Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

September 19, 2016

MHA Newsline: Sept. 19, 2016

In this issue 

MN Board of Medical Practice discusses changes to licensing processes

MHA has heard from a number of members with concerns about getting their physicians credentialed and recently sought a meeting with the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice (BMP) to discuss improvements to the current licensing processes.   

Changes to internal procedures include: 

  • Implementing a priority process for issuance of temporary permits and additional licensure staff may now issue temporary permits as soon as an applicant’s eligibility has been confirmed. 
  • BMP staff can now issue credentials in real time, without requiring presentation and ratification at a meeting of the Board. 
  • Renewal cycles for allied professionals will be modified to require renewal during the licensee’s/registrant’s birth month, rather than on June 30 of each year. 

The Board is considering future processes to include online applications and online status of applications that have undergone initial review. A statewide webinar will be scheduled in the coming months to discuss reasons for delays in issuing licenses and what health systems can do to partner in the process.   

With questions, contact Rahul Koranne, M.D., senior vice president, clinical affairs and chief medical officer, MHA, 651-659-1445. return to top   

MDH seeks input on cost of complying with Minnesota’s patient consent

Last week, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released a Request for Information (RFI) regarding the cost of complying with the Minnesota Health Records Act. It includes a series of questions that serve as a template for each organization to calculate their own costs. The complete RFI and instructions for responding are available here. Responses are due by Oct. 17. 

This issue has been identified by MHA as one of the barriers to better coordination of care. Documenting the cost of complying with this law is an important piece of information for both MHA and the state to have and members are strongly encouraged to respond to the RFI.   

With questions, contact Mark Sonneborn, vice president of health information and analytics, MHA, 651-659-1423. return to top   

Hospital CHNA updates underway

For years, many Minnesota hospitals and health systems have conducted formal or informal assessments of their communities’ health needs. Since 2012, completing a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) has been a federal requirement for private, nonprofit hospitals.   

A hospital must complete a CHNA at least every three years with input from the broader community, including public health experts. Hospitals are then asked to describe how they are addressing needs identified, as well as list any needs not being addressed and explain why not.   

Hospitals must make CHNAs widely available. MHA collects completed CHNAs from members and posts them on its website. Updated CHNAs should be submitted to Ashley Beno, member services and communications specialist, MHA. return to top   

TRICARE contracting set to transition in mid-2017

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has announced its intent to contract with Health Net Federal Services, LLC (HNFS) for coverage of its West region active and retired military service members and their families. The likely transition date is July 2017. The current TRICARE managed care contractor is UnitedHealthcare Group.    

In its introduction letter, HNFS touts its long experience as a contractor for the DOD. It also cites online self-service tools such as beneficiary eligibility checking, prior authorizations, referral requests and electronic claims transactions. A clean claim can be processed for payment within five days of receipt by HNFS.    

A network services application form is included with the introduction letter. Hospitals and providers will need to become credentialed with HFNS prior to the transition according to their FAQ section.    

For more information, contact Joe Schindler, vice president of finance, MHA, 651-659-1415. return to top

-->