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Monday, August 6, 2001
Hospitals Settle Lawsuit Over Billing Investigations
A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed in 1996 by OHA and the American Hospital Association (AHA) to challenge investigations by the federal government of outpatient lab billing in Ohio and clear the way for hospitals to resolve billing disputes in the courts. Satisfied they have changed the way the federal government pursues billing investigations, OHA and AHA are preparing to dismiss the lawsuit filed against then-Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala. Under terms of the settlement, Ohio hospitals that had been required to file detailed annual compliance reports with the Office of Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services (OIG) will be relieved of that obligation.

Other positive results have been achieved as a result of the suit. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped pursuit of repayment on the most expensive laboratory tests at issue from pending and future investigations. In addition, in 1998 the OIG and DOJ issued new billing investigation guidelines, which call for more administrative procedures and reserve use of the False Claims Act for egregious circumstances. Member hospitals received additional details on the settlement from OHA last week. Details also are available in a news release on the OHA Web site at http://www.ohanet.org/ohasite/whatsnew/billing_settlement_release080601.pdf. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com.

Medical complex takes shape
Cincinnati Enquirer
Saturday, August 04, 2001

Dying boy turns nurse's life around
Cincinnati Enquirer
Monday, August 06, 2001

Hospitals seek fed aid to curb labor woes
Columbus Business First
Monday, August 6, 2001

Tuesday, August 7, 2001
Physicians File Suit, Allege Privacy Rules Unconstitutional
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson has found himself the target of another lawsuit regarding the privacy rules issued under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons is suing to halt the rules on the grounds that they are unconstitutional. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Houston, the group contends the rules violate the Fourth Amendment by requiring physicians to allow government access to personal records without a warrant and illegally authorize the government to create a centralized medical records database containing personal information.

This lawsuit, filed last week, follows one filed July 16 by several medical groups, including the South Carolina Medical Association and the Louisiana State Medical Society, in U.S. District Court in South Carolina asking the court to overturn several portions of the regulations on the grounds that HHS’ issuance of the rules is an unconstitutional delegation of congressional authority. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com.

Residents advised on when to use emergency rooms
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tuesday, August 7, 2001

Overloaded pharmacists a dangerous prescription
Columbus Dispatch
Tuesday, August 7, 2001

Meigs County officials may be forced to charge for distant emergency runs
Columbus Dispatch
Tuesday, August 7, 2001

Wednesday, August 8, 2001
Nursing School Reimbursement Bill Introduced in Statehouse
A bill designed to help alleviate the current nursing shortage by encouraging more Ohioans to enter nursing school has been introduced in the Ohio General Assembly. House Bill 333, introduced last week by Rep. Anthony Latell (D-Girard), would create a new tuition reimbursement program for nursing in Ohio.

To qualify, candidates must be licensed registered nurses who have practiced in an Ohio hospital full-time for two years and have completed an Ohio Board of Nursing approved nursing education program by July 1, 2001. The program, which would be administered by the Ohio Board of Nursing, would reimburse up to five years for the number of years the nurse was enrolled as a full-time student in a pre-licensure nursing education program. Reimbursement would be based on the calculated statewide average of the nursing education instructional cost and includes an estimated allotment for textbooks.

OHA supports the bill in concept but has questions about how the program will be funded as the bill does not contain a funding mechanism. Introduced July 31, HB 333 has not yet been assigned to a committee. (Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com.

Early-reading program aims to pair health care, literacy
Cincinnati Enquirer
Wednesday, August 8, 2001

Hardin Memorial tax levy approved
Findlay Courier
Wednesday, August 8, 2001

Kindness comes in all forms, ages
Akron Beacon Journal
Wednesday, August 8, 2001

Thursday, August 9, 2001
Federal Bill Calls for Expansion of Health Coverage for Uninsured
Legislation has been introduced in Congress to expand health coverage for the uninsured. The FamilyCare Act, S.1244, introduced by Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), targets the parents of children insured under the state Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The bill is designed to secure the $28 billion tentatively earmarked in the budget resolution, passed earlier this year, for expanding coverage for the uninsured. According to Snowe, S.1244 is expected to help an estimated 13 million people who are not eligible for Medicaid but are unable to purchase their own insurance. Passage of the legislation, which is currently in the Senate Finance Committee, is contingent on the projected budget surplus. The Congressional Budget Office is expected to issue new surplus estimates next month.

The FamilyCare Act will be just one issue on a busy Finance Committee agenda when members of Congress return from recess in September. Medicare reform, including creation of a prescription drug benefit, is likely to top the list. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com.

E. Cleveland-run EMS to start Sept. 1
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Thursday, August 9, 2001

Hospital closing strains South Side health care
Columbus Dispatch
Thursday, August 9, 2001

Hospital's fiscal health improves
Dayton Daily News
Thursday, August 9, 2001

Friday, August 10, 2001
Medical Board to Re-file Physician Delegation Rules
The Ohio State Medical Board is planning to re-file a set of rules on physician delegation in order to take into account feedback from a number of organizations, including OHA.

The rules, which are being drawn up under House Bill 585 passed last year, are an effort to clarify what is permissible regarding the delegation of medical tasks including medication administration by physicians to unlicensed personnel. OHA concerns, which are being incorporated, relate to ensuring physicians play a role in determining proper delegation within the hospital setting. Under the revised rules, doctors and hospitals will work together to ensure the limited number of tasks that are delegated are done so appropriately.

The rules only apply to unlicensed personnel and do not alter the scopes of practice of licensed health care professionals. See OHA Bulletin 01-003, issued Jan. 6, 2001, and available online at www.ohanet.org, for more details on HB 585. (Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org)

Ohio Hospitals Work to Promote a Cleaner Environment
More than 50 hospital representatives attended a workshop this week aimed at helping health care facilities reduce waste and prevent pollution. The program, the latest of ongoing efforts by OHA and member hospitals to be environmentally friendly, was funded in part through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and provided hospitals with tools for determining sources of and strategies for reducing pollution. OHA is currently forming an environmental leadership council that will oversee the Ohio EPA grant program, provide peer support for pollution prevention and recognize successful programs. OHA is also going to be developing a handbook on best practices for pollution prevention to be distributed to hospitals, and recently all facilities received copies of the Ohio EPA’s pollution prevention guide.

Individual hospitals are actively working in their communities to promote a clean and healthy environment. One example is Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Norwalk. Using funds made available to them for this purpose through the OHA Foundation for Healthy Communities, the hospital is holding a series of at least eight mercury thermometer exchanges around the county over the next two years. The program kicked off July 9 with employees and the first public exchange was held July 28 in Norwalk. The next is scheduled Aug. 11 in New London, and to date more than 600 mercury thermometers have been collected. For more information on the OHA-Ohio EPA pollution prevention efforts, visit www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/hospital.html. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com.

Summa, hospital may join forces
Akron Beacon Journal
Friday, August 10, 2001

Minority doctors report problems
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Friday, August 10, 2001

OPINION
Hospitals win one in paperwork battle
Hamilton Journal-News
Friday, August 10, 2001

Clinic will help city residents
Tribune Chronicle
Friday, August 10, 2001

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