OHA - HEALTH e-NEWS

Search:

Read the Archives
Read Today's News Clips

Monday, August 16, 2004
Licensure, Registration of HME Providers Not to Begin Until 2005
Legislation will take effect next month requiring home medical equipment (HME) providers to be licensed by or registered with the Ohio Respiratory Care Board. While House Bill 105, sponsored by Rep. Thom Collier (R-Mt. Vernon), technically takes effect on Sept. 16, 2004, provisions in the legislation do not require the board to begin implementing the licensure and registration processes until one year after the effect date of the legislation.

The bill requires the board to license non-accredited providers that provide patients with life-sustaining home medical equipment. The board will establish standards and fees for the approximately 100 HME providers it will license. Licensed entities will be subject to inspections and penalties for failing to meet state standards. OHA was opposed to early versions of the bill, as they would have required all HME providers in the state to be licensed by the board. OHA removed its opposition after obtaining an amendment to exempt from licensure HME providers accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations or other national accrediting entities. Of the approximately 500 HME companies operating in Ohio, nearly 250, most of which are owned by hospitals, are accredited by JCAHO. The bill will require accredited providers to register with the board, but they will not be subject to inspections, penalties, or regulatory oversight of the board. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

Tuesday, August 17, 2004
State Bill Requiring Hospital Reporting Introduced
Legislation was introduced today that would require hospitals to submit performance outcome and patient billing data to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), which would then make the information available on a public Web site. Dubbed the Health Care Consumer’s Right to Know Bill, House Bill 541 was introduced by Rep. Jim Raussen (R-Cincinnati).

OHA is currently reviewing the legislation and will soon provide members with an analysis of the bill's provisions. OHA’s initial response to the bill is that, though supportive of informed consumers, Ohio hospitals currently submit quality data to a variety of state and national organizations, including ODH, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. For more information on this issue, including a copy of the legislation and a letter outlining the issue to members of the Ohio House of Representatives, visit www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/data_reporting.htm. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)

ODJFS Changes Process for MCPs
On Aug. 2, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced a change to the open procurement process for managed care plans (MCP) seeking an ODJFS provider agreement to provide full-risk managed care services to Covered Families and Children Medicaid consumers. The new process requires that MCPs secure key provider subcontracts (i.e., hospital contracts) prior to submitting letters of intent to ODJFS for the provision of services in ODJFS-designated service areas. Only currently contracting MCPs and prospective MCPs that hold an approved Certificate of Authority from the Ohio Department of Insurance will be eligible to submit letters of intent to provide full-risk managed care services Jan. 3-5, 2005, in the following Preferred Option Enrollment Counties: Butler, Clark, Hamilton, Lorain, and Montgomery. Letters of intent may also be submitted for Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, which currently are not served by any Medicaid MCPs.

Because there are several MCPs actively pursuing key provider contracts in Franklin County, Ohio's other preferred option enrollment county, ODJFS has specified a slightly different timeframe for how an MCP may proceed in pursuing a provider agreement from ODJFS to provide services in Franklin County. If these entities have not successfully met the hospital subcontracting requirements for Franklin County by October 2, 2004, ODJFS will cease processing letters of intent for Franklin County and the county will then become subject to the timeframes for the other preferred option counties specified above. In the interim, ODJFS is strongly encouraging MCPs and prospective MCPs to secure key provider subcontracts in their intended service area(s). (Berna Bell, bernab@ohanet.org)

Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Florida Hospitals in Need of Assistance
The Florida Hospital Association (FHA) has established the Hurricane Charley Disaster Relief Fund to help hospitals affected by the powerful hurricane that ripped through parts of the state last week. The funds collected will be forwarded to hospitals most affected by the storm and others who provide services to the hospital community. Hospitals, corporations and foundations may contribute to the fund, which will be managed by the Florida Hospital Research and Education Foundation, Inc., an IRS 501c(3) charitable corporation. Hospital foundations may also accept designated funds from their employees and forward contributions to the fund in their names. Contributions should be made out and mailed to:

FHREF-Hurricane Charley Relief Fund
306 College Ave.
Tallahassee, FL 32301-1522

Contact Rich Rasmussen at rich@fha.org or after hours at 850-212-7487 with any questions. To see Hurricane Charley Relief Updates, go to www.fha.org/charley.html.

Caregivers Go for the Gold
While hundreds of Olympians battle to be the best this week in Greece, hundreds of thousands of caregivers here in Ohio are continuing their quest for excellence in the daily health care Olympics. Ohio hospitals’ more than 230,000 employees work day and night, 365 days a year to ensure superior care for all Ohioans. Although they don’t earn any gold medals, every year Ohio’s hospitals achieve the following miracles:

Manage 30 million visits and 1.2 million visits in emergency rooms

Perform 50,000 heart procedures

Complete 33,300 joint replacements

Treat 33,600 stroke patients and 22,000 Alzheimer’s patients

Deliver 150,000 babies

To learn more about the enormous social, political and economic impact Ohio's hospitals have on their communities and the state, view a five-minute video on the OHA Web site at www.ohanet.org/about_oha/.

Thursday, August 19, 2004
OHIC Leaves A.M. Best’s Rating System
The parent company of OHIC Insurance Company, Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company (MLMIC), has announced its withdrawal from the A.M. Best rating process. MLMIC’s subsidiaries, OHIC and Princeton Insurance Company, will also no longer be rated by A.M. Best. According to an OHIC statement, “the decision to be not rated was not influenced by recent operating results, which have been pleasing.” (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Court Limits Multiple Claims in Med Mal Cases
Demonstrating the importance of the Ohio Supreme Court on the state’s medical malpractice insurance crisis, the court issued a 4-3 decision this week limiting the application of a 1993 decision regarding multiple claims. The earlier decision required automobile insurance companies to pay up to stated policy limits for each person who filed a claim arising from a single accident. This week's ruling written by Chief Justice Tom Moyer said the 1993 decision does not apply to medical negligence lawsuits.

The ruling was in reference to a complaint physician Gordon Katz filed against the Ohio Insurance Guaranty Association (OIGA), the safety net organization responsible for his liability insurance after his insurance company became insolvent. After the death of a patient, several wrongful death claims were filed. Dr. Katz’s originally held a primary policy paying up to $200,000 per claim and an additional policy paying up to $1 million, but OIGA felt it was only responsible for its statutory limit of $300,000.

The court ruled that the OIGA steps into the shoes of an insolvent insurer, and that a physician and the insurer could limit the insurer's liability to a single monetary limit per claim irrespective of the number of claimants. The court found that under the terms of the policies the OIGA is liable for no more than $200,000 under the primary policy and no more than $1 million under the excess policy. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

OHA to Address Hospitals' Health IT Concerns
In an effort to address Ohio hospitals’ health information technology (IT) concerns, OHA is convening meetings with the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to help clarify the board’s requirements of hospitals implementing the electronic transmission of prescriptions and electronic medical records. Although these regulations were originally developed to regulate the practice of electronic transmission of prescriptions between physician offices and retail pharmacies, they have been extended to hospitals and health systems and are now posing problems as hospitals implement not only electronic transmission of prescriptions, but also the broader electronic medical record.

News of hospitals’ health IT concerns is prevalent since a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recently concluded many uncertainties are hindering providers’ adoption of the new technology. The report said although many legal barriers do not address health IT directly, health providers are still wary to create a risk of litigation. The GAO also said that while the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is fostering a broader adoption of health IT, has attempted to address some of those barriers, the agency’s efforts have not been sufficient to overcome providers’ concerns. HHS recently released the first outline of a 10-year plan to transform the delivery of health care by building a new health information infrastructure, including electronic health records and a new network to link health records nationwide.

The Ohio Patient Safety Institute will also host its Fall Seminar on Technology Oct. 15 to further assist Ohio hospitals in advancing the electronic development of electronic medical records. For more information, go to www.ohiopatientsafety.org or contact Rosalie Weakland at rosaliew@ohanet.org. (Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org)

Friday, August 20, 2004
Speeding Up the Nurse Licensure Process
New nursing graduates and nurses from outside Ohio applying for licensure in Ohio may experience a delay in the process due to a new software program, required criminal records checks and incomplete applications. The Ohio Board of Nursing continues working to improve the process but applicants can also help speed things along.

Those applying for licensure by endorsement from another state can help expedite the application process by:

Obtaining a six-month permit by submitting a complete application (including the fee) and proof of licensure in another state. Begin acquiring the information for the permanent license at the same time, as the process often takes time.
Completing an application, including proof of education, proof of licensure and verification of all active licenses to practice nursing.
Allowing up to four months for a criminal records check.

New graduates applying for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses should also think ahead, allowing four to six months for the criminal records check, applying one to two months prior to graduation to ensure the board has contact information, ensuring the application is complete and paying the fee.

For more information, contact Karen Scott, licensing supervisor, at 614.466.9554 or kscott@nursing.ohio.gov or Norma Selders, education, license and nursing practice manager, at 614.466.4816 or nselders@nursing.ohio.gov.

ODH Offers Health Care Provider Information Online
The Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) Division of Quality Assurance now has health care provider data available online. ODH’s Health Care Provider Information Portal offers real-time information regarding institutional health care providers licensed and/or certified by the Division of Quality Assurance, allowing visitors to obtain providers’ information such as their general demographics, state of Ohio license status and last annual Medicare/Medicaid certification survey date. In addition, visitors can generate, print and download reports regarding licensed and/or certified health care providers. Another section will soon allow providers to obtain provider specific information and perform business processes online. Find the new information at http://pubapps.odh.ohio.gov/EID/. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Ohio’s Best Rx Hits the Web
Preliminary information about Ohio’s Best Rx, Ohio’s new prescription drug discount program passed into law last year, is now available online from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services at www.ohiobestrx.org/. The program is expected to begin accepting applications in November, with the first cards issued effective Dec. 1, 2004. Ohio residents who have no prescription drug insurance coverage and are either over age 60 or have income under 250 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for the program. There is no cost to apply or to enroll in Ohio's Best Rx.