In this issue
Program
Hospital
spotlight: Mille Lacs Health System takes 21 days to focus on wellness
Take a rural service area with high unemployment; high poverty;
large numbers of seniors, farmers, families with children and a sizeable
minority population and it’s tough to find a wellness program that is a good
fit for everyone. Mille Lacs Health System (MLHS) in central Minnesota knew
that its patient population struggled with depression, stress, diabetes and
lack of physical activity. Based on Dr. Deepak Chopra’s idea that it takes 21
days to change any type of behavior, MLHS developed its 2012 Community Wellness
program around that theme. The program was a great success and participants
showed incredible enthusiasm about receiving wellness information. In total,
531 participants were involved in the Wellness Challenge and 30 health system
employees and 11 community members volunteered a total of 153 hours. Read more
about Mille Lacs’ efforts to benefit its community in MHA’s 2013 Community Benefit Report. return to top
Final
Basic Health Plan rule and funding methodology released
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released
the final rule for the Basic Health Plan (BHP) and
its funding methodology. The final funding
methodology addresses much of Minnesota’s concerns regarding potential
underfunding of its BHP.
MHA along with the Minnesota Department of Human Services and other groups were
concerned about the proposed funding methodology, which would not have allowed
Minnesota to account for our current population served by MinnesotaCare,
Minnesota’s BHP (see Jan. 20 Newsline article). The final
methodology recognizes Minnesota’s early health care reform and innovation by
giving the state the option to risk-adjust for people covered by MinnesotaCare
instead of a Qualified Health Plan and retroactively reconcile payments with
the federal government. This means federal payments will more closely reflect
the costs of covering people in MinnesotaCare and help keep the program
fiscally viable.
MHA will continue reviewing the final funding methodology and rule. For more
information contact Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst,
651-659-1405 or Matt Anderson, MHA vice president of
regulatory and strategic affairs, 651-659-1421. return to top
Minnesota
AUC hosts free ICD-10 readiness webinar on March 11
The Minnesota Administrative Uniformity Committee (AUC) is
hosting a free ICD-10 readiness webinar as a part of its next regularly
scheduled quarterly meeting, from 2 – 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 11,
2014. The webinar is being offered to increase awareness regarding state
and federal ICD-10 requirements, to review best practices and tips for ICD-10
readiness, and to help answer questions. The AUC consults with the Minnesota
Department of Health (MDH) on the development of rules and the administration
of the state’s “e-billing” requirements for the standard electronic exchange of
health care business transactions, including claims and remittance
advices. Not only is ICD-10 required starting Oct. 1, 2014 as a result of
federal HIPAA regulations, but it is also required to comply with the state’s
“e-billing” requirements.
The AUC is partnering on the webinar with the Minnesota ICD-10 Collaborative, a
consortium of providers and payers working together to improve planning and
preparations for health care billing, reporting, and related processes in
connection with the ICD-10 conversion. During the webinar several
Collaborative members will be sharing experiences and insights about the ICD-10
readiness process.
To receive an agenda and participate in the webinar, please contact the AUC’s Judy Edwards. return to top
Employer
applications being accepted for the Summer Health Care Internship Program
Deadline to apply
is Friday, April 18
Employer applications are being accepted for the
2014 Summer Health Care Intern Program (SHCIP). Hospitals, clinics, nursing
facilities and home care providers are encouraged to participate on behalf of
qualified students in their community.
The internship program benefits students by allowing them to explore health
care careers and gain experience in a health care setting. The initiative also
is a great opportunity for health care employers to become more involved in
their communities.
Up to half of an intern’s wages are reimbursed through a grant from the
Minnesota Department of Health’s Office of Rural Health & Primary Care. The
grant is administered by MHA.
The employer application form is available on the MHA website. The application deadline is Friday, April 18 at 5 p.m.
For more information on the Summer Health Care Internship Program, visit www.mnhospitals.org/shcip or contact Sarah Bohnet,
Summer Health Care Internship Program coordinator, 651-603-3494. return to top