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