The MHA Legislative Policy Panel met Oct. 11 to develop recommendations for the MHA Board of Trustees on legislative initiatives impacting Michigan hospitals. The meeting focused on state legislative updates for the new members of …
The Michigan Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee continued to hear testimony during the week of Oct. 9 on Senate Bills 530 and 531. Introduced by Sen. Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Township) and Sen. Sarah …
The American Nurses Association – Michigan (ANA-Michigan) publicly announced their opposition Oct. 11 to Senate Bill 334 and House Bill 4550, which require state mandated ratios for hospital nurses. The ANA-MI joins the MHA and …
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced pandemic-era rules allowing controlled substances to be prescribed via telemedicine will be extended through Dec. 31, 2024. This extension follows significant opposition to the DEA’s plan to curtail these …
The MHA Keystone Center recently released its 2022-2023 Annual Report, showcasing its dedication to advancing patient and workforce safety alongside member organizations. The report highlights the healthcare safety and quality improvements made through MHA Keystone Center-led …
Save the date for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Healthcare certificate program scheduled for Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. The event, hosted by the MHA and other …
The Michigan Care Access Referral Exchange (MiCARE), hosted by Bamboo Health’s OpenBeds solution, will be discontinued effective Oct. 31, 2023. The goal of MiCARE was to create a comprehensive network of behavioral health treatment providers, …
The MHA released a new episode of the MiCare Champion Cast, which features interviews with healthcare policy experts in Michigan discussing key issues that impact healthcare and the health of communities. The October 2023 episode, …
“In Las Vegas this week, 10,000 healthcare entrepreneurs, investors, purchasers and industry onlookers are gathered to celebrate the business of U.S. healthcare. It follows the inaugural Nashville Healthcare Sessions last month that drew a crowd to Music City touting “the premier healthcare conference set in the most relevant, exciting, and welcoming city in the south.“ …
The root causes of the system’s poor performance are understood and considered: they’re daunting. But that does not impede the willingness of private investors to make bets presuming the future of the U.S. healthcare is not a repeat of its past.“
The MHA received media coverage the week of Oct. 9 on rural healthcare challenges and legislation proposing state mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. The Detroit Free Press published an article Oct. 12 on the closure of …
The MHA participated in a press conference Aug. 17 alongside representatives from I Vaccinate, the Franny Strong Foundation, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Ascension Michigan and Pontiac Middle School, to urge families …
The MHA has multiple higher education partners that recently received Health Resources and Services Administration grants to increase the number of community health workers (CHW) and health support workers, and these institutions are …
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will be hosting two listening sessions to receive additional input concerning the practice of telemedicine with regards to controlled substances. Hosted virtually and in person from 9 a.m. …
How can leadership utilize the distinct skills and expertise of physician board members? The MHA webinar Maximizing Contributions of Physician Board Members will take place from noon to 1 p.m. EST Oct. 17 will present …
“The issues facing the U.S. health industry are complex. The role hospitals will play is also uncertain. If, as polls indicate, the majority of Americans prefer a private health system that features competition, transparency, affordability and equitable access, the remedy will require input from every major healthcare sector including employers, public health, private capital and regulators alongside others. It will require less from DC policy wonks and sanctimonious talking heads and more from frontline efforts and privately-backed innovators in communities, companies and in not-for-profit health systems that take community benefit seriously.
No sector owns the franchise for certainty about the future of U.S. healthcare nor its moral high ground. That includes not-for-profit hospitals.
The darkening cloud that hovers over not-for-profit health systems needs attention, but not alone, despite efforts to suggest otherwise. Clarifying the community-benefit standard is a start, but not enough. Are NFP hospitals a problem? Some are, most aren’t but all are impacted by the darkening cloud. …”
The Healthcare Association of Hawaii has compiled a list of trustworthy local organizations that are accepting monetary contributions amid the recent wildfires of Maui, Hawaii.
The MHA encourages MHA chief nursing officers and other Michigan hospital leaders to register for Hospitals for Patient Access Advocacy Day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 13.
QURE Healthcare was approved for associate membership June 2023.
The MHA received media coverage the week of Aug. 14 following a press conference Aug. 17 where Michigan health officials urged families to get kids up-to-date on routine vaccines ahead of the new school year. …
MSA President Neeju Ravikant, MD, MS, presents to the MHA Legislative Policy Panel.
The MHA Legislative Policy Panel convened May 24 to develop recommendations for the MHA Board of Trustees on legislative initiatives impacting Michigan hospitals.
The meeting was highlighted by a presentation on potential state licensure of anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) from Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists (MSA) President Neeju Ravikant, MD, MS; Secretary/Treasurer & Legislative Co-Chair Courtney Abernathy, MD; and MSA board member William Peruzzi, MD. Currently Michigan is one of four states that allow practice for AAs via physician delegation. Licensure would still require AAs work under the supervision of a qualified physician anesthesiologist and would have Michigan join 15 other states, the District of Columbia and the US Territory of Guam that have moved over to licensure.
In addition to the presentation, the panel recommended the MHA support telehealth parity and discussed issues around pharmaceutical manufacturers discriminating against covered entities based on their contract pharmacy relationships.
The panel received updates on other issues including a review of the MHA Strategic Action Plan from MHA CEO Brian Peters, a federal update from federal lobbyist Carlos Jackson with Cornerstone Government Affairs and state updates on the budget and nurse staffing ratio legislation.
For more information on the MHA Legislative Policy Panel, contact Adam Carlson at the MHA.
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 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 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. …“
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.
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 …
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 medications that were in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will remain in place through 11, 2023.
Additionally, any practitioner-patient telemedicine relationships established on or before Nov. 11, 2023 will continue to be permitted the full set of telemedicine flexibilities regarding prescription of controlled medications as were in place during the COVID-19 PHE through a one-year grace period until Nov. 11, 2024. In other words, if a patient and a practitioner have established a telemedicine relationship on or before Nov. 11, 2023, the same telemedicine flexibilities that have governed the relationship to that point are permitted until Nov. 11, 2024.
In the meantime, the DEA is continuing to evaluate the rule and anticipates implementation of a final regulation permitting the practice of telemedicine under certain circumstances. The goal of this temporary rule is to ensure a smooth transition for patients and practitioners that have come to rely on the availability of telemedicine for controlled medication prescriptions, as well as allowing adequate time for providers to come into compliance with any new standards or safeguards put into place by the DEA.
Members with questions should contact Renée Smiddy at the MHA.
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 …
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. …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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. …
“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. …“
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.
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.
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 …
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 (OUD) or Adderall for ADHD. The DEA will temporarily extend COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities as they “work to find a way forward to give Americans access with appropriate safeguards.” It is unclear how long the extension will last.
The delay follows thousands of complaints filed with the DEA on the proposal to require in-person evaluations to continue controlled substance medications and tighter standards aimed at ensuring patients are adequately screened to prevent improper prescriptions. The MHA submitted a federal comment letter regarding this issue.
Members with questions should contact Renée Smiddy at the MHA.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will end enforcement discretion for telehealth providers who utilize remote communication products that don’t comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), 90-days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Healthcare providers will need to comply with HIPAA rules when providing virtual care services effective Aug. 9, 2023. All covered entities are expected to be in compliance with HIPPA Privacy, Secuirty and Breach Notification Rules or face penalties for violation.
Members with questions can contact Renée Smiddy at the MHA.
The MHA Board of Trustees met April 12 at the MHA Capitol Advocacy Center in downtown Lansing, joined by Michigan Senate Health Policy Chair Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores). Hertel acknowledged the state’s significant challenges in meeting behavioral healthcare and workforce needs and identified these areas as priorities for the Senate Health Policy Committee. Board members stressed the need for lawmakers to support policies that allow flexibility and foster innovation, such as continuing to expand telehealth options started during the pandemic and looking beyond staffing ratios toward more effective ways to meet patient care needs within a finite labor supply.
The board also heard from colleagues about a recent learning and technology exchange between Michigan health system leaders and their Israeli counterparts and had the opportunity to listen to the reflections of Shreya Desai, a neurobehavioral researcher and current government relations and health policy fellow with the MHA. Desai shared her experiences working with the MHA Advocacy Division and how it will influence her future medical career.
The board spent time providing input and direction on the key pillars of the association’s action plan, which is focused on supporting financial viability, promoting workforce sustainability, fostering health equity and addressing behavioral health needs. This strategic conversation included a review of recent state budget initiatives, including the MHA’s successful advocacy to secure $75 million for healthcare worker recruitment, retention and training for Michigan hospitals, which is the latest victory in a series of state budget appropriations that has resulted in $1.45 billion in new hospital funding since January 2020.
In addition, the board expressed support for ongoing efforts to work with the state to maximize the federal Medicaid match to increase overall Medicaid reimbursement rates and funding for targeted services such as obstetrics, outpatient, psychiatric and trauma care. In furtherance of workforce sustainability, the board supported the association’s social media campaign to promote and increase awareness of a broad range of healthcare careers. The board also engaged in a discussion of health equity and the association’s continued work to assist members in eliminating disparities in healthcare through the leadership of the MHA Health Equity Taskforce. Improving access and funding for behavioral health continues to be a key priority for the association and board members provided input to the MHA on data collection efforts to advance advocacy strategies to reduce emergency department wait times for patients seeking inpatient psychiatric care. Finally, the board approved Type 2B association membership for Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health.
For more information about the actions of the MHA Board of Trustees, contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.
Michigan officially joined the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) 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 the PSYPACT.
The interstate compact license is voluntary for both the state and physicians and does not supersede or change Michigan’s medical practice standards. Participating states retain the authority to issue licenses, investigate complaints and discipline physicians practicing in their state. The compact applies to the delivery of psychological services through telecommunications technologies and only allows for temporary in-person telepsychology across state boundaries for 30 days in a calendar year.
The MHA testified in support of entering the PSYPACT. Michigan’s authorization to join the interstate compact became effective under Public Act 254 and 255 of 2022. The MHA support is based on an analysis that joining PSYPACT will increase the availability of telehealth services and give patients in rural and underserved communities more access to psychology services.