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January 30 - February 5, 2012 |
VRHA News Virginia News National News Mark your calendar Resources Funding Opportunities VRHA Site |
January newsletter available |
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VRHA on Capitol HillVRHA will have a contingent of six representatives visiting congressional offices January 31st. The visits are part of the National Rural Health Association's annual Policy Institute. The event offers an opportunity to learn first-hand about the development and implementation of health care policy at the federal level and meet with your members. The event also offers members and other concerned rural health advocates the opportunity to support vital rural health care legislation. NRHA has developed three "asks" or items that members will take to Capitol Hill. VRHA will ask their senators and representatives to support: 1) The continuation of rural Medicare "Extenders". 2) Modifying the Medicare sequestration process set to begin in January 2013 to avoid disproportionate harm to the rural health safety net. 3) Appropriate funding levels for rural health programs through fiscal year 2013. Documentation and background information for the advocacy effort can be reviewed through NRHA's Policy Institute Action Kit.
Members in the NewsBy Sarah Bruyn Jones - Roanoke Times Five years ago, as the state faced an impending shortage of nurses, [VRHA member] Radford University doubled the size of its nursing program. Radford wasn't alone: Schools across Virginia responded to a push from the state to expand their nursing programs, and overall admissions to nursing schools have more than doubled since 2003, according to the Virginia Department of Health Professions. Then the recession hit, leaving new nurses struggling to find jobs as hiring slowed. Nursing school administrators found themselves in a balancing act between meeting the needs of current students who were trying to get hired and preparing to meet the looming workforce demands. It's in that context that Radford decided to take the unusual step of reducing the size of its largest nursing program while continuing to emphasize an advanced degree nursing program the school created two years ago. Read the full article. Coding CertificationSeats are still available at the VRHA Coding Certification Bootcamp in Staunton February 7-9. Course participants will be qualified to become a certified coder and can also earn up to 18 CEUs. In addition to the steeply discounted registration rate, rooms at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center are available for only $77/night for participants. Click here for details about the event.
Legislative WatchHB 1229: Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group composed of various stakeholders to develop a plan for addressing housing and transportation needs of Virginians with disabilities. HB 1240: Prescribed, orally administered medications necessary for the treatment of cancer shall be available on a basis no less favorable than coverage provided for intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications, regardless of formulation or benefit category determination by the insurer, corporation, or health maintenance organization. Prescribed, orally administered anticancer medications are currently available from health insurers, health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organizations whose pharmaceutical benefit category determination provides coverage. This classification will apply to the state employees' health insurance plan and to the local choice health program. HB 1274: Creates a workgroup for the purposes of clarifying requirements and develop guidelines applicable to nursing homes when transferring or discharging a nursing home resident. SB 615: Creates the Virginia Health Benefits Exchange Authority as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth, as recommended by the Virginia Health Reform Initiative Advisory Council. The Authority is charged with establishing and operating health benefit exchanges for qualified individuals and for small businesses, collectively referred to as the Exchange. The measure also provides for the Authority to perform, or provide for the performance by other state agencies of, duties associated with the operation of the Exchange as required by the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and implements the intent set forth in Chapter 823 of the Acts of Assembly of 2011 that Virginia create and operate its own health benefits exchange to preserve and enhance competition in the health insurance market. The Authority is authorized to enter agreements with the State Corporation Commission and Departments of Medical Assistance Services, Health, and Social Services regarding the performance of duties related to the conduct of the Exchange. The Exchange will be funded by assessment fees on all health carriers offering plans in the Exchange. The measure provides that mandated health benefits applicable to plans offered outside the Exchange will also apply to plans offered through the Exchange. SB 643: Requires the Department of Health to establish a work group to examine the health information needs related to health care reform and to ensure that any new data collection is integrated with existing practices in an efficient manner. SB 650: Requires any hospital or licensed physician who treats a patient who presents proof of health insurance providing coverage within the applicable provider network to process such patient's claims and provides that a patient is not be liable for any amount in excess of what would be owed if the claim was properly filed in such instances. SB 659: Directs the Director of the Department of Medical Assistance Services to develop and implement a statewide fully integrated risk-based long-term care system that integrates Medicaid-reimbursed primary, acute, and long-term care services. The long-term care system shall expand access to and utilization of cost-effective home and community-based alternatives to institutional care for Medicaid-eligible individuals. The system shall include a nursing facility transition initiative, along with an expansion of community-based services, and an acuity-based methodology for reimbursement of nursing facility services. Settlement AgreementGovernor Bob McDonnell announced that a settlement agreement has been reached between the Commonwealth and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding Virginia's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 1999 Supreme Court decision in the Olmstead case. The investigation, which began in 2008 at the state-run Central Virginia Training Center in Lynchburg, was expanded in 2010 to cover Virginia's comprehensive system of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including all five state training centers and community-based services. DOJ issued a findings letter to Governor McDonnell in February 2011 that concluded Virginia is not providing services in the most integrated and appropriate setting, not developing a sufficient quantity community services, and that Virginia has a flawed discharge process at training centers. Virginia then began good-faith negotiations to reach a settlement agreement with DOJ while not subjecting the Commonwealth to a costly and lengthy legal battle. Major highlights include expanding community-based services, supporting quality community-based services and transition from training centers. Read the full press release. Joining Forces to Fight StrokesBy Rhonda Simmons - Culpeper Star Exponent With a touch of a button, a University of Virginia Medical Center physician in Charlottesville is able to examine a stroke patient at Culpeper Regional Hospital. Physicians and educators from both hospitals demonstrated an emergency scenario with a mock patient and new stroke alert and management system at the 70-bed facility on Thursday. Using the Stroke Telemedicine and Tele-Education program, UVa stroke neurologist Dr. Andrew Southerland, was able to assess “stroke patient” Culpeper Mayor Chip Coleman, 62, inside exam room 6. “This is really a cutting edge opportunity for us to interact with stroke patients in their local communities and to get to see them in a timely fashion,” Southerland said. “And before this technology was available, patients might not get to a facility where they were adequately treated. It’s also a neat opportunity to collaborate with physicians and nurses from the community.” Read the full article.
Rural Hospitals Band TogetherBy Alexandra Wilson Pecci - HealthLeaders Media There's buying power in numbers, and rural Texas hospitals are looking to capitalize on that power. The Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH) has launched a new campaign to raise awareness among its 150 members about its insurance program. Low insurance premiums can be difficult to come by for small, rural hospitals. But that changes when hospitals band together to buy their insurance, says David Pearson, TORCH president and CEO. But beyond simply encouraging members to participate in TORCH's insurance program, Pearson also points to another function of the awareness campaign: To encourage a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to buying insurance. And that's something that all hospitals should pay attention to. Unlike with car insurance, there are no smart-mouthed geckos reminding hospitals to review their policies. Read the full article. Rural Community CollegesBy John White - Homeroom It’s no secret that community colleges are leading the way to achieving the President’s goal for the United States to once again have the highest college attainment rate in the world by 2020. Community colleges are hubs for career-training, re-training, adult education and for recent high school graduates seeking a pathway into the careers of their choice. For many residents of rural areas, community colleges also provide the closest access to postsecondary education and a way to obtain the skills needed for existing jobs. However, like some of their students, many rural community colleges are doing more with less as state budgets are being cut and new resources are becoming harder to find. Read the full article. Rural Hospitals vs. MassachusettsBy Julian Pecquet - the Hill Nineteen rural state hospital associations have signed onto a letter urging President Obama to nix the healthcare reform law's special deal for Massachusetts hospitals in his 2013 budget proposal next month. The hospital groups say a provision in the law shifts $367 million annually in Medicare funding from 49 states to the Democratic-led commonwealth. The provision's aim was simply to increase Medicare payments for a single, 15-bed hospital in Nantucket but ended up raising payment rates for the state's 60 urban hospitals by 8 percent. "If left uncorrected," the letter says, "hospitals in 49 states will experience reduced funding of more than $3.5 billion over the next ten years as a direct result of this manipulation of Medicare's hospital wage index. Read the full article.
For more information about these and other events, visit the VRHA Calendar. February 7-9: Rural Coding Bootcamp - Staunton
Community Health Needs Assessment Health Information Technology Toolkit Population Change in Rural America From the Medicare Learning Network: Health Professional Shortage Area Bonus Payment Policy Reminders has been released in downloadable format. This article is designed to provide education on the HPSA Bonus Payment Program, and provides information about the program and resources that providers can use to determine whether they are eligible to receive the bonus payment. A new “Medicare Coverage of Radiology and Other Diagnostic Services” fact sheet (ICN 907164) has been released in downloadable format. This fact sheet is designed to provide education on Medicare coverage and billing information for radiology and other diagnostic services, and includes specific information concerning billing and coding requirements and an overview of coverage guidelines. A new fast fact is now available on the MLN Provider Compliance webpage. This page provides the latest educational products designed to help Medicare Fee-For-Service providers understand – and avoid – common billing errors and other improper activities. Please bookmark this page and check back often as a new fast fact is added each month! The “Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System” fact sheet (ICN 006815) has been revised and is available in downloadable format. This fact sheet includes information on payment background, the basis for the Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System payment, payment rates, and how payment rates are set. The new “Medicare Quarterly Provider Compliance Newsletter [Volume 2, Issue 2]” (ICN 907703) has been released in downloadable format. This educational tool is designed to provide education on how to avoid common billing errors and other erroneous activities when dealing with the Medicare Program, and highlights the top issues of the particular quarter. Please visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MedQtrlyCompNL_Archive.pdf to download, print, and search an archive of previously-issued newsletters. MLN Matters Special Edition Article #SE1201, “Important Reminder for Providers and Suppliers Who Provide Services and Items Ordered or Referred by Other Providers and Suppliers,” has been released in downloadable format. This article is designed to provide education on policy that says Medicare will only pay for specific items or services that are ordered or referred by providers or suppliers who are enrolled in Medicare and authorized to do so. It includes information about what providers should know before submitting a claim and limitations to the policy. MLN Matters Special Edition Article #SE1137, “Additional Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 837 5010 Transitional Changes and Further Modifications to the Coordination of Benefits Agreement (COBA) National Crossover Process,” has been revised and is available in downloadable format. This article is designed to provide education on the HIPAA 5010 COBA National Crossover Process for supplemental payers, and includes important information and examples to assist providers with the transition. The article was revised to add a section to clarify the crossover impact for providers who are permitted to submit claims using the CMS 1500 or UB04 hardcopy formats. MLN Matters Special Edition Article #SE1138, “Non-Specific Procedure Code Description Requirement for HIPAA Version 5010 Claims,” has been revised and is available in downloadable format. This article is designed to provide education on the requirements for non-specific procedure codes for HIPAA 5010 claims, as established in Change Request 7392. It includes guidance to help providers comply with the requirements and submit HIPAA-compliant claims for all non-specific procedure codes. The article was revised to clarify that claims will not be rejected if ‘Not Otherwise Classified’ is submitted as the code description. The “Medicare Physician Fee Schedule” fact sheet (ICN 006814) has been revised and is now available in downloadable format. It includes information on physician services, therapy services, Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) payment rates, and the Medicare PFS rates formula. The “Ambulatory Surgical Center Fee Schedule” fact sheet (ICN 006819) has been revised and is now available in downloadable format. It includes information on the definition of an Ambulatory Surgical Center Fee Schedule (ASC), ASC payment, how payment rates are determined, and healthcare quality.
Walgreens Corporate Contribution Program Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project and Centers Program -- Field Initiated Projects - Development Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act Grants 2012 MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Awards Drug Free Communities Support Program America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Program
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