Minnesota Hospital Association

Policy & Advocacy

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Policy & Advocacy

rules, regulations and comments

The Minnesota Hospital Association continually monitors state and federal rules and regulations to keep members informed and advocates on behalf of members regarding the impact of regulations on the state’s hospitals and health systems. MHA submits comment letters to share recommendations and feedback with the appropriate government organizations and health care stakeholders. Examples of rules and regulations that MHA addresses include those implementing federal or state health care reform efforts, changing payment methodologies, establishing community benefit or other standards for tax-exempt organizations, or modifying government oversight of health care activities.

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Entries for September 2013

Comments regarding improvements to mental and behavioral health care under Medicaid and Medicare

September 2013
Minnesota’s hospitals provide a wide range of mental and behavioral health services, from inpatient care to outpatient therapy and support services. Our members also see the otherwise avoidable pain, suffering and costs that occur when community-based options are not available or sufficient – desperate people who turn to the emergency department as a last resort in a mental health crisis, patients receiving more expensive care in settings that are not designed or staffed to best meet those patients’ needs, and patients and their families often experiencing frustration and anxiety as a result of having to wait for services or a transfer or an appointment opening.    

Hospital OPPS proposed rule for calendar year 2014

September 2013

On behalf of the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) and our members, which include 144 hospitals and health systems throughout Minnesota, we are pleased to offer the following comments in response to the following portions of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) proposed rule for calendar year (CY) 2014 (Proposed Rule):  

  • Enforcement of direct supervision requirements in critical access hospitals (CAHs) and small rural hospitals;
  • Data collection on services furnished in hospitals’ off-campus provider-based departments; and
  • Electronic health records (EHR) incentive program changes.  

Proposed 2014 physician fee schedule

September 2013
On behalf of the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) and our members, which include 144 hospitals and health systems and the thousands of employed or affiliated physicians caring for patients within our members’ organizations, we are pleased to offer the following comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) physician fee schedule (PFS) proposed rule for calendar year (CY) 2014 (Proposed Rule). MHA supports the comments submitted by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and offers the following comments, suggestions and concerns with respect to those issues that have the most significance to Minnesota’s health care delivery system.  

Comments on the Potential Release of Medicare Physician Data

September 2013
On behalf of the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) and our members, which include 144 hospitals and their health systems located throughout Minnesota, I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to your agency’s request for comments regarding new transparency and data availability in the Medicare program. The request for comments pertains specifically to Medicare physician data and some of the issues the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will need to address at it moves forward with a future rulemaking process.