MHA Monday Report Oct. 21, 2024

State Senate Advances Healthcare Legislation

Several bills impacting healthcare and hospitals were advanced through committees in the state Senate during the week of Oct. 14. Senate Housing and Human Services voted out a package of legislation referred to as the …


MHA Continues to Monitor Baxter IV Solutions Shortage

The MHA continues to support Michigan hospitals in response to the Baxter IV solutions shortage that began the week of Sept. 29. Baxter International Inc. temporarily closed its North Cove manufacturing plant in Marion, N.C., …


LARA to Evaluate Non-Long Term Care Provider Licensures

The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) is required by MCL 333.20155 to make at least one visit to each licensed Non-Long Term Care provider every three years to evaluate licensure. LARA may waive …


MHA Webinar Explores Leadership Strategic Planning for AI

The MHA will host the webinar How Boards and Leaders Can Deploy AI Responsibly and Ethically, scheduled 4:30 – 6 p.m. ET, Dec. 3. The webinar will cover a framework to govern the approach, policies …


CMS Finalizes Medicare Appeals Process for Beneficiary Status Change

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services recently released a final rule, effective Oct. 11, 2024, implementing a federal district court order that …


Rural Health Research Gateway Releases Report on the First Year of REHs

The Rural Health Research Gateway recently published a report on Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) highlighting data from the first year of the designation. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the Rural Emergency Hospital provider type …


MHA Race of the Week – Michigan Supreme Court

The MHA’s Race of the Week series highlights the most pivotal statewide races for the 2024 General Election. The series will provide hospitals and healthcare advocates with the resources they …


Three Key Takeaways from the MHA Webinar Featuring Health Equity Regulatory Requirements

Earlier this month, the MHA, in partnership with the MHA Keystone Center, hosted a member webinar highlighting the current and future state of health equity priorities and requirements from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission that impact …


Keckley Report

Do Healthcare Prices Matter?

“With the election 22 days away and inflation the key issue for voters, the latest Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is especially important. Released last Tuesday, it shows: …

Healthcare prices account for 10.2% of the CPI but attention to these is decidedly less than food, energy, housing and other categories. For consumers, that neglect is harmful’ for industry insiders, it’s a pressure point that’s been avoided. Price estimators, posted chargemasters, open-panel benefits design, website queries and other tactics work OK for now. So…

Do Healthcare Prices Matter? Not much today. But they’re mission critical in healthcare tomorrow.”

Paul Keckley, Oct. 14, 2024


 

News to Know

The United States Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury issued Sept. 9 a set of final rules on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.


Laura Appel speaks with NBC25 about the Baxter IV solutions shortage.

MHA in the News

The MHA continued to engage with media requests on the Baxter IV solutions shortage during the week of Oct. 14. NBC25/Fox66 in Flint aired a story Oct. 16 on the shortage, which includes an interview …

MHA Monday Report Oct. 14, 2024

Legislation Impacting Hospitals Advances in State Legislature

A variety of bills impacting hospitals were introduced and discussed in the state legislature during the week of Oct. 7. Gov. Whitmer signed Public Act 132 of 2024, which updates statutory framework for the …


Baxter IV Solutions Shortage Updates

The MHA continues to support Michigan hospitals in response to the Baxter IV solutions shortage that began the week of Sept. 29. Baxter International Inc. temporarily closed its North Cove manufacturing plant in Marion, N.C., …


Reimbursement for Age-Friendly Quality Data Included in FY 2025 Hospital IPPS Final Rule

Included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Medicare fee-for-service hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) fiscal year (FY) 2025 final rule is a reimbursement model for hospitals submitting age-friendly quality data. Hospitals …


Healthcare Leaders Discuss Regional Care at Lansing Economic Club

The Lansing Regional Chamber hosted its annual Future of Healthcare in the Lansing Region luncheon Oct. 10 as part of its monthly series of Lansing Economic Club events. This event featured a panel discussion moderated …


New Hospital Reporting Requirements for Respiratory Illness and Bed Capacity

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced new respiratory disease reporting requirements for hospitals through the National Healthcare Safety Network effective Nov. 1. These requirements replace the previous “Hospital COVID-19 Data” reporting requirements …


MHA Webinar Outlines Strategies to Strengthen Healthcare Worker Well-being

The MHA and the MHA Keystone Center will host the MHA Health Foundation webinar Implementing Evidence-Informed Strategies to Normalize Help-Seeking and Strengthen Wellbeing from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Dec 4. This webinar is dedicated to …


MHA Race of the Week – Michigan Supreme Court

The MHA’s Race of the Week series highlights the most pivotal statewide races for the 2024 General Election. The series will provide hospitals and healthcare advocates with the resources they …


MHA Podcast Explores Why Voting Matters to Healthcare in Michigan

The MHA released a new episode of the MiCare Champion Cast featuring Laura Appel, executive vice president of government relations & public policy, MHA, exploring why voting in the 2024 General Election is critical to …


Keckley Report

What is the Medicare Advantage?

“On October 15, the open enrollment period for Medicare begins running through December 7 for coverage starting in January 2025. In this period, 67 million Medicare eligible seniors can review features of Medicare plans offered in their area, switch from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan (or vice versa), change their MA selection and add/change their Medicare Part D prescription drug plans.

In 2024, Medicare Advantage plans enrolled 33 million seniors and Medicare paid private insurers $462 billion to pay for their care. But conditions for Medicare Advantage have changed in recent years prompting many to ask ‘what is the Medicare Advantage?’ …

Its funding comes from payroll taxes paid by employers and their employees, and those who are self-employed PLUS income taxes paid on Social Security benefits, interest earned on the Medicare trust fund’s investments and Part A premiums from people who aren’t eligible for premium-free Part A. …”

Paul Keckley, Oct. 7, 2024


Laura AppelMHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage the week of Oct. 7 that includes coverage on a potential national shortage of IV solutions products, physician retention and rural hospital funding. The closure of a Baxter manufacturing facility …