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Monday,
January 3, 2005
As South Asia and others around the globe mourn the loss of more than 140,000 people killed by last week’s tsunami in South Asia, concerns about potable water, the spread of disease and other aftermath continue to plague the region. Many individuals and organizations in Ohio want to offer help to those affected by this tragedy and the following list provides information on reliable relief funds seeking donations for this cause. Though some organizations may collect food or clothing, relief organizations agree the best way to aid the region is through cash donations.
- The American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
- Google.com offers a list of organizations accepting donations: www.google.com
- The International Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in South Asia: www.redcross.org or 800.HELP.NOW
- AmeriCares: www.americares.org or 800.486.4357
- CARE: www.careusa.org or 800.521.2273
- Doctors without Borders: www.doctorswithoutborders.org or 888.392.0392
- Save the Children Federation: www.savethechildren.org or 800.728.3843
- U.S. government aid resources: www.usaid.gov
For more information, contact Lynne Ayres, director of OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities, at lynnea@ohanet.org or 614.221.7614.
Ohio hospitals responding to this disaster financially or in other ways are asked to share their efforts with Tiffany Himmelreich, OHA manager of media and public relations, at tiffanyh@ohanet.org or 614.221.7614.
Tuesday, January 4, 2005
In a letter sent late last month, the National Governors Association urged congressional leaders to avoid cuts to Medicaid. The Dec. 22 letter stated any strategy to reduce the federal deficit by shifting federal Medicaid costs to states would be unacceptable, “as Medicaid continues to impose strains on state budgets.”
Projections from the Congressional Budget Office estimate the federal fiscal year 2005 deficit at $348 billion, and by 2009 exceeding $1.2 trillion,
a number President George W. Bush is determined to cut in half in five years. Bush is expected to include some form of Medicaid cuts in his federal budget proposal, due later this month.In Ohio, Gov. Bob Taft has been vocal about the dangers of cuts to Medicaid, which could result in reduced services, eligibility and reimbursement to providers, and jeopardize Ohio’s already precarious projected budget deficit of $4-5 billion for state fiscal years 2006-07. Medicaid averages 22 percent of state budgets and total costs are increasing 12 percent each year, according to a recent survey of the National Governors Association. More information about the survey and a copy of the association’s letter are online at www.nga.org.
Preserving Medicaid reimbursement to providers is one of OHA’s top legislative priorities in both the state and federal realms. Members of OHA senior staff are meeting this week with Taft to discuss the Medicaid program. OHA will keep members apprised of developments on the issue. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org; Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)
OHAIS Writing Hospital Biz
OHA Insurance Solutions, Inc., (OHAIS) a hospital-owned, OHA-created
medical malpractice insurance company, has added seven Ohio hospitals to
its list of insureds in addition to over 90 physicians in various
specialties throughout the state.
Last May the Ohio Department of Insurance licensed OHAIS to write hospital professional liability and hospital general liability insurance. Hospitals seeking liability insurance are required to capitalize their premium to be eligible for coverage. Find more about OHAIS at www.ohainsurance.com. (Susan Stanfield, sstanfield@ohainsurance.com)
Wednesday,
January 5, 2005
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is soliciting comments on draft rules changing X-ray machine operation. Key changes would:
OHA is analyzing the draft rule and does not have a position at this time. The draft rules are available online at www.odh.ohio.gov/Rules/Draft/Chap72/DR72_lst.htm. Comments to ODH are due by Jan. 31 and may be emailed to ODH at BRadiation@odh.ohio.gov. OHA requests copies of comments be sent to ricks@ohanet.org. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)
Billing Lawsuit Dismissals Continue
Extending a string of victories for hospitals involved in lawsuits
related to their billing and collection practices, a federal district
court judge in Colorado last week dismissed all federal and state claims
against Catholic Health Initiatives, Centura Health and the American
Hospital Association (AHA). The judge criticized plaintiffs’ attorneys
for “seeking to use this court as a forum to reform the health care
system.” In Louisiana last week, plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed all
claims filed against Christus Health and AHA in federal court.
Hospitals also received guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week that hospitals can offer discounts to any uninsured patients without putting the hospital’s Medicare payments at risk, confirming that “individual determinations of need” are not required to offer discounts. The CMS guidance is available at www.cms.gov/providers/FAQ_Uninsured_Additional.pdf. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)
Ohio EPA Hails New Chief
Gov. Bob Taft last week named Joseph Koncelik
as the new director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
After confirmation from the Ohio Senate, Koncelik is expected to assume
his new position Friday, succeeding former director Christopher Jones
who resigned in December.
Currently serving as Ohio EPA’s assistant director and chief legal counsel, Koncelik has experience working with the legislature and other organizations on issues impacting the environment in Ohio. The Ohio EPA implements laws and regulations on air and water quality standards, waste disposal standards, water quality planning, sewage treatment and public drinking water supplies and cleanup of unregulated hazardous waste sites. For more information, view a news release at www.ohcapcon.com/pubdocs/126/20041231-taft.htm.
OHA and Ohio’s hospitals strive to serve as leaders in pollution prevention. For information on their efforts, visit www.ohanet.org/p2/. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)
Thursday,
January 6, 2005
Hospitals can now request information materials on the Ohio's Best Rx program, which will begin accepting applications next Tuesday, Jan. 11. This prescription drug discount card program is designed to lower the cost of prescriptions for Ohio residents without prescription drug insurance coverage. Participants must be either 60 years old or older or have incomes of less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Enrollment is free of charge.
To spread awareness and encourage participation in this program, OHA will provide Ohio's Best Rx program applications to member hospitals. The following publications are available for distribution:
Contact Laura Landis at 614.221.7614 or laural@ohanet.org to order these informational materials. For more information on the Ohio’s Best Rx program, visit www.ohiobestrx.org or call 614.466.9783.
Growing Demands Max Out Nursing Programs
As people respond to the calls for more nurses in Ohio and nationwide,
nursing programs are struggling to handle the surge of students. Several
new reports examine the growing nursing school enrollment and the
limitations of current programs.
The Center for Health Affairs, Cleveland, examined 15 schools of nursing in Northeast Ohio and found a significant increase in the demand for enrollment. The report also found that 553 qualified nursing school applicants were denied admission due to lack of available student slots. Schools throughout Ohio are working to increase the nursing faculty, classroom space and clinical training sites--the most significant barriers to expanding their programs.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported baccalaureate nursing program enrollment increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2004, but schools turned away more than 26,000 qualified applicants due to program constraints. AACN notes the 10.6 percent increase in 2004 is down from a 16.6 percent increase in 2003, suggesting that some schools may have reached their limit for expansion.
Learn more about ways Ohio’s hospitals and others are responding to the influx of potential nursing students and creating other workforce solutions through the OHA Workforce Forum at www.ohanet.org/workforce/. (Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org)
Friday,
January 7, 2005
Gov Hints at State Budget Proposal
In a meeting this week with OHA senior staff about Ohio's Medicaid
Program, Gov. Bob Taft indicated he would honor his commitment to an
inflationary update for inpatient services as of Jan. 1, but his budget
proposal for state fiscal years 2006-07 would freeze hospital
reimbursement rates for both inpatient and outpatient services beginning
July 1, the start of state fiscal year 2006. The proposal will also
include a recalculation from the Ohio Department of Job and Family
Services of inpatient diagnosis related groups, likely decreasing
payments overall to hospitals; reduce eligibility for parents from up to
100 percent of the federal poverty level to 90 percent; and cut optional
programs. There are no plans to cut children from the Medicaid program.
The administration’s goal is keep Medicaid growth to 4 percent per year.
However, the average increase in Medicaid costs has averaged
approximately 12 percent per year.
Preserving Medicaid reimbursement to providers is one of OHA’s top legislative priorities in both the state and federal realms. OHA will keep members apprised of developments on the issue. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)
Ohio Hospital Community Benefit 101
As Ohio’s hospitals embark on a fresh year of challenges and successes,
a new online toolkit helps hospitals raise awareness of why they hold an
integral role in their communities. The new Web site,
www.ohanet.org/cbtoolkit/, serves as a resource for hospitals
looking for fresh ideas and time-saving tips to demonstrate their
commitment and value to their communities. Templates, examples and other
tools are available for download. The site also provides specific
examples of hospital efforts statewide through news releases, news clips
and county and statewide hospital statistics.
Hospitals bolster their communities economically, in many cases serving as top employers and pumping money into local businesses. Beyond the financial impact, hospitals reach into their communities through health fairs, free screenings and collaboration with local Rotary clubs, YMCAs and others to improve overall community health and quality of life. Bookmark or include a link on other sites to OHA’s new community benefit toolkit site, which will be updated each month, and use this resource to ramp up awareness of Ohio hospitals’ many benefits to their communities. (Mary Sterenberg, marys@ohanet.org)
OHA Congratulates Associates
OHA congratulates Tiffany Himmelreich, who has been promoted to manager
of media and public relations, and Mary Sterenberg, who has been
promoted to manager of communications. Tiffany will work with media and
hospital public relations professionals throughout the state and can be
reached at 614.221.7614 or
tiffanyh@ohanet.org. Mary is responsible for OHA’s publications,
including HEALTH e-NEWS Plus and OHA News and can be
reached at 614.221.7614 or
marys@ohanet.org.