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Monday, January 17, 2005
Billing Lawsuit Against Ohio System Dropped
In another victory late last week, a lawsuit against Catholic Healthcare Partners in Cincinnati and the American Hospital Association (AHA) was dismissed. Judge Solomon Oliver of the U.S. District Court for northeast Ohio dismissed all of the federal claims and declined to exercise jurisdiction over the state claims, dismissing them as well.

“Permitting this claim to continue would require the court to make numerous jumps in logic that run counter to legal authority,” Judge Oliver said in referring specifically to the breach of contract claim in the suit, a cornerstone of the plaintiffs’ case. The dismissal in Ohio continues a trend for dismissal of similar lawsuits against hospitals nationwide related to their billing and collection practices.

AHA sent a letter Jan. 6 to attorneys representing plaintiffs in the lawsuits filed against hospitals, health care systems and AHA and demanded immediate dismissal of those cases. The letter cites comments of judges in similar cases that were dismissed against Baptist Hospital Inc. and Sacred Heart Health System in Florida, and Centura and Catholic Health Initiatives in Colorado. The judges in those cases strongly questioned the legitimacy of plaintiffs' claims. The letter says "it is simply not credible (or professionally responsible) for you to maintain the same claims in other cases in other courts."

For more information about how hospitals are benefiting their communities in a variety of ways, visit www.caringforcommunities.org. Hospitals looking for tips to share their many benefits can visit OHA’s online community benefit toolkit at www.ohanet.org/cbtoolkit/. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

OHA Weather Line Offers Seminar Delay, Cancellation Alerts
The OHA Center for Education now offers a resource allowing program participants to obtain information after normal business hours regarding possible seminar delays or cancellations due to inclement weather. Participants wishing to verify program times or check for cancellations should call OHA’s main number, 614.221.7614, and press extension 135 when the recorded message begins. OHA will update this message by 5 a.m. on program days that may be affected due to bad weather. This new service will assist OHA members and other education program participants in making informed decisions regarding travel to OHA programs. For more information on OHA’s educational offerings and the 2005 Annual Meeting, visit www.ohanet.org/education/. (Kelly Harrison, kellyh@ohanet.org)

Tuesday, January 18, 2005
New Leaders Head Ohio’s 126th General Assembly
With the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate officially announcing their chamber and committee leadership, OHA prepares for the 2005-2006 legislative session. Rep. Jon Husted (R-Kettering) will serve as Speaker of the House and Sen. Bill Harris (R-Ashland) will take the role of Senate President for the 126th General Assembly. In the House, Rep. Chris Redfern (D-Port Clinton) was named House Minority Leader, and C.J. Prentiss (D-Cleveland) will serve as Senate Minority Leader.

OHA works primarily with the committees focused on health, insurance and finance issues, advocating for hospitals’ interests. The following legislators will chair these committees throughout the next biennium:

House of Representatives
Rep. John White (R-Kettering), Health Committee
Rep. Charles Calvert (R-Medina), Finance & Appropriations Committee
Rep. Geoffrey Smith (R-Columbus), Insurance Committee

Senate
Sen. Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon), Health, Human Services & Aging Committee
Sen. Jay Hottinger (R-Newark), Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee
Sen. John Carey (R-Wellston), Finance & Financial Institutions Committee

In the next few weeks, OHA will produce publications listing pertinent information for all Ohio state and federal lawmakers and highlighting OHA's 2005 state advocacy agenda. Visit OHA’s state advocacy site often at www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/default.htm for information on legislation affecting Ohio’s hospitals. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org, Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Summa to Sell Medicaid HMO
Summa Health System, Akron, has entered into a tentative agreement to sell the Medicaid HMO assets of its SummaCare Inc. health plan to Centene Corp., St. Louis, for $31 million in cash and stock. The agreement requires regulatory approval and other closing conditions but the sale is expected to be final in the second quarter. Summa was not seeking a buyer for its 39,000-member Medicaid HMO when Centene offered to buy. The three-hospital system, including Akron City Hospital, St. Thomas Hospital and Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital will have a long-term contract with Centene’s Ohio subsidiary, Buckeye Community Health Plan, to care for the Medicaid population in Summit County. In addition, this transition of the Medicaid lives, if approved, does not affect SummaCare's other 134,000 Medicare, commercial and self-funded members.

Buckeye Community Health Plan currently covers about 23,500 people and the acquisition will make it the second largest Medicaid health plan in the state. Beyond Ohio, Centene also operates health plans in Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Wisconsin. For more information, view a news release at www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=cnc&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=660905.

OHA Center for Education
Don’t miss the following OHA educational seminars. Visit OHA's Center for Education at www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp or call 614.221.7614 for more information about these and other upcoming seminars.

JCAHO Walk-Through
February 11, 2005
Clarion Dublin Hotel
600 Metro Place N, Dublin 43017

APC Landscape 2005
January 28, 2005
Clarion Dublin Hotel
600 Metro Place N, Dublin 43017

Telephone Seminar: Becoming the Hospital/Health System of Choice
January 18, 2005, February 2, 2005, February 15, 2005, March 1, 2005, and March 15, 2005

Thursday, January 20, 2005
Social Security Forum Dates Set
The Social Security Administration will hold free informational forums over the next several weeks in Columbus, Dayton, Springfield and Mansfield detailing upcoming changes in the submission of medical records to Social Security. The forums will also offer information on how to receive faster supplemental security income and disability claims decisions while remaining HIPAA compliant. Social Security staff will be available to answer questions on the disability application process. All sessions are identical in information.

Columbus, Feb. 1
West Opportunity Center
314 N. Wilson Rd.
10 a.m. to noon OR 2-4 p.m.
Contact Elizabeth Sammons at Elizabeth.sammons@ssa.gov or 614.469.7717 ext. 3008 to register.

Dayton, Feb. 3
Dayton VA Medical Center Campus
Bldg 305, theater
10 a.m. to noon OR 1-3 p.m.
Contact Jeri Wenzel at Jeri.Wenzel@ssa.gov or 937.225.7900 ext. 3005 to register.

Springfield, Feb. 9
Clark County Library
201 South Fountain Ave.
10 a.m. to noon OR 1-3 p.m.
Contact Deborah Sherman at Deborah.sherman@ssa.gov or 937.325.1651 ext. 203 to register.

Mansfield, Feb. 10
Mansfield Social Security Office
1287 S. Trimble Rd.
10 a.m. to noon
Contact Brenda Heuer at Brenda.heuer@ssa.gov or 419.526.9900 to register.

Friday, January 21, 2005
Additional Ohio Billing Lawsuit Dropped
A lawsuit against ProMedica Health System in Toledo and the American Hospital Association (AHA) has now been dismissed, following closely on the heels of a similar ruling and dismissal late last week of a lawsuit against Catholic Healthcare Partners in Cincinnati and AHA. These Ohio dismissals continue a trend in the dismissal of similar lawsuits against hospitals nationwide related to their billing and collection practices. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

Looking Back and Stepping Forward: A Look at Health Care Trends
Full of fresh ideas and goals, Ohio’s hospitals step confidently into 2005-but not without a careful look back at the lessons and trends left by the last several years. Hospital admissions reached nearly 1.5 million in 2003, meaning 127 Ohioans out of every thousand were admitted to a hospital. Outpatient visits topped 30 million, an average two-and-a-half visits per person. In 2004, many Ohio hospitals broke ground or cut ribbons on expansion and renovation projects-improving dated facilities and responding to their growing communities needs.

Hospitals also provide a lifeline for the rising number of uninsured Ohioans-currently at 1.7 million-seeking vital medical services, providing care regardless of ability to pay. In 2002, the most recent data available, hospitals provided $584 million in uncompensated care, a total likely to go up with a growing uninsured population. Beyond meeting their patients’ direct health care needs, the trend of added comforts now touches every aspect of care. Hospital food winning national recognition, 30-minute emergency room guarantees, valet services for patients, private rooms and at-home, online hospital registration kick off a growing list.

Ohio hospitals’ ability to provide quality care and other community resources ultimately depends on their financial survival. In 2003, spending growth took a downward turn for the first time in seven years. A large chunk of the funding Ohio hospitals rely on to provide services and keep their doors open flows from public payers: Medicaid, Medicare and other federal, state and local programs. As the gap between hospital costs and reimbursement from these groups widens, hospitals must still find ways to fund necessary and quality health care for their patients.

The current health care trends, both improvements and challenges, lay a path for legislators, hospitals and others focused on the future of health care in Ohio and nationwide. To learn more, read the complete January Healthbeat at www.ohanet.org/healthbeat/2005/0105.htm.