Tag: hospital

MHA Releases Assisted Outpatient Treatment Utilization Infographic

Member News

In partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the MHA conducted a survey during Spring 2023 to gather insights on Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) utilization within hospitals and health systems.

AOT offers outpatient care for individuals with serious mental illness, aiming to reduce risks stemming from not following a prescribed regimen. As a proven method, AOT promotes recovery, reduces harmful behaviors and minimizes costly hospitalizations and emergency room visits. It is imperative this collaborative initiative promotes clear streamlined communication between hospitals, health systems, community mental health (CMH) agencies, law enforcement and correctional facilities. Participants were asked to share data for each individual hospital or health system.

Based on the survey results, the MHA created an infographic report that summarizes the strengths and gaps within the existing behavioral health system on AOT utilization. Findings will be used to inform the MHA’s policy and advocacy activities to advocate for improvements to the behavioral health system in Michigan.

Members with questions regarding AOT should contact Lauren LaPine at the MHA.

Webinar Reviews Infection Control Worksheet Compliance

Uncategorized

Antibiotics have transformed the practice of medicine, making once lethal infections readily treatable and other medical advances possible. Like all medications, antibiotics can have serious unintended consequences, such as causing a patient to have an adverse drug reaction or a patient misusing the antibiotic. Improving the use of antibiotics is an important patient safety and public health issue. The MHA Health Foundation webinar The CMS Hospital Infection Control and Antibiotic Stewardship Program Compliance Requirements will examine:

  • How to accurately complete Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) infection control worksheets.
  • Updated procedures for the hand hygiene tracer.
  • Details surrounding the use of clean needles and syringes.
  • Vaccine storage and handling, as well as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention procedures for cleaning and disinfecting reusable medical devices.

The webinar is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon ET June 7, and MHA members can register for a $200 connection fee per facility. Members with questions should contact Erica Leyko at the MHA.

Long-term Acute-care Hospital Payment System Proposed Rule Released

Member News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment system for fiscal year (FY) 2023.  The proposed rule would:

  • Increase the standard federal rate by a net 2.8% for cases that meet LTCH criteria.
  • Continue paying site-neutral cases at the full-site neutral rate, instead of the prior 50/50 blend of LTCH and site-neutral rates.
  • Establish a cost outlier threshold of $44,182 for cases paid based on the LTCH standard rate, up 34% from the current $33,015 threshold, resulting in fewer cases qualifying for an outlier payment. The CMS adjusts this threshold annually to maintain outlier payments at the targeted 8% of aggregate LTCH payments.
  • Cap annual wage index decreases at 5%.
  • Cap annual decreases at 10% for Medicare Severity Long-term Care Diagnosis-related Group relative weights to mitigate negative impacts of significant weight decreases.
  • Seek input on strategies to improve measurement of disparities in health outcomes. Through a Request for Information, the CMS requests input on its framework to collect, stratify and report quality performance across the CMS programs including specific methods that could be used within the LTCH quality reporting program (QRP).
  • Request input on the potential inclusion of an updated healthcare-associated infection measure in the LTCH QRP. The National Healthcare Safety Network Healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) Outcome Measure would improve upon the CDI measure currently used in the LTCH QRP by using data from electronic health records.

The MHA is continuing to review the proposed rule and will provide hospitals with an estimated impact analysis soon. The association will also share its draft comments with members when available. The CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until June 17. Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at the MHA.