In
this issue
House
approves 21st Century Cures Act
The U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 30 approved the
21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 34) by a vote of 392-26. The Senate will
consider the legislation early this week. The 21st Century Cures Act
includes several hospital-related provisions.
The bill would prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services from
enforcing the “direct supervision” regulations in calendar year 2016 for
outpatient therapeutic services provided in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)
and certain small, rural hospitals. It would also provide relief from
site-neutral Medicare payments for hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs)
considered to be “under development” at the time of enactment of the 2015
Bipartisan Budget Act by moving the grandfather date for these HOPDs from Nov.
2, 2015, to 60 days after enactment of the 21st Century Cures Act.
Cancer hospitals were also exempted from the site-neutral payment policies.
Additionally, H.R. 34 would put in place adjustments to account for
socioeconomic status under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, extend
the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program for five years and provide
one full year of relief from the long-term care hospital 25 percent rule.
The legislation also includes provisions from the House Helping Families in
Mental Health Crisis Reform Act, aimed at improving mental health care and modifications
to electronic health record (EHR) requirements. H.R. 34 would provide $1
billion over two years to help states address the opioid abuse crisis; $4.8
billion over 10 years to NIH, including funding for the Precision Medicine
Initiative and cancer “moonshot”; and $500 million over 10 years to the Food
and Drug Administration to implement provisions aimed at moving drugs and
medical devices to patients more quickly.
Read a more detailed summary of key provisions of the
21st Century Cures Act.
With questions, contact Briana Nord Parish, policy analyst, MHA,
651-603-3498. return to top
President-elect
Trump announces nominees to lead HHS and CMS
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Georgia Congressman
Tom Price (R) to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services. Price, a retired orthopedic surgeon, is current chairman of the House
Budget Committee and a member of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee.
He has opposed the Affordable Care Act and supports privatizing Medicare.
Seema Verma, a health care consultant, has been nominated to head the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Verma oversaw the implementation of
Indiana’s Medicaid expansion, which requires monthly contributions to health
savings accounts. Additionally, she has advised several Republican governors,
including the governors of Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, about adding
elements such as health savings accounts and employment requirements to their
Medicaid programs.
With questions, contact Briana Nord Parish, policy analyst, MHA,
651-603-3498. return to top
Board
of Medical Practice changes license issuance practices for regulated
professions
The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice has discontinued the
temporary permit/license/registration option for the following professions
effective Dec. 15:
- Acupuncture (temporary permit)
- Athletic trainer (temporary
permit)
- Naturopathic doctor (temporary
registration)
- Physician (temporary permit)
- Physician assistant (temporary
license)
- Respiratory therapist
(temporary permit)
- Traditional midwife (temporary
permit)
The board has authorized issuance of a full license or
registration for a regulated professional upon verification that the applicant
satisfactorily demonstrates that all minimum requirements have been met.
Because a full license or registration no longer requires ratification at a
meeting of the board, issuance of a temporary credential is unnecessary.
Fee payment for a temporary permit/license/registration submitted on or after
Dec. 15 will be returned.
With questions, contact the board at 612-617-2130 or Medical.Board@state.mn.us. return to top
2016
PAC contribution deadline is Dec. 9
MHA members are asked to make their final 2016 MN Hospital PAC
contributions by Friday, Dec. 9, to be counted toward 2016 goals. Please make
every effort to meet your 2016 hospital goal.
Members are encouraged to involve key management staff and trustees in their
fundraising efforts and let them know that any amount they contribute counts in
our advocacy efforts. Every donor’s name will be listed in the PAC annual
report.
All contributions are voluntary. If you have questions about your hospital PAC
goal, please contact Kristin Loncorich, director of state
government relations, MHA, 651-603-3526. return to top
Register
for Dec. 15 patient and family engagement webinar
MHA convenes a statewide virtual Patient and Family Advisory
Committee (PFAC) webinar on the third Thursday of each month. The next webinar
will take place on Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to noon on the topic of resilience,
wellness and self-care.
During the webinar, Dr. Corey Martin from Buffalo Hospital will discuss and
share resiliency tools from the Bounce Back project, a community effort
created to improve health through happiness.
Online registration is required to join the
webinar.
MHA’s virtual PFAC is an inclusive online community for anyone who is involved
in a local PFAC in Minnesota. It is open to patient partners, patient and
family engagement leaders and anyone passionate about including patients as partners
in their care.
To learn more or submit proposed content for the webinar discussion, contact Joy Benn,
quality and patient safety specialist, MHA, 651-659-1441. return to top
Limited
number of rooms still available at MHA Winter Trustee Conference site
Cut-off date for accommodations is Dec. 15
The MHA Winter Trustee Conference will be held Jan. 6-8, 2017 at the
Minneapolis Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park. For more information or
to register, download the conference brochure.
While registration for the conference is still available, the Marriott
Minneapolis Northwest has only a limited number of rooms left. If you plan to
attend the conference and need accommodations, you can make reservations online.
If you have questions about accommodations or need assistance with your online
reservation, you can call the Marriott directly at 763-536-8300. return to top