OHA - HEALTH e-NEWS

Search:

Monday, April 28, 2003
Medical Liability Crisis Affects Nation, Ohio
Lawsuit abuse has caused medical liability premiums to rise, disrupting many hospitals’ ability to provide certain services for the communities that depend on them, according to a new study of the American Hospital Association (AHA) released today at the AHA Annual Meeting.

The survey of more than 1,000 hospitals compared results of medical malpractice “crisis states,” including Ohio, to states that have enacted tort reform. Services most affected in crisis states are obstetrics and emergency care. More than 50 percent of hospitals in crisis states now have difficulty recruiting physicians and 45 percent report a loss of physicians or reduced coverage in the emergency department.

Ohio late last year enacted legislation to cap non-economic damages and link liability to responsibility, but that legislation will not result in lower liability insurance premiums until Ohio courts uphold the provisions. To respond more quickly, OHA is developing a sponsored deductible program and is exploring creation of an insurance company and other strategies to address the medical liability insurance crisis in Ohio. Results of the AHA survey are available online at www.aha.org under What’s New. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Nurse Reinvestment Act Grant Information Available
Information on the new grant programs funded by the Nurse Reinvestment Act is now available on the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions Web site at http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/reinvestmentact.htm. These programs include funding for nursing scholarships, building career ladders, internship and residency programs, enhancing patient care and nurse retention, comprehensive geriatric education, and nurse faculty loans. The applications and more detailed information will be posted on the HRSA website as it becomes available. (Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org)

Tuesday, April 29, 2003
ODI Launches Online Complaint System
The Ohio Department of Insurance has launched a web-based system for resolving complaints by hospitals and physicians about health insurers that are in violation of the state's prompt pay statutes.

The system, known as the Complaint Handling and Monitoring Program, or CHAMP, electronically shares provider complaints among the department, insurer, and provider, and is designed to make complaints easier and more cost effective to resolve. CHAMP is displayed on the department's Web site at www.ohioinsurance.gov, and will eventually phase out the department's current paper system. Four health insurers - Medical Mutual of Ohio, Paramount Health Care, Hometown Health Plan, and Nationwide, which represent a cross section in both enrollment size and location - were chosen to participate in the initial phase, which begins immediately. Other health insurers will be added to CHAMP over the next few months.

The department developed the system as a result of prompt pay legislation, Senate Bill 4 from the 124th Ohio General Assembly, which became effective July 24, 2002. OHA worked to secure passage of the bill, which established a 30-day timeframe for processing and paying claims submitted by health care providers. The bill also requires insurers to pay 18 percent interest to providers for claims not paid in a timely manner and sets a two-year period after which paid claims are considered final and not subject to take-back practices. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)

OHA Regional Meeting Rescheduled
The April 21 OHA regional meeting planned at Union Hospital in Dover was cancelled. The meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 15 at 10 a.m. at Union Hospital, Reeves Auditorium. The meeting will cover the Hospital Care Assurance Program, the state and federal budgets and House Bill 71, physician-owned hospitals. To attend, contact Debbie Wolfe at debbiew@ohanet.org or 614.221.7614.

Wednesday, April 30 , 2003
Testimony on Physician Self-Referral Bill Challenged
OHA will be following up with legislators to address inaccuracies and misstatements made today by opponents of OHA-backed legislation to clarify state law on physician self-referral. Opponents to House Bill 71 said Ohio’s full-service community hospitals do not provide enough charity care to justify their not-for-profit tax-exempt status and physician-owned specialty hospitals would provide better quality care at reduced cost.

Ken Howell, president and CEO of the Dayton Heart Hospital, said it is more of a conflict for a physician to be employed by a hospital than for a physician to refer patients to a hospital the physician owns. Howell added cardiac care in the Dayton area improved after his hospital opened in 1999 and he is aware of no program that was discontinued because of his hospital entering the market.

Four witnesses testified in support of HB 71, including State Health Director J. Nick Baird, M.D.; Larry Anstine, executive director of the Ohio State University Hospitals East; Columbus neurosurgeon David Yashon, M.D., and attorney Mike Gire of Bricker & Eckler, representing OHA. Baird said he and Gov. Bob Taft support HB 71 and are concerned a proliferation of physician-owned boutique hospitals will lead to costly and dangerous fragmentation of vital health care services. See the OHA Web site for testimony and other information on HB 71. www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/default.htm#conflict (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

Health Leaders Set Federal Advocacy Agenda
Hospital and health care leaders gathered at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C., this week to share information and set priorities for supporting U.S. hospitals at the federal level. High on OHA’s and AHA’s advocacy agenda for 2003 will be to ensure that hospitals do not suffer further reductions to the Medicaid and Medicare programs as Congress considers legislation related to tax relief and a prescription drug benefit. In addition, hospitals will continue to advocate for fiscal relief for Ohio and other states facing budget crises. OHA will also work to enact federal legislation regarding medical liability reforms, quality and patient safety improvements and tax credits for health insurance.

For more information on key hospital legislation for 2003, visit www.hospitalconnect.com/ahanews/jsp/ahanews.jsp and enter “key hospital legislation for 2003” in the search tool at the top of the page. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

Thursday, May 1, 2003
Business Tort Reform Bill Introduced
Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) and Gov. Bob Taft today unveiled tort reform legislation aimed at controlling frivolous lawsuits and excessive verdicts. Stivers introduced Senate Bill 80 to help protect the jobs and progress of Ohio corporations, including hospitals, threatened by these lawsuits while preserving the rights of injured parties.

SB 80 would protect hospitals and other businesses from unreasonable punitive damages by capping these damages at either the amount awarded in economic damages or $100,000. Larger businesses would pay the greater of the two and businesses employing less than 500 associates would be responsible for the lesser. The bill would also expand the definition of frivolous conduct, allow judges to impose penalties for frivolous lawsuits and permit those negatively affected by these lawsuits to file a motion for an award of court costs, reasonable attorney’s fees and other related expenses. In addition, the bill would control the percentage of awarded money going to attorneys instead of the injured parties. It would cap attorneys’ contingency fees and require that they provide clients with a closing statement detailing the number of hours they spent on the case and the related fees.

OHA will continue to monitor SB 80 and other tort reform and medical malpractice reform legislation. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

HIMSS Luncheon Focused on Information System
The Central and Southern Ohio Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is sponsoring a luncheon during the 2003 OHA Annual Meeting to facilitate discussion about the National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII), a new national knowledge-based health care information system. The featured speaker is John H. Daniels, who serves on the HIMSS National Health Information Infrastructure Task Force, created to develop the NHII. Daniels will outline the task force’s activities and future plans. More information on NHII is online at www.himss.org.

The HIMSS luncheon is Monday, June 9 from noon to 2 p.m. in room C212 of the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Information about additional ticketed meal functions and the OHA Annual Meeting June 9 and 10 is available online at www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/.

Friday, May 2, 2003
Hospital Co-Hosts National Workforce Speaker
Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster has teamed up with Ohio University-Lancaster and the Lancaster Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce to present nationally known speaker Marilyn Moats Kennedy, who will address a variety of topics that affect the evolving workplace. The program, “Managing Change: Understanding the Demographics of the Evolving Generations,” is May 13 at the Ohio University-Lancaster Wagner Theatre from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Boxed lunches will be available for $5. If interested in attending, contact the chamber at 740.653.8251 by May 7 to make lunch reservations.

OHA Center for Education
Don’t miss the following OHA educational opportunities. Visit www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp or call 614.221.7614 for more information.

Emergency Department: APCs and EMTALA, May 8, Radisson Airport Hotel, Columbus. Provides an overview of ED coding, billing and reimbursement.

Health and Safety Challenges for Infection Control Practitioners and Safety Professionals, May 20, Wyndham Dublin Hotel, Columbus. Provides detailed, practical information on complying with the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act.