|
||
Monday,
June 5, 2006 The NIMS guidance will apply to hospitals that receive federal preparedness funding, but other hospitals also will be encouraged to implement NIMS compliance activities. For more information on disaster preparedness efforts in Ohio, visit www.prepareohio.com/. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@ohanet.org)
Tuesday, June 6, 2006 OHA this week submitted comments in opposition of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed rule regarding the Medicare Program: Notification Procedures for Hospital Discharges. The proposed rule would require hospitals to distribute a new notice of Medicare discharge appeal rights to all Medicare inpatients the day before their discharge. OHA voiced concern that the proposed rule would place an unnecessary and expensive burden on hospitals that likely would translate into added costs for every inpatient hospital admission with no corresponding increase in Medicare payments. OHA noted that the existing Important Message for Medicare and Notice of Discharge and Medicare Appeal Rights keep beneficiaries sufficiently informed on their rights. To implement the process and manage the paperwork proposed by the rule, hospitals likely would have to add staff and increase the average inpatient stay.
OHA and the Ohio hospital community remain committed to the highest quality of care, which includes a process for communication with and comment from patients. Processes already in place are working well and OHA does not feel it is necessary to add cost and administrative burden by changing the system. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)
Health Plans Sought for ABD Managed Care The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) last week released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Medicaid Managed Care Program for the Aged, Blind or Disabled population. Responses from qualified health plans are due by Sept. 1 and ODJFS expects to announce plan selections on Sept. 29. Enrollment is estimated to begin Dec. 1. In selecting plans, ODJFS will choose no more than three plans in each of eight regions originally created for the Covered Families and Children population. View the RFA and other related materials at http://jfs.ohio.gov/ohp/bmhc/RFA%5FABD/. Applicants must attend a conference June 16 and interested parties are also invited to attend. Registration materials are available at http://jfs.ohio.gov/ohp/bmhc/RFA_ABD/InterestedPartiesRegistrationForm.pdf. (Berna Bell, bernab@ohanet.org)
Thursday,
June 8, 2006 Current law limits the number of employment-based visas a given country’s citizens can attain under the J-1 visa program. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), allows more qualified internationally-trained caregivers to work in the U.S. by exempting nurses and physical therapists from these per-country caps from now until 2017. During this time, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Institute of Medicine would study staffing issues and recommend to Congress ways of increasing the domestic supply of nurses and physical therapists. Ohio Senators Mike DeWine and George Voinovich both voted in favor of the bill. The larger immigration reform package faces upcoming struggles, as many conservatives in the U.S. House oppose amnesty provisions for undocumented aliens in the Senate-passed version. A joint conference committee of the House and Senate will attempt to craft compromise legislation this summer. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org )
Friday, June 9, 2006 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently launched a "compliance check" of approximately 600 tax-exempt hospitals across the country. The questionnaire the IRS is using was posted to its Web site at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eo_hospital_questionnaire_sample.pdf. The questionnaire asks about a hospital's uncompensated care, research and teaching, community activities and compensation program, among other things. Several Ohio hospitals have received the questionnaire. A compliance check is different from an IRS audit or examination in that it does not directly relate to determining a tax liability for a particular period. Instead, a compliance check looks at an organization's recordkeeping, reporting and operations and may alert the organization about potential errors. Although participation in a compliance check is voluntary, the IRS may decide to open a formal examination based on an organization's response. On June 1, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley asked IRS officials to provide information on the agency’s review and enforcement activities related to a number of tax-exempt organizations, including hospitals. Grassley cited examples of potential abuses and claimed some individuals exploit vagueness or a lack of enforcement of the laws governing tax-exempt groups to enrich themselves rather than serve the public. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org) OHA’s Annual Meeting is Monday and Tuesday of next week and it’s not too late to make the trip to state’s capital to attend sessions on health care hot topics, network with peers and earn continuing education credit. The options of registering online or by mail or fax are no longer available, but OHA still invites hospital associates to attend, as on-site registration will be available. Those interested in attending the OHA Recognition Dinner can register during the day Monday at the general registration area in Regent Ballroom 3. Seats are limited for dinner, so guests who are interested in attending should register early on Monday. For more information on the OHA Annual Meeting, visit www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/default.asp. (Joe Ruggles, joer@ohanet.org) © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
