP and the Medical Services Administration, who will explain CMS audit requirements for the upcoming, federally mandated Medicaid DSH audits for state fiscal year 2009. For more information, contact Donna Conklin at the MHA.

• The MHA Committee on Hospital-Physician Alignment will meet from noon to 2:30 p.m. Thursday at MHA headquarters, Lansing. Participants will discuss the MHA Physician Leadership Academy. For more information, contact Brian Peters at the MHA.

• Late last week, negotiations were completed in the U.S. Senate/House conference committee working on further extending the Social Security tax holiday, emergency unemployment insurance benefits, and current Medicare payment rates for physicians. The physician reimbursement extension would again postpone an anticipated 27.4 percent cut in payments that had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. As technical corrections were being made to the bill last week, it was thought votes could be held in both the House and the Senate as early as Friday. The MHA will provide additional information when it becomes available. Members with questions should contact Laura Appel at the MHA.

• Due to a number of issues, hospitals and other providers have experienced delays since December with timely payment of claims for Medicare and other payers. Hospitals with identified claims problems that have not been resolved are encouraged to contact Marilyn Litka-Klein at the MHA.

• Preparations are under way for National Hospital Week 2012! The theme for the May 6-12 celebration is "Making Miracles Happen," and both a planning guide and ordering information for products bearing the theme's logo are now available. Members are encouraged to plan now to commemorate the nation's largest health care event this spring.