Tag: occupational mix survey

CMS Releases Medicare Wage Index Information

Member News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the timetable and preliminary hospital data that will be used to develop the Medicare wage index for fiscal year (FY) 2025, which begins Oct. 1, 2024. The wage index is used to adjust Medicare fee-for-service payments for geographic variations in labor costs and adjusts up to 68% of the inpatient payment rate and 60% of the outpatient payment rate. The hospital wage index is also used to adjust post-acute care payments. Hospitals have until Sept. 1, 2023, to review their data and submit requests for changes to the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), along with supporting documentation.

The MHA is hosting an educational webinar at 10 a.m. June 29 to assist hospitals with data reporting. The webinar is free of charge, but registration is required. The MHA will provide hospitals with comparative data from the latest CMS public use file within the next few weeks. Contract labor will have a significant impact on the FY 2025 wage index due to the workforce shortage and heavy reliance on agency staffing during the pandemic. Hospitals are encouraged to begin reviewing agency staffing invoices for cost reporting periods beginning in federal FY 2021 to ensure the information required for the MAC review process is available.

All prospective payment system hospitals are also required to submit a completed occupational mix survey to the MAC by June 30, with survey results used to adjust the wage index for FYs 2025, 2026 and 2027. The CMS is scheduled to release the preliminary survey results July 12, 2023. Resources on completing the occupational mix survey are available upon request.

Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report May 22, 2023

Monday Report
MHA Monday Report

capitol buildingUrge State Lawmakers to Oppose Harmful Hospital Nurse Staffing Legislation

Harmful legislation was introduced in the Michigan Legislature May 11 that proposes mandated nursing staffing ratios, which would exacerbate existing shortages and restrict important access to healthcare services for Michigan patients. The MHA voiced their …

Patient Treatment Impacted by Shortage of Cancer Drugs

Manufacturing delays at several pharmaceutical companies are causing nationwide shortages of two critical chemotherapy medications – forcing Michigan hospitals and health systems to find alternative treatments for patients, some of which may be less effective. …

Annual Meeting iconMHA Annual Membership Meeting Registration Deadline May 26

Registration is due May 26 for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting June 28 through 30 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Education sessions highlight tactics to address structural inequalities by leveraging data and partnerships, …

MHA Celebrates National Hospital Week with Messages from Michigan Leaders

During the week of May 7, the MHA celebrated National Hospital Week (NHW) by sharing a series of videos featuring healthcare, education, government and agriculture leaders across the state thanking Michigan hospitals and healthcare workers …

MHA Webinar Reviews PACE Programs

With the closure of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, hospitals and health systems need options to care for seniors. Dually eligible frail seniors are one of the most complex cohorts with multiple comorbidities, frequent hospital admissions and readmissions, and expensive care needs that span acute, post-acute and long-term care. …

Registrations Due May 22 for Person & Family Engagement Webinar

Registrations closes May 22 for the MHA webinar Person & Family Engagement: A Roadmap to Patient-Centered Care and Outcomes from 8:30 to 10 a.m. ET May 24. The webinar will review the newly released MHA …

Governance Fellowship Helps Trustees Think Critically About the Future

Strategic thinking is a critical skill for all healthcare leaders and the future belongs to organizations whose governing board, working in strategic partnership with management, helps envision the future and assists in discerning and framing …

2023 Ludwig Nominee: Bronson Task Force Addressing Racial Bias in Maternal and Infant Care

Since 1990, the MHA has honored member healthcare organizations working to enrich the overall welfare of their local communities through the Ludwig Community Benefit Award. This year, the MHA is excited to showcase all award nominees, …

The Keckley Report

Paul KeckleyHospital Boards are Not Prepared for the Future

“While Congressional leaders play chicken with the debt ceiling this week, antipathy toward hospitals is mounting. To be fair, hospitals are not alone: drug companies and PBMs share the distinction while health insurers, device companies, medical groups and long-term care providers enjoy less attention…for now.

Hospitals are soft targets. They’re also vulnerable. They operate in a sector that’s labor intense, capital intense and highly regulated by federal, state and local governments. They’re high profile: many advertise regionally/nationally, all claim unparalleled clinical excellence and unfair treatment by health insurers. …

Most hospital boards of directors, especially not-for-profit organizations, are not prepared to calibrate the pace of these changes nor active in developing scenario possibilities for their future. That’s the place to start. …“

Paul Keckley, May 15, 2023

News to Know

  • The MHA and Endorsed Business Partner AMN Healthcare Language Services are hosting the webinar New Organizational Responsibilities in Health Equity Regulation: ACA Section 1557 from 3 to 4 p.m. ET June 14.
  • Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by acute care hospitals paid under the Medicare prospective payment system to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023.

MHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage the week of May 15 regarding a shortage of two critical chemotherapy medications, hospital nurse staffing legislation and the well-being of hospital workers. A press release was published May 17 by the …

News to Know – May 22, 2023

Member News
  • The MHA and Endorsed Business Partner AMN Healthcare Language Services are hosting the webinar New Organizational Responsibilities in Health Equity Regulation: ACA Section 1557 from 3 to 4 p.m. ET June 14. Carla Fogaren, National Language Access Consultant and Vice President of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care, will provide an overview of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and identify requirements for language access compliance; outline key requirements of Section 1557 for testing bilingual clinical staff and how to explore solutions and resources to support testing; and walkthrough new provisions related to translations, clinical algorithms, Medicare Part B and Section 1557 Coordinator. There is no cost to attend and members can register Members with questions may contact Rob Wood at the MHA.
  • Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by acute care hospitals paid under the Medicare prospective payment system to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023. Hospitals are required to complete the survey every three years, with results from the 2022 survey to be used to adjust the Medicare wage index for fiscal years 2025, 2026 and 2027. Hospitals are encouraged to review their 2019 survey and determine whether there have been payroll changes, new job codes or job descriptions added, etc., to streamline the completion process. It is important to note that contact labor should be included in the various categories of the survey. Resource materials from the educational webinar hosted by the MHA in late January are available upon request. Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report May 15, 2023

Monday Report
MHA Monday Report

capitol buildingHarmful Nurse Staffing Legislation Introduced in Michigan Legislature

Harmful nurse staffing legislation was introduced May 11 in the Michigan Legislature that would mandate nurse staffing ratios, require public disclosure of the ratios and restrict mandatory overtime for nurses. The bill package is pushed by the Michigan Nurses Association and was ….

Behavioral Health ED Boarding Data Available

Behavioral health emergency department (ED) boarding data the MHA has been collecting on a weekly basis from acute care hospitals across Michigan since March 2023 is now available on the Health Data webpage of the …

Annual Meeting iconMHA Annual Membership Meeting Includes Ways to Support Michigan Hospitals

The MHA membership will convene in person for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting June 28 through 30 at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The annual meeting will feature an outstanding lineup of speakers, the family …

DEA Issues Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications

After delaying the final rule for ending COVID-19 telehealth prescribing rules, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has issued a temporary rule to allow the following: The full set of telemedicine flexibilities regarding prescription of controlled …

Upcoming Webinars on Medicare FFS Quality-based Programs

The MHA is partnering with DataGen to host two free webinars focused on Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) quality-based programs, which can reduce hospital inpatient FFS payments by up to 6%, depending upon hospital performance. The webinars …

Webinar Outlines Practices to Re-engage Patients and Families in Care

Fractured social contracts in today’s world have changed the healthcare landscape and culture. There is a convergence of patient consumerism and digital transformation happening, and those who focus on patient-centered care and person and family …

MHA Keystone Center PSO Safe Table – Health IT & Risk Safety

The MHA Keystone Center PSO is hosting a Health IT & Risk Safety Safe Table from 12:30 to 3 p.m. June 14. The event will be held at Goshen Health, located at 200 High Park …

Direct Care and Behavioral Health Workforce Assessment: Regional Feedback Sessions

Public Sector Consultants and Health Management Associates are partnering with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to gather the perspectives of people impacted by the direct care worker and behavioral health workforce …

MHA Webinar Focuses on Building Trust and Relationships for Trustees

When stakeholders gather to discuss community vitality, the health and wellbeing of the community is not only about access to safe, affordable healthcare, but about non-medical health influences that have an impact on the community. …

MDHHS Releases Beginner Guide for Doula Providers

Michigan Medicaid began reimbursing doula services provided to individuals covered by or eligible for Medicaid as of Jan. 1, 2023. Doula providers are required to be on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services …

The Keckley ReportPaul Keckley

The End of the Pandemic Health Emergency is Ill-timed and Short-sighted: The Impact will further Destabilize the Health Industry

“The national spotlight this week will be on the debt ceiling stand-off in Congress, the end of Title 42 that enables immigrants’ legal access to the U.S., the April CPI report from the Department of Labor and the aftermath of the nation’s 199th mass shooting this year in Allen TX.

The official end of the Pandemic Health Emergency (PHE) Thursday will also be noted but its impact on the health industry will be immediate and under-estimated. …

In the weeks ahead as the debt ceiling is debated, the Federal FY 2024 budget finalized and campaign 2024 launches, the societal value of the entire health system and speculation about its preparedness for the next pandemic will be top of mind. …“

Paul Keckley, May 8, 2023

News to Know

  • Upon the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Health Resources & Services Administration will end a 2020 policy allowing hospitals to use 340B drugs for eligible patients in new hospital locations, even if they have not yet appeared on a filed Medicare cost report.
  • The MHA is hosting the webinar MHA Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): An Alternative to Traditional Nursing Home care from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. May 23.
  • Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by acute care hospitals paid under the Medicare prospective payment system to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023.

Brian PetersMHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage the week of May 8 regarding nurse staffing legislation, healthcare worker shortages, the ending of the COVID-19 public health emergency and more. A joint media statement was published May 11 …

News to Know – May 15, 2023

Member News
  • Upon the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) will end a 2020 policy allowing hospitals to use 340B drugs for eligible patients in new hospital locations, even if they have not yet appeared on a filed Medicare cost report. Beginning May 11, 2023, at 11:59 PM ET, the hospital should stop purchasing and using 340B drugs for that outpatient facility that is not yet registered. More information can be found on the HRSA COVID-19 resources website. Members with questions may contact Elizabeth Kutter at the MHA.
  • The MHA is hosting the webinar MHA Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): An Alternative to Traditional Nursing Home care from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. May 23. Participants will learn about PACE philosophies, services provided, structure and financing and how health systems can partner with local PACE programs to support and enhance senior care. There is no cost to attend and members can register online.
  • Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by acute care hospitals paid under the Medicare prospective payment system to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023. Hospitals are required to complete the survey every three years, with results from the 2022 survey to be used to adjust the Medicare wage index for fiscal years 2025, 2026 and 2027. Hospitals are encouraged to review their 2019 survey and determine whether there have been payroll changes, new job codes or job descriptions added, etc., to streamline the completion process. It is important to note that contact labor should be included in the various categories of the survey. Resource materials from the educational webinar hosted by the MHA in late January are available upon request. Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report May 8, 2023

Monday Report
MHA Monday Report

capitol buildingState Legislation Introduced to Address Violence Against Healthcare Workers, Strengthen Healthy Michigan Plan and Expand Organ Donor Registration

Legislation to increase the penalties for assaulting healthcare employees and volunteers was introduced in the state House of Representatives during the week of May 1. Additional legislation was introduced to remove unnecessary provisions of the …

Michigan’s Largest Private-sector Employer Remains Healthcare

The Partnership for Michigan’s Health reports healthcare directly employed nearly 568,000 Michigan residents in 2021, demonstrating that healthcare remains the largest private-sector employer in the state despite continued staffing losses attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. …

Webinar Reveals New Tool to Improve Person and Family Engagement

The MHA is hosting a webinar from 8:30 to 10 a.m. May 24 to review the newly released MHA Person & Family Engagement Roadmap, which includes recommended policies to re-engage patients and caregivers and …

Final Medicaid Bulletin on Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a final Medicaid Policy Bulletin May 1 with revisions to the Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Policy. In response to the proposed policy issued April 1, …

speak upE.W. Sparrow Hospital Nurse Receives Q2 MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award

The MHA Keystone Center presented Cheryl Kay, RN, at E.W. Sparrow Hospital with the quarterly MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award, which celebrates individuals or teams in Michigan hospitals demonstrating a commitment to the prevention of …

DEA Delays Ending COVID-19 Telehealth Prescribing Rules

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is delaying draft rules that proposed stricter telehealth limits on providers prescribing controlled substances, like buprenorphine for opioid use disorder or Adderall for ADHD. The DEA will temporarily extend …

MHA Webinar Reviews PACE Programs

With the closure of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, hospitals and health systems need options to care for seniors. Dually eligible frail seniors are one of the most complex cohorts with multiple comorbidities, frequent …

MHA Podcast Explores How Michigan Leaders Can Collaborate to Address Gaps in Behavioral Health

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 episode 29, State Representative …

2023 Ludwig Nominee: Priority Health, National Fitness Campaign Partner to Offer Free Fitness Courts

Since 1990, the MHA has honored member healthcare organizations working to enrich the overall welfare of their local communities through the Ludwig Community Benefit Award. This year, the MHA is excited to showcase all award nominees, …

MHA Rounds Report - Brian Peters, MHA CEOMHA CEO Report — Attracting Healthcare Talent

Talent acquisition is always top of mind for all business leaders. Demand for workers now outpaces supply throughout the U.S., but particularly here in Michigan due to our demographic realities, including an aging baby-boom generation entering retirement in significant numbers. …

The Keckley Report

Paul KeckleyThe Tit for Tat Game in Healthcare produces No Winners

“Tit for Tat battles in healthcare are nothing new. Last week, they were on full display. …

Most of the food fights in healthcare like last week’s revolve around each sector’s unique response to the three challenges above. That’s why they exist: to protect the interests of their members and advocate on their behalf. All believe their mission and vision is essential to the greater good and the moral high ground theirs. Some are imperiled more than others: not for profit, rural and safety net hospitals, long-term care operators, direct caregivers and public health programs at the top of this list.

Educating lawmakers is necessary but what’s needed is serious, objective forward-looking definition of the U.S. health system’s future. The tit for tat game will not solve anything. That’s where we are. …“

Paul Keckley, May 1, 2023

News to Know

  • National Hospital Week 2023 is May 7-13.
  • The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services created a series of short videos to help providers and community partners navigate policies impacted by the ending of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
  • Registration remains open for the 2023 MHA Annual Membership Meeting, scheduled June 28 through 30 at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
  • Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by acute care hospitals paid under the Medicare prospective payment system to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023.

MHA CEO Brian Peters speaks with WLNS.MHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage the week of May 1 on the economic impact of healthcare in Michigan and planned state legislation that would require nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in hospitals. Crain’s Grand Rapids Business published …

News to Know – May 8, 2023

Member News
  • National Hospital Week 2023 is May 7-13. To align with the American Hospital Association theme #WeAreHealthcare, the MHA will be sharing a series of videos across social media featuring local leaders to demonstrate how the work of Michigan’s hospitals and health systems impacts all communities and industries.
  • The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) created a series of short videos to help providers and community partners navigate policies impacted by the ending of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). Videos are available on eligibility changes for Medicaid and Food Assistance benefits, the PHE Unwind Policy Crosswalk resource and the MDHHS Stakeholder Toolkit. Additional MDHHS resources can be found on the MDHHS COVID-19 PHE 2023 Benefit Changes website. Further information on the ending of the PHE is available on the MHA PHE webpage. Members with questions about PHE resources may contact Lauren LaPine at the MHA.
  • Registration remains open for the 2023 MHA Annual Membership Meeting, scheduled June 28 through 30 at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.The annual meeting will feature an outstanding lineup of healthcare experts, including Brian Castrucci, DrPH, MA, president and CEO of the deBeaumont Foundation and author of “Talking Health.” Castrucci will speak on defining public health, reframing public health assumptions and bringing data to life through storytelling. Members with questions should email the MHA or call (517-323-3443).
  • Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by acute care hospitals paid under the Medicare prospective payment system to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023. Hospitals are required to complete the survey every three years, with results from the 2022 survey to be used to adjust the Medicare wage index for fiscal years 2025, 2026 and 2027. Hospitals are encouraged to review their 2019 survey and determine whether there have been payroll changes, new job codes or job descriptions added, etc., to streamline the completion process. It is important to note that contact labor should be included in the various categories of the survey. Resource materials from the educational webinar hosted by the MHA in late January are available upon request. Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report April 3, 2023

Monday Report
MHA Monday Report

capitol buildingMichigan Joins Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact

Michigan officially joined the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact March 29, creating an expedited pathway to licensure for psychologists who wish to practice telemedicine services across state lines. To date, 36 states are authorized to join …

Student Debt Relief Offered to Behavioral Health Providers

The MI Kids Now Loan Repayment Program will offer educational loan repayment for eligible behavioral health medical providers in Michigan. The program is available to behavioral health providers, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, therapists, …

Governance Webinar Series Outlines Trends and Advocacy Tactics

Board members must understand the issues tied directly to hospital and health system planning and performance, identify opportunities for improvement and support the leadership in advocating for mission-driven, patient-centered policies with key stakeholders. The MHA …

Required Occupational Survey Due June 30

Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by hospitals to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023. Hospitals are required to complete the survey every three years, with results from the 2022 survey …

MHA Rounds Report - Brian Peters, MHA CEOMHA CEO Report — A Healthy Michigan is an Insured Michigan

The United States celebrated last month the 13th anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act. Simply put, when then-President Obama signed the legislation March 23, 2010, it was one of the most monumental healthcare policy changes in our lifetime. …

The Keckley Report

Paul KeckleyNot for Profit Health Systems are Soft Targets: Here’s Why

“There are no easy answers for not-for-profit hospitals/heath systems. The issue is about more than messaging and PR. It’s about more than Medicare reimbursement (7.5% below cost), protecting programs like 340B, keeping tax exemptions and maintaining barriers against physician-owned hospitals. The issue is NOT about operating income vs. investment income: in every business, both are essential and in each, economic cycles impact gains/losses. Each of these is important but only band-aids on an open wound in U.S. healthcare.

Near-term (the next 2 years), opportunities for not-for-profit hospitals involve administrative simplification to reduce costs and improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of the workforce. Clinical documentation using ChatGPT/Bard-like tools can have a massive positive impact—that’s just a start. Advocacy, public education and Board preparedness require bigger investments of time and resources. But that’s true for every hospital, regardless of ownership. These are table stakes to stay afloat. …”

Paul Keckley, March 27, 2023

News to Know

  • Registration is now open for the MHA Keystone Center Safe Patient Handling Conference.
  • The MHA is issuing a request for proposal for a $50 million competitive grant program for Michigan healthcare entities to expand access to pediatric inpatient behavioral health services.
  • The MHA will host an in-person Human Resources Member Forum at the MHA Headquarters in Okemos from 8:30 a.m. to noon April 26, with a virtual option available as well.
  • The Root Cause Coalition is accepting requests for proposals to present at the 8th Annual National Summit on the Social Determinants of Health Dec. 3-5 in Kansas City.

Required Occupational Survey Due June 30

Member News

Completed 2022 occupational mix surveys must be submitted by acute care hospitals paid under the Medicare prospective payment system to the Medicare Administrative Contractor by June 30, 2023. Hospitals are required to complete the survey every three years, with results from the 2022 survey to be used to adjust the Medicare wage index for fiscal years 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Hospitals are encouraged to review their 2019 survey and determine whether there have been payroll changes, new job codes or job descriptions added, etc., to streamline the completion process. It is important to note that contact labor should be included in the various categories of the survey.

Resource materials from the educational webinar hosted by the MHA in late January are available upon request. Members with questions should contact Vickie Kunz at the MHA.