In this issue
2015
legislative session gets underway
The 89th session of the Minnesota Legislature began
on Tuesday, Jan. 6. There are 26 new legislators and the Republicans now
control the Minnesota House of Representatives. The House and Senate both
introduced their priority bills last Thursday. The Senate Democrats are
focusing on disaster funding, tuition-free two-year college programs, loan
forgiveness for physicians and other health care professionals that agree to
practice in rural areas, the child protection system, and free universal
preschool for four-year-olds. The House Republican majority unveiled their
priority legislation focused on business tax cuts, MNsure reforms,
environmental permitting reforms, teacher seniority, transportation, and
scholarship opportunities for newly hired nursing home workers to help them pay
down their student loan debt as well as loan forgiveness for certain health
care professionals.
Legislative hearings will
begin this week
On Tuesday, Jan 13, at 2:45 p.m., the House will hold a joint meeting of the
Health and Human Service Reform and Health and Human Service Finance committees
for the purpose of an overview of the Minnesota Department Health (MDH) and the
Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). On Wednesday, Jan 14, at
noon the Senate Health Policy committee will hold a hearing on the MDH report
on Health Equity and get an update on Ebola and influenza from the agency. At
2:45 p.m. the House HHS Reform Committee and HHS Finance Committee will hold a
hearing on an overview of MinnesotaCare and Medicaid. On Thursday, Jan. 15, at
12:45 p.m. the House HHS Finance Committee will receive an overview of the
Health Care Access Fund.
For a complete list of 2015 legislative bills MHA is tracking, visit the Member Center. For assistance accessing the
Member Center, please contact Ashley Gauster, MHA member services and
communications specialist, 651-603-3545. return to top
MHA
welcomes new directors to its Board
MHA welcomes several new members to its Board of Directors. MHA
is governed by a 30-member board of directors representing hospital leaders
from across the state, including nine standing directors, five at-large directors,
six regional directors, five trustee directors and five ex-officio and officer
directors. The board establishes and implements policies and decisions to
advance the delivery of health care and health care policy in Minnesota and on
the national level. Thanks to the following new directors for their commitment
to advancing health care in Minnesota:
Regional Directors
Region 1
Dan Olson
President
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center
Region 2
John Fossum
Chief Executive Officer
Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital
Region 5
Bryan Lydick
Chief Executive Officer
Redwood Area Hospital, Redwood Falls
Standing Directors
Robert I. Bonar, Jr., Dr.H.A.
Chief Executive Officer
Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Kenneth D. Holmen, M.D.
President and CEO
CentraCare Health, St. Cloud
David Herman, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Essentia Health, Duluth
Daniel B. McGinty
Executive Vice President, Hospital & Specialty Services
Allina Health, Minneapolis
At-Large Directors
Kathryn D. Lombardo, M.D.
President
Olmsted Medical Center, Rochester
Randy Ulseth
Chief Executive Officer
FirstLight Health System, Mora
return to top
Sens.
Klobuchar and Franken and Rep. McCollum ask HHS to expeditiously distribute
Ebola preparedness funding directly to Minnesota hospitals
Sens. Klobuchar and Franken and Rep. McCollum submitted requests
to Secretary Burwell at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
for swift distribution of Ebola preparedness funding to Minnesota hospitals.
At the discretion of the HHS Secretary, Congress allocated $576 million for
Ebola-preparedness efforts, including those by hospitals. The agency is
expected to release guidelines for distribution in mid-January.
Sens. Klobuchar and Franken and Rep. McCollum highlighted that four of the 35
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Ebola Treatment Hospitals
are in Minnesota. In their letters, they outlined the significant costs that
these hospitals have incurred and additional training, equipment and planning
that will be ongoing. In fact, Minnesota’s four designated hospitals have
already spent roughly $1 million each.
The American Hospital Association estimates that non-designated hospitals have
also incurred, on average, $40,000 each as they prepare to detect, isolate and
initially care for suspected Ebola patients.
Sens. Klobuchar and Franken and Rep. McCollum asked Secretary Burwell to
consider how this time-sensitive funding can be effectively distributed to ensure
continued preparedness for the patients and communities served by Minnesota
hospitals.
In addition, they requested flexibility for state agency funding so that each
state can allocate money where it is needed most. Read Sen. Franken’s letter here. Read Sen. Klobuchar and Rep. McCollum’s
letter here.
New PPE resources
The Minnesota Department of Health has developed a video demonstrating one
sequence for donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) suitable
for evaluating a patient for Ebola in an ambulatory setting. The video
incorporates CDC recommendations as well as input from APIC-MN. View the video here.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance to
help hospitals determine how much PPE stock they should have on hand. The
guidance builds on CDC’s three-tiered approach (frontline hospitals,
assessment hospitals and treatment hospitals), and recommends that frontline
hospitals have enough PPE on hand for 12-24 hours of treatment. In Minnesota,
the four designated hospitals are serving as both the assessment and treatment
hospitals. All other hospitals are expected to serve as frontline hospitals.
Considerations for U.S. Healthcare Facilities to EnsureAdequate Supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Ebola Preparedness. return to top
Federal
government approves Minnesota’s Basic Health Plan waiver
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved
Minnesota’s request for a waiver that recognizes the MinnesotaCare program as
the state’s Basic Health Plan (BHP) under the terms of the Affordable Care Act.
With this approval, Minnesota becomes the first state in the nation with a BHP.
MinnesotaCare is a subsidized insurance program for low-income Minnesotans who
do not qualify for Medical Assistance (Medicaid). Over 80,000 Minnesotans are
enrolled in the program.
The Legislature made changes to MinnesotaCare in 2013 with the intent of
bringing it into compliance with BHP requirements. Therefore, with those laws
in place and the waiver approved by CMS, no additional MinnesotaCare program
changes will be needed this legislative session to secure greater federal
support.
Transitioning MinnesotaCare to the state’s BHP means the program’s funding will
change. The federal government will provide Minnesota with 95 percent of what
individuals enrolled in MinnesotaCare would have received had they received
advanced premium tax credits to purchase private insurance on MNsure. However,
because of how the “95 percent of subsidies” is calculated and the projected
total costs of MinnesotaCare coverage, Minnesota may need funding sources, such
as the Health Care Access Fund, the General Fund, or other revenue sources to
cover the remaining costs of the program. Any such state expense will be less
than the amount Minnesota currently spends on MinnesotaCare coverage.
For questions, contact Jennifer McNertney, MHA policy analyst,
651-659-1405. return to top
Inpatient
care for incarcerated individuals now covered by MA
Beginning Jan. 1, 2015, the Medical Assistance (MA) program
covers inpatient hospital stays for individuals who are incarcerated in local
or state correctional facilities. Inpatient hospital stays will be reimbursed
through MA fee-for-service. Legislation passed in 2013 that moved these health
care costs from counties to the state. Previously, many hospitals contracted
with counties to provide inpatient care to individuals incarcerated in local
correctional facilities. For more information, including how to bill for these
services, see the Department of Human Services provider update. return to top
Bill
would remove 96-hour certification requirement for CAHs
The Critical Access Hospital Relief Act (H.R. 169), legislation
that would remove the 96-hour physician certification requirement as a
condition of payment for critical access hospitals (CAH), has been introduced
in the U.S. House of Representatives. Medicare requires physicians to certify
that patients admitted to a CAH will be discharged or transferred to another
hospital within 96 hours for the CAH to receive payment for the patient’s
services under Medicare Part A. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services has not historically enforced the requirement, but in guidance related
to its two-midnight admissions policy implied that it will — a situation that
would threaten patients’ access to longer care when needed. The legislation
would not remove the requirement that CAHs maintain an average annual length of
stay of 96 hours, nor affect other certification requirements for hospitals.
Minnesota’s Reps. Tim Walz, Collin Peterson and Rick Nolan supported the
legislation in the last Congress and Sens. Klobuchar and Franken were
cosponsors of the Senate version. The legislation is supported by the American
Hospital Association, and MHA will make a request that our delegation sign onto
the bill.
For questions, contact Ann Gibson, MHA vice president of federal
relations and workforce, 651-603-3527. return to top
Hospital
leaders earn certification
Sixteen hospital trustees from across Minnesota were recognized
for earning certification through the Minnesota Hospital Association’s trustee
certification program. The comprehensive certification process prepares
hospital trustees to effectively meet the growing demands of serving on a
hospital board and to be strong health care and community
leaders.
By participating in MHA’s voluntary certification program, hospital trustees
receive training on current health care trends; governance best practices;
ethics; government regulations; patient safety; and quality. Participants
undergo 35 hours of coursework, making Minnesota’s initiative the most
comprehensive in the nation. Following are the newly certified trustees:
Community Memorial Hospital, Cloquet
- Alvin Alm
- Steven Vopat, M.D.
Cook Hospital & C&NC
District One Hospital, Faribault
Essentia Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Detroit Lakes
Hendricks Community Hospital Association
Lakewood Health System, Staples
- Larry Lundblad
- William I. Mennis, M.D.
Ridgeview Medical Center, Waconia
RiverView Health, Crookston
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center
- Glen Lindseth
- Bruce Meade
- Dean Thompson
Swift County-Benson Hospital
United Hospital District, Blue Earth
- Roger W. Hanson
- Melanie Humburg
return to top
Open
appointments available for health care providers
There are new opportunities for hospitals and other health care
providers to participate in the policy-making process by joining a state task
force. The following entities are seeking provider participants:
- Governor’s Task Force on
Broadband
- Maternal and Child Health
Advisory Task Force
- Subcommittee on Children’s
Mental Health
Hospital and system representatives are encouraged to apply for
these appointments. For more information and to apply, visit the Secretary of State website. return to top
Check
your inbox for MHA 2015 directory survey
Hospital CEOs, their administrative assistants and associate
members should watch their email inboxes for the MHA 2015 Membership Directory
survey.
MHA annually updates contact information of senior leaders and key contacts
within hospitals, health systems and associate member companies to ensure the
MHA database is accurate, up-to-date and that communications reach the
appropriate contacts.
Please complete the survey and return by Friday,
Feb. 20 to Ashley Gauster, MHA member services and
communications specialist, 651-603-3545. return to top
DHS issues reference lab payment provider update
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)
has published a provider update regarding payment for
reference and outside labs under Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP)
fee-for-service.
For dates of service on and after Jan. 1, 2015, MHCP fee-for-service will no
longer pay a provider for laboratory services that the provider sent to a
reference or outside laboratory. Outpatient hospitals, provider-based clinics,
and independent laboratories are exempt until July 1, 2015. MHA will continue
working with DHS to make the exemption permanent.
For more information, contact Joe Schindler, MHA vice president of finance,
651-659-1415. return to top