Monday, November 19, 2001
Mental Health Parity Bills Debated at State, Federal Level  
Bills at both the state and federal level that would prohibit insurance companies that provide medical and surgical benefits and mental health benefits from imposing treatment limitations or financial requirements for mental health benefits are being debated in the Ohio legislature and in Congress.

The federal bill, S. 543, the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2001, would prohibit group health plans and group health insurance issuers from providing mental health benefits different from medical and surgical benefits. Democrats in the Senate recently tagged the bill on to H.R. 3061, the fiscal year 2002 Health and Human Services budget bill, after it passed the House without a mental health parity clause. The appropriations bill, sponsored by Sens. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Pete Domenici (R-NM), is now being debated in conference committee.

Similarly, the state legislation, House Bill 33, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Olman Jr. (R-Maumee), would require insurance companies to cover the diagnosis, care and treatment of mental illness and substance abuse or addiction with benefits no less extensive than those provided for all other physical diseases and disorders. The bill is currently in the House Insurance Committee and is not expected to be enacted this session.

Under contention with the federal bill is the cost associated with requiring employers to provide the additional coverage. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that insurance premiums would increase only .9 percent. However, CBO estimates the higher premiums would cause employers to reduce wages and benefits to employees. The resulting decreases in taxable income could lead to a $5.4 billion loss in federal revenues over the next ten years. The bill contains a clause that would exempt small businesses from the requirement. The federal bill would preempt less stringent state laws. It would not preempt the Ohio bill, if both are enacted.

The American Hospital Association supports the federal legislation. While OHA has not yet stated an official position on S. 543, hospitals generally oppose new requirements on insurance plans because they traditionally increase premiums and the number of uninsured. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

University Hospitals, CWRU negotiating for strength in unity
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Monday, November 19, 2001
A crucial meeting early this week could be the final lap of marathon negotiations to find a new way to link University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.

Sports medicine explosion prompts hospitals to invest in athlete training facilities
Dayton Business Journal
Monday, November 19, 2001
If budding grade school or high school athletes in Dayton wanted to attain world class perfection a decade ago, they most likely would have trained like crazy on their own, with some help from a school coach.

UHHS bond plan triggers credit review
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Saturday, November 17, 2001
University Hospitals Health System plans to ask Cuyahoga County to issue $50 million in hospital revenue bonds, a move that has landed the hospital's debt on a credit agency watchlist.

Tuesday, November 20, 2001
AHA Tells CMS May Sue for OPPS Rule-Making
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has told the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) it intends to file a lawsuit unless CMS delays pass-through payment reductions under the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS).

AHA asserts CMS’s rule-making practices have violated the Administrative Procedure Act and says the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Federation of American Hospitals concur with AHA’s position. AHA asked that the agency delay the rule’s effective date of Jan. 1 to allow for meaningful participation in the rulemaking by affected hospitals

The rules to which AHA is referring call for cuts in Medicare payments to hospitals for “pass-through” devices, drugs and biological products

A final rule released Nov. 2 is only half of what was expected. CMS states its release of specific ambulatory payment classification (APC) rates will be delayed until Dec. 1, at best, which according to AHA will not allow sufficient time for public scrutiny and input by hospitals. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)

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DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Children's to add new entrance and garage in $81M expansion
Columbus Business First
Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Children's Hospital of Columbus is planning $81.5 million in capital improvements at its downtown campus.

Blood donations drop after news report
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Blood donations in the Cleveland area were down sharply last week after a news report said the Red Cross was destroying much of the blood collected immediately after the terrorist attacks.

OPINION: The medical mating dance
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Speculation surrounds the continuing negotiations between Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland: Can they pull together a deal to cooperate on a medical research consortium?

Wednesday, November 21, 2001
JCAHO Issues Report on Terrorism Preparedness  
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has issued a special report advising health care organizations on ways to prepare for terrorists attacks that may involve biological, chemical or nuclear incidents. It also contains lessons learned from hospitals in New York and the Washington area following the Sept. 11 attacks.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Commissioners tie old string to county bond for hospital
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Wednesday, November 21, 2001
A $50 million bond seems bound by the same strings controlling the future of medical education and research in Cleveland.

CWRU, University Hospitals agree on affiliation, won't tell terms
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Wednesday, November 21, 2001
A critical meeting that was expected to signal the future of the century-old bond between Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals ended last night with a secret but positive result.