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MHA Monday Report June 6, 2022

June 6, 2022June 3, 2022 Monday Report

Legislators Discuss New Healthcare-related Bills

The state Legislature took initial action on several bills that the MHA is watching during the week of May 23. In the House, testimony was taken on bills to make changes to lead testing requirements for children and a bill that would create a new state-based exchange for healthcare insurance. In the Senate ..

Jase Bolger Addresses Legislative Policy Panel

The MHA Legislative Policy Panel convened May 25 to develop recommendations for the MHA Board of Trustees on legislative initiatives impacting Michigan hospitals. The meeting was highlighted by a presentation from former State House Speaker Jase Bolger on the Michigan …

MHA Integral in Development of New BSN Proposal

The MHA, the Michigan Community College Association, Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities and the Michigan Association of State Universities released June 1 a collaborative proposal to invest state funds in expanding access to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree programs to the state’s …

June 30 is Application Deadline for MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship

Applications are due June 30 for the 2022-2023 class of the MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship, which will be held from October 2022 through June 2023. Board members and executives who want to hear more about the fellowship experience can watch a video of graduates’ testimonials explaining …

MHA CEO Report — Healthcare Transparency and the Flaws of RAND 4.0

MHA CEO Brian Peters reviews the efforts hospitals are taking to improve healthcare transparency while addressing the flaws of the RAND 4.0 study.

New MHA Podcast Explores the 340B Drug Pricing Program

The MHA released another episode of the MiCare Champion Cast, which features interviews with healthcare policy experts in Michigan on key issues that impact healthcare and the health of communities. On this episode, Karen Cheeseman, CEO of Mackinac Straits Health System …

Ligature Risks and Regulatory Requirements Reviewed in MHA Webinar

Suicide safety continues to be a priority for accrediting organizations such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission, requiring many providers to evaluate various policies and processes. They include how to keep suicidal patients safe when care is needed outside of …

MHA CEO Rural Round Table Explores Policies, Partnerships

The MHA hosted a CEO Rural Round Table event May 25 where healthcare leaders safely gathered at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa to collaborate on ways to foster growth and make immediate and long-term improvements in rural communities. …

Carlson Named to Crain’s 50 Names to Know in Lobbying

MHA Senior Vice President of Advocacy Adam Carlson is listed in the 50 Names to Know in Lobbying guide for 2022 published by Crain’s Detroit Business. The Crain’s list is a selection of professionals representing trade groups, major corporations, law firms and multiclient firms. …

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Continues to Rise

Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment in Michigan totaled approximately 1.18 million in April, an increase of 23,000 beneficiaries since January. The April MA enrollment is spread across 46 MA plans that are currently operating in the state, with approximately 56 percent of Michigan’s 2.1 million …

The Keckley Report

It’s Past Time for a Mental Health Moonshot

“Mental illness involves mood, stress, substance abuse and anxiety disorders and impacts children and adults. Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease in the U.S. but its been treated as a second-class citizen in the U.S. health system for decades.”

Paul Keckley, May 31, 2022

News to Know

The MHA will host a webinar from 11 a.m. to noon ET June 8 with ParaRev to provide an update on the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) Lab Test Private Payor Rate Reporting – CMS Update on PAMA Reporting Requirements.
MHA Endorsed Business Partner SUNRx will host a 340B Regulatory Brief from 2 to 3 p.m. ET June 14 to provide valuable insights for consideration in the management of participants’ 340B pharmacy strategies. The webinar will cover the current regulatory environment and implications moving forward.

MHA in the News

MHA CEO Brian Peters spoke with Michael Patrick Shiels of Michigan’s Big Show June 3 as part of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2022 Mackinac Policy Conference.

MHA Integral in Development of New BSN Proposal

June 3, 2022 Member News

The MHA, the Michigan Community College Association, Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities and the Michigan Association of State Universities released June 1 a collaborative proposal to invest state funds in expanding access to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree programs to the state’s 28 community college campuses. The proposal, which aims to allocate $56 million to eligible community colleges that partner with a four-year institution, will increase access to BSN degree programs, especially in rural communities and areas of the state currently lacking a four-year degree granting institution.

The MHA supports the proposal since the investment should help address the talent pipeline for nurses and improve overall hospital nursing across Michigan. Increasing access to programs throughout the state and creating opportunities for those programs to be more affordable will have a direct, positive impact on the nursing workforce.

“Staffing shortages are impacting Michigan hospitals throughout the state, particularly in the areas of nursing,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters in the press release. “This plan will help us get more highly skilled professionals into the field quickly and increase access to nursing education in more communities across the state.”

Also supporting the proposal are the Michigan Works! Association, Michigan Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Michigan Council of Nursing Education Administrators. Media coverage of the announcement includes a story from WWMT-TV in Grand Rapids.

Questions on the proposal can be directed to Elizabeth Kutter at the MHA.

Healthcare Bills Progress as Legislative Holiday Break Approaches

December 10, 2021October 28, 2022 Member News

The Michigan House of Representatives acted on several bills related to healthcare during the week of Dec. 6. The House Education Committee supported legislation to allow community colleges to offer four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees. The House Health Policy Committee approved legislation to require patient consent for invasive bodily exams and took initial testimony on legislation to require new continuing medical education (CME) for lead poisoning identification and treatment. In addition, the full House of Representatives voted on bills to allow Michigan to join the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) and an MHA-supported bill that makes changes for pharmacy wholesale distributors.

The legislation to allow for four-year BSN degrees at community colleges was introduced by Reps. John Roth (R-Traverse City) and John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs). House Bills (HBs) 5556 and 5557 would increase access to high-quality nurses in areas served by Michigan’s small and rural hospitals where a four-year school does not currently exist. The MHA supports the package, which will now be considered in the full House.

In the House Health Policy Committee, a vote was taken to report to the House floor legislation prohibiting invasive bodily exams without patient approval. HB 4194, introduced by Rep. Pamela Hornberger (R-Chesterfield Township), is supported by the MHA.

Legislation to require new physician CME regarding lead poisoning was also on the agenda in the House Health Policy Committee. Introduced by Rep. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids), HB 5414 would require physicians in Michigan to complete CME on lead screening, signs of lead poisoning, treatment for children and the referral process for lead cases to state agencies. The MHA opposed the bill in committee, noting that hospitals are currently focused on the implicit bias training that will become a condition for state licensure June 1. At a time when physicians and other healthcare professionals are exhausted from workforce shortages and unprecedented caseloads, additional educational requirements would be nearly impossible to undertake. The MHA will continue to monitor any action on HB 5414.

The House of Representatives voted to pass two bills to allow Michigan to join PSYPACT. This compact is a legal agreement among states that creates an expedited pathway to licensure for psychologists who wish to practice telepsychiatry across state lines. HBs 5488 and 5489 were introduced by Reps. Bronna Kahle (R-Adrian) and Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Township), respectively, and are supported by the MHA. The bills now move to the Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee.

The pharmacy wholesale distributor bill passed the full House and now awaits the governor’s signature. HB 5072 was introduced by Rep. Ryan Berman (R-Commerce Township) and is a state-level effort to exempt hospitals and other healthcare entities that are under common control from a medication distribution threshold that currently requires registration as wholesalers. The MHA supported the bill in both chambers, as it would remove a requirement for additional paperwork for hospital pharmacies.

For more information on these and other state bills related to healthcare, contact Adam Carlson at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report Dec. 6, 2021

December 6, 2021December 6, 2021 Monday Report

Combating the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): Weeks of Nov. 22 and 29

The state’s coronavirus webpage indicates there were an average of 9,222 new COVID-19 cases per day Dec. 2 and 3, bleakly demonstrating the current surge of the disease in Michigan. However, 55.6% of Michiganders ages 5 and older were fully vaccinated as of Dec. 3, and more than 1.6 million residents had …

Hospital Leaders Provide Testimony Amid Latest COVID Surge

Hospital leaders from around the state testified Dec. 1 before the House Appropriations Committee, chaired by Rep. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell). They discussed the current challenges Michigan’s hospitals face as they near the statewide record for COVID-19 hospitalizations while having more COVID-19 …

Hospital Testimony Supports Community College BSN Degrees

The Michigan Legislature held several hearings on legislation supported by the MHA during the week of Nov. 29. In the House Education Committee, initial testimony was taken on a bill to allow community colleges to offer 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. The Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee reported to the …

Bill to Codify Licensure Exemptions, Assist in Workforce Shortage Reported to Senate

The Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee reported Senate Bill 759 to the Senate floor Dec. 2. Introduced by Sen. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington) and supported by the MHA, SB 759 would codify a provision that has given hospitals flexibility to appropriately respond to …

CMS Offers Forum on No Surprises Act Dec. 8

The Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight will host a special Open Door Forum via conference call at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 to review provider requirements under the federal No Surprises Act. …

New MHA Infographic Highlights Michigan’s Midsize Vital Hospitals

The MHA has released a new infographic highlighting Michigan’s 32 midsize vital hospitals. The publication seeks to bring attention to these facilities that ensure access to care for residents in rural and small urban areas that, while they experience similar challenges to critical access hospitals, are not eligible for …

Governance Webinar Outlines Ties Between Trends and Strategic Planning

Hospital and health system boards will face challenges as the world transitions from a multiyear pandemic to an endemic. The industry is experiencing instability and near-constant change: innovation in medicine and service delivery, new competitors, payer upheaval, renewed scrutiny on the social determinants of …

Registration Open for MHA Breakthrough In-person Event in February

The COVID-19 crisis has made clear what American healthcare providers are capable of and their infinite potential, yet challenges remain. COVID-19 variants continue to plague the nation’s health; regular harassment and violence toward caregivers sustains burnout brought about by exhaustion and …

Upcoming Webinar to Improve Healthcare for Transgender Population

Transgender and gender nonconforming individuals deal with many common fears that can be debilitating. Healthcare providers need to understand the obstacles that this population faces to improve medical care for their patients. The MHA Health Foundation Transgender Healthcare Dignity Model …

Headline Roundup: Michigan Hospital CMOs Urge Action Against COVID-19

The MHA published a consensus statement Nov. 22 on behalf of chief medical officers of Michigan’s community hospitals urging the public to take action to help slow COVID-19 growth throughout the state. …

The Keckley Report

STAT Investigation on Ascension Private Equity Activity Problematic for Hospitals

“The STAT headline last Tuesday read: ‘How America’s largest Catholic hospital system is moonlighting as a private equity firm’ The news organization’s investigation involved ‘interviews with nearly two dozen academic experts, financial analysts, accountants, and community organizers … ’”

Paul Keckley, Nov. 22, 2021

News to Know

The MHA will host a free webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. ET Dec. 7 to provide an update on price transparency and the No Surprises Act, including what is required for compliance as of Jan. 1.
An Unemployment Compensation and Vaccine Mandates webinar will be offered at 10 a.m. ET Dec. 9.
The MHA welcomes care.ai as a new Endorsed Business Partner providing the first AI-powered autonomous monitoring solutions for care teams and their patients.