Category: Member News

MHA Monday Report Aug. 25, 2025

Member News, Monday Report

CMS Releases FY 2026 Final Rule for Skilled Nursing Facilities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Key provisions include: Increasing the per-diem federal rate …

MHA Community Benefits Survey for FY 2024 Now Open

The MHA is now accepting submissions for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Community Benefits Survey. Member hospitals are encouraged to participate, as the survey results are vital to demonstrating the value of hospital community benefit …

Trustee Webinar Outlines the OBBBA Impact

The MHA will host the webinar Understanding the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and Board Planning for the Impact from 8 to 9 a.m. Sept. 24. The session is designed for trustees and hospital leaders and will highlight considerations …

MHA EBP care.ai Shares Case Study on Virtual Care Expansion

MHA Endorsed Business Partner (EBP) care.ai recently shared an insightful case study on how a 22-bed virtual care pilot with Henry Ford Health is expanding across 13-acute care hospitals, including a chief nursing informatics …

Keckley Report

The Medical Profession at a Crossroad

“When I was a grad student at Ohio State in the ‘70’s, one of the most challenging courses I took was “Primary Research Methods in Analyzing Public Data” –an elective. …

The data show the majority of physicians are unhappy and uncertain about the future of the profession. The data show they’re working harder and doing more with less. The data show they’re concerned about the future of the health system and think it’s heading in the wrong direction. The data show employed physicians are increasingly dissatisfied in their hospital and private equity relationships. The data show that physicians share of the growing health spending pie is shrinking: from 21.1% in 2000, to 20.1% in 2023 and projected to 19.9% in 2025 and 19.5% in 2033. And data show the profession, along with nurses and pharmacists, enjoys the public’s trust to figure things out. …

Might defining a vision for a transformed ‘U.S. System of Health’ be the focus for the medical profession? There’s plenty of data to digest to deliberate objectively. Its willingness and ability to set aside its factionalism for the greater good is the biggest question facing the profession. And the widely-recognized dysfunction of the current U.S. health system presents the urgent opportunity for the profession to step forward. That’s the cross facing the profession.”

Paul Keckley, August 17, 2025

New to KnowNews to Know

The MHA is developing its 2025-2026 events and education calendar, featuring professional development opportunities, networking events and timely, relevant offerings for members.

MHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage during the week of Aug. 18 that continued to focus on the impact the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will have on Medicaid as well as comments related to …

News to Know – Aug. 25, 2025

Member News
New to Know

New to Know

The MHA is developing its 2025-2026 events and education calendar, featuring professional development opportunities, networking events and timely, relevant offerings for members. In-person membership meetings will return, including the Human Resources Conference and the Keystone Center’s Safety & Quality Symposium. Visit the MHA events and education webpage for the most up-to-date opportunities. Members with questions may contact the MHA.

Media Recap: Medicaid and Healthcare Costs

Member News, Issues in Healthcare, MHA In The News

The MHA received media coverage during the week of Aug. 18 that continued to focus on the impact the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will have on Medicaid as well as comments related to the impact hospital consolidations have on healthcare access.

Gongwer published a story Aug. 20 on the impact hospital consolidations have on healthcare costs and access to care for employees. MHA CEO Brian Peters was quoted in the article disputing the claim that hospitals are profiteers.

“Bashing community hospitals and the 220,000 hospital workers who show up every day of the year to care for Michigan patients is misguided and inflammatory,” said Peters. “Hospitals are focused on providing safe, high-quality, affordable care in every community they serve.”

NPR also published a story following an interview with Peters regarding the impact the OBBBA and new work requirements will have on healthcare in Michigan.

“The state of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that as many as 700,000 Michiganders could lose coverage because of the reconciliation bill,” said Peters.

The new work requirements will necessitate that hundreds of thousands of enrollees document their eligibility every six months. Peters noted in the interview that there’s no evidence of widespread waste and abuse in the state’s Medicaid program.

“When you look at the Medicaid population here in the state of Michigan, we know that almost all of those folks are working and working full time,” said Peters.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

MHA Community Benefits Survey for FY 2024 Now Open

Member News

The MHA is now accepting submissions for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Community Benefits Survey. Member hospitals are encouraged to participate, as the survey results are vital to demonstrating the value of hospital community benefit activities, advancing community health and protecting the nonprofit hospital model. Community benefit contacts are encouraged to complete the survey on the Community Benefits Tracker website.

Hospitals should include compelling stories and testimonials that illustrate how these programs have directly improved the lives of individuals in their communities. These narratives bring data to life, providing powerful, human-centered context that numbers alone cannot convey.The Catholic Health Association will host a virtual program, Community Benefit 101: Planning and Reporting Nonprofit Hospital Community Benefit, Oct. 21 – 23 from 2 to 5 p.m. ET each day. American Hospital Association members are eligible to receive a discount by completing this form.

Members with questions or in need of technical support regarding the MHA Community Benefits Survey may contact Laura Peariso at the MHA.

Trustee Webinar Outlines the OBBBA Impact

Member News

The MHA will host the webinar Understanding the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and Board Planning for the Impact from 8 to 9 a.m. on Sept. 24. The session is designed for trustees and hospital leaders and will highlight considerations related to the OBBBA, which reduces federal healthcare spending and insurance coverage.

Topics include Medicaid budget reductions, state-directed payments, recipient work requirements, the Rural Health Transformation Program and strategies for messaging and advocacy.

The webinar is free of charge to MHA members. Members with questions may contact Brenda Carr at the MHA.

CMS Releases FY 2026 Final Rule for Skilled Nursing Facilities

Member News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) prospective payment system (PPS) for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Key provisions include:

  • Increasing the per-diem federal rate by a net 3.4% after the market basket update, productivity adjustment and other adjustments. SNFs that fail to satisfy Quality Reporting Program requirements will be subject to a 2-percentage point reduction to the market basket update.
  • Updating the labor-related share of the per diem rate from 72% to 71.9%.
  • Making technical changes to the Patient-Driven Payment Model ICD-10 code mapping that assigns patients to clinical categories.
  • Removing four elements recently adopted as standardized patient assessment data elements under the social determinants of health category, including:
    • One item for living situation, two items for food and one item for utilities.
  • Removing the health equity adjustment from the SNF Value-Based Purchasing program scoring methodology beginning for the FY 2027 program year.

The MHA will provide SNFs with an updated facility-specific impact analysis and additional details on the final rule in the coming weeks. Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at the MHA.

MHA EBP care.ai Shares Case Study on Virtual Care Expansion

Member News

MHA Endorsed Business Partner (EBP) care.ai recently shared an insightful case study on how a 22-bed virtual care pilot with Henry Ford Health (HFH) is expanding across 13-acute care hospitals, including a chief nursing informatics officer’s tips for finding success with inpatient virtual care projects. care.ai and SONIFI Health collaborated on creating a virtual care solution that fit HFH’s goals, with the versatility for added use cases and flexibility for growth and evolution.

This case study includes an inside look at:

  1. Guardrails put in place (and why) for piloting the virtual care project.
  2. Feedback collection from nurses and patients.
  3. Pilot outcomes and next steps.
  4. Tips for having a successful virtual care strategy.

The care.ai SmartCare Platform leverages always-aware ambient sensors and an AI-powered command center to manage and automate virtual care workflows. It provides additional support to on-site care team members so they can stay focused on what matters most—delivering patient-centered care. By integrating data and near real-time analytics, care.ai equips clinicians with the insights they need to make informed decisions at critical moments throughout the patient journey.

Members are encouraged to save the date for the MHA Keystone Center Patient Safety Organization (PSO) in-person safe table event Dec. 3, 2025, at the MHA Headquarters in Okemos. The safe table will focus on virtual care models with speakers from HFH. Safe tables are valuable opportunities for hospital team members to come together, share ideas with peers, engage in safety discussions and obtain advice to improve or eliminate harm. These events are unique in offering a legally protected, confidential environment for discussing sensitive topics.

Members who want to learn more may visit the care.ai profile page or contact Bruce Mehdizadeh, senior director of sales at care.ai. Members interested in solutions offered through the MHA EBP program may contact Rob Wood at the MHA.

 

MHA Monday Report Aug. 18, 2025

Member News, Monday Report

CMS Releases FY 2026 LTCH Prospective Payment System Final Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment system for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Specifically, the …

MHA Keystone Center and MI AIM Announce Recipients of Maternal Health Education Grant

The MHA Keystone Center, in collaboration with the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM), recently announced a partnership with UnitedHealthcare to offer $25,000 grants to birthing hospitals in Michigan to purchase equipment …

CMS Releases FY 2026 Final Rule for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Key provisions include: …

Keckley Report

Health Industry Notoriety is a Two-Edged Sword: Four Considerations as the Mid-Term Elections Near

“Keeping track of all things healthcare is a formidable task.  Last week’s news is no exception: …

These events and actions illustrate the administration’s “flood the zone” strategy and its propensity to dictate news cycles in media coverage. They also reflect the ubiquitous role played by healthcare in our society as an employer and economic engine.

Collectively, they appear to cast the industry in a negative light reinforcing populist’ suspicions about affordability, price transparency, corporatization and cost-containment. And they lend to growing disfavor among lawmakers, employers and critics. …”

Paul Keckley, Aug. 10, 2025

New to KnowNews to Know

  • Registration is open for the 2025 MHA Communications Retreat from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at the Henry Center for Executive Development in Lansing.
  • In the latest episode of the MiCare Champion Cast, MHA CEO Brian Peters and MHA Board Chair Bill Manns, president and CEO, Bronson Healthcare, explore what’s top of mind in healthcare as the 2025-2026 program year kicks off.

News to Know – Aug. 18, 2025

Member News
New to Know
  • New to KnowRegistration is open for the 2025 MHA Communications Retreat from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at the Henry Center for Executive Development in Lansing. The daylong event offers hospital communicators a chance to connect with peers across the state and participate in sessions that provide valuable skills and insights for both emerging and experienced professionals. The registration fee is $35 per person. Breakfast, refreshments and lunch will be provided. Please register by Sept. 19 to attend the retreat. Members with questions regarding registration should contact Kennedy Walters at the MHA. Questions regarding the retreat should be directed to John Karasinski at the MHA.
  • In the latest episode of the MiCare Champion Cast, MHA CEO Brian Peters and MHA Board Chair Bill Manns, president and CEO of Bronson Healthcare, explore what’s top of mind in healthcare as the 2025-2026 program year kicks off. Manns shares more about his journey to healthcare leadership, current priorities at Bronson and what work lies ahead for hospital leaders given recent activity at the state and federal level. Over the course of the interview, Peters and Manns discuss the impact of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)” on hospitals and patient access to care given cuts to Medicaid funding. The episode is available to stream on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloudand YouTube. Questions or idea submissions for future MiCare Champion Cast episodes can be sent to Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.

MHA Keystone Center and MI AIM Announce Recipients of Maternal Health Education Grant

Member News

The MHA Keystone Center, in collaboration with the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM), recently announced a partnership with UnitedHealthcare to offer $25,000 grants to birthing hospitals in Michigan to purchase equipment for obstetric staff education.

A total of 16 applications were submitted by birthing hospitals across the state, requesting funding for a range of educational tools such as simulation mannequins and hemorrhage carts to enhance clinical training.

The following birthing hospitals have been selected to receive funding:

  • Hurley Medical Center
  • Memorial Healthcare
  • MyMichigan Health Foundation
  • Trinity Health Ann Arbor

Members with questions should contact Naomi Rosner at the MHA Keystone Center.