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Study Health Law Protected Young Adults from High Hospital Bills Kaiser Health News May 29th 2013
Researchers at the RAND Corporation set out to find some hard data on one aspect of the health law Does having medical insurance protect young adults from the financial ruin that often comes with a major injury or illness The quick answer Yes it does Since September 2010 the Affordable Care Act has allowed young adults to remain on their parentsrsquo medical insurance until they turn 26 and an estimated 31 million young people have taken advantage of the new rule The RAND researchers looked at nearly a half a million visits young adults made to emergency departments around the country before and after the under-26 provision took effect The RAND analysis published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the new law resulted in $147 million in hospital bills charged to private insurance companies in 2011 As lsquoEmergencyrsquo Doors Close More Seek Care MedPage Today May 30th 2013
One in five adults in the US sought emergency department treatment at least once during 2011 according to an annual report from the CDC Although the percentage of Americans visiting the emergency department each year is stable the total number of visits to emergency departments increased 34 between 1995 and 2010 (from 97 million to 130 million visits) At the same time the supply of emergency departments has declined by about 11 to 3700 emergency departments in 2010 stated the agency in Health United States 2012 Report Dials Back Concerns Over Funding for Medicare
Welcome to the May 2013 Edition of the ATS Health Policy Newsletter the PULSE
1
California Doctors brace for pain as 10 cut to Medi-Cal rate looms Los Angeles Times June 10th 2013
Currently doctors treating patients on Medi-Cal receive $10 a month for most care This summer when California makes a controversial 10 cut to Medi-Cal rates they could get paid less Many doctors say they dont go into safety net medicine for the money but they worry that the reductions will make it even harder for their patients to get medication medical equipment and appointments with specialists Florida Virtual trauma center maximizes critical moments Florida Today May 22nd 2013
State Health Policy News
Corner
State Health Policy News Continuedhellip
2
Wall Street Journal May 31st 2013
An annual report issued said the primary Medicare trust fund that pays hospital bills and associated costs can continue paying full benefits through 2026 two years later than projected according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid However nearly 50 million people are enrolled in Medicare the health care program for the nations elderly and disabled and enrollment is expected to grow to 80 million by 2030 Spending on Medicare and other entitlement programs remains a flash point in the ongoing debate over federal spending and deficit reduction but Democrats and Republicans have widely different views of how to strengthen the financing of those programs Medicares six trustees urged lawmakers to address the financial challenges of both Medicare and Social Security as soon as possible an unlikely outcome in the ongoing partisan environment
Adult Drugs Still Poisoning Children MedPage Today June 3rd 2013
Adult prescription drugs in the home pose a significant risk of poisoning and causing serious injury to children a review of national data found Despite the introduction of child-proof caps on medicine bottles and other protective efforts at least 70000 US children are seen in the ED each year for suspected poisoning -- and the numbers are rising along with the increase in prescription drug use among adults Statesrsquo Hospital Data for Sale Puts Privacy in Jeopardy Bloomburg June 5th 2013
Hospitals in the US pledge to keep a patientrsquos health background confidential Yet states from Washington to New York are putting privacy at risk by selling records that can be used to link a personrsquos identity to medical conditions using public information The issue is that state public-health agencies received an exemption from the federal law
2
When a serious accident occurs seconds make the difference between life and death A partnership between Palm Bay Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center created the TACTEL Tactical Telemedicine Program a virtual trauma center that police and firefighter SWAT medics can access while on the field during a critical incident The program the first telemedicine program to link civilian law enforcement medics with trauma teams Illinois Hospitals Say Increase in Chicago Gun Violence Causing Surge in Trauma Centers NBC Chicago June 5th 2013
Chicago hospitals saw more homicides and victims of gun violence this year than car crash victims an unusual proportion compared to previous years new data shows Data released Wednesday by Loyola shows trauma centers are filling up with more victims of gun violence across the city and the trauma is placing an extra burden on hospitals Doctors and hospital staff are prepared to handle injuries of all sorts but they are spending increasing amounts of time taking care of patients whose
ATS Seeks Comments on Firearm Violence Position Statement
3
formally the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA enacted in 1996 The privacy rules took effect in 2003 though they apply only to health-care providers insurers billing and claims processors and their contractors Some states voluntarily follow the lawrsquos strict privacy guidelines which require that discharge data be shorn of details -- such as age ZIP codes or admission and discharge dates -- that could be used to connect it to a specific person However some others do not The Emergency Department The Nexus of Healthcare Beckerrsquos Hospital Review June 5th 2013
The ATS Legislative and Policy Committee recently developed a position statement on Firearm Violence The Committee is seeking comments from the ATS members on the following paper Please submit all comments by June 28th to infoamtraumaorg
State Health Policy News Continuedhellip
3
wounds could have been prevented New York NY Legislation would follow CA with required nurse-to-patient ratios at hospitals Daily Journal June 11th 2013
A push to increase the number of nurses per patient at New Yorks 185 acute care hospitals pits promises of fewer patient deaths and complications against a billion dollars or more in annual health care costs Advocates say required staffing of one nurse for every two intensive-care patients and 1-to-4 ratios in regular medical-surgical units will improve patient care reduce deaths complaints and readmissions and leave hospitals financially intact New York hospitals oppose the measure They say the ratios would cost them and nursing homes about $3 billion annually infringe on the flexibility to shift staff as needed and likely reduce some hospitals services and beds
4
Experts predict between 130 and 140 million patients will be seen in our nations emergency departments in 2013 Although virtually every ED has patients frequent them for care and services the number alone represents approximately 44 percent of the population a staggering number of patients Questions are constantly being raised over what percentage of these patients are emergent andor how many of the patients do not really need the ED Today many hospitals are designing programs to specifically address the non-emergent patient lsquoExponentialrsquo progress for prosthetics helps ease tough path for amputees Yahoo News June 12th 2013
Response to the victims who lost limbs in the Boston Marathon bombings has thrown a spotlight on just how far the field of limb replacement and rehabilitation has come in a short period Not only were doctors on the scene with extensive field experience with limb trauma but a broad coalition of manufacturers also stepped up to pledge an array of prostheses no matter the cost Waiting in the wings has been an extensive peer support program designed to help amputees navigate the difficult road ahead Panel Tells Congress Medicare is Unfairly Penalizing Hospitals Serving the Poor Kaiser Health News June 14th 2013
The financial penalties that Medicare imposes on hospitals with high rates of patient readmissions are too harsh for hospitals serving the poor and should be changed according to a congressional advisory agency the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission or MedPAC Since last Fall Medicare has been reducing its payments to 2213 hospitals under a provision in the health care law that aims to improve quality at the nations hospitals The penalties kick in when patients with heart failure heart attack or pneumonia are readmitted at higher than expected rates within 30 days While the Medicare policy seems to be having an effect - facilities are scurrying to keep better tabs on their high-risk patients after discharge - some hospital officials and other experts say the penalties are unfair because hospitals that treat the poorest patients are getting hit harder than others The Evolving Role of ER Doctors and Emergency Departments in Delivery of Health Care
Forbes June 17th 2013
Emergency physicians are important decision makers for roughly half of all hospital admissions underscoring the key role they can play in reducing health care costs according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation Based on recent data from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) hospital admissions from the emergency
department (ED) increased by 17 percent from 2003-2009 The study also pointed out the fact that hospital inpatient care is a key
determinant of overall health care costs and expenditures comprising 31 percent of US health care costs Healthcare Leaders Seek Strategic Sweet Spot HealthLeaders June 17th 2013
Hospitals and health systems are getting squeezed at both ends of the revenue spectrum To survive they must effectively integrate a number of healthcare services and add value But how Whether their operational strategy is dominated by the patient-centered medical home the ACO model or other clinical integration strategies hospitals and health systems are moving heavily into acquisition of physician practices
State Health Policy News Continuedhellip
2
Wall Street Journal May 31st 2013
An annual report issued said the primary Medicare trust fund that pays hospital bills and associated costs can continue paying full benefits through 2026 two years later than projected according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid However nearly 50 million people are enrolled in Medicare the health care program for the nations elderly and disabled and enrollment is expected to grow to 80 million by 2030 Spending on Medicare and other entitlement programs remains a flash point in the ongoing debate over federal spending and deficit reduction but Democrats and Republicans have widely different views of how to strengthen the financing of those programs Medicares six trustees urged lawmakers to address the financial challenges of both Medicare and Social Security as soon as possible an unlikely outcome in the ongoing partisan environment
Adult Drugs Still Poisoning Children MedPage Today June 3rd 2013
Adult prescription drugs in the home pose a significant risk of poisoning and causing serious injury to children a review of national data found Despite the introduction of child-proof caps on medicine bottles and other protective efforts at least 70000 US children are seen in the ED each year for suspected poisoning -- and the numbers are rising along with the increase in prescription drug use among adults Statesrsquo Hospital Data for Sale Puts Privacy in Jeopardy Bloomburg June 5th 2013
Hospitals in the US pledge to keep a patientrsquos health background confidential Yet states from Washington to New York are putting privacy at risk by selling records that can be used to link a personrsquos identity to medical conditions using public information The issue is that state public-health agencies received an exemption from the federal law
2
When a serious accident occurs seconds make the difference between life and death A partnership between Palm Bay Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center created the TACTEL Tactical Telemedicine Program a virtual trauma center that police and firefighter SWAT medics can access while on the field during a critical incident The program the first telemedicine program to link civilian law enforcement medics with trauma teams Illinois Hospitals Say Increase in Chicago Gun Violence Causing Surge in Trauma Centers NBC Chicago June 5th 2013
Chicago hospitals saw more homicides and victims of gun violence this year than car crash victims an unusual proportion compared to previous years new data shows Data released Wednesday by Loyola shows trauma centers are filling up with more victims of gun violence across the city and the trauma is placing an extra burden on hospitals Doctors and hospital staff are prepared to handle injuries of all sorts but they are spending increasing amounts of time taking care of patients whose
ATS Seeks Comments on Firearm Violence Position Statement
3
formally the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA enacted in 1996 The privacy rules took effect in 2003 though they apply only to health-care providers insurers billing and claims processors and their contractors Some states voluntarily follow the lawrsquos strict privacy guidelines which require that discharge data be shorn of details -- such as age ZIP codes or admission and discharge dates -- that could be used to connect it to a specific person However some others do not The Emergency Department The Nexus of Healthcare Beckerrsquos Hospital Review June 5th 2013
The ATS Legislative and Policy Committee recently developed a position statement on Firearm Violence The Committee is seeking comments from the ATS members on the following paper Please submit all comments by June 28th to infoamtraumaorg
State Health Policy News Continuedhellip
3
wounds could have been prevented New York NY Legislation would follow CA with required nurse-to-patient ratios at hospitals Daily Journal June 11th 2013
A push to increase the number of nurses per patient at New Yorks 185 acute care hospitals pits promises of fewer patient deaths and complications against a billion dollars or more in annual health care costs Advocates say required staffing of one nurse for every two intensive-care patients and 1-to-4 ratios in regular medical-surgical units will improve patient care reduce deaths complaints and readmissions and leave hospitals financially intact New York hospitals oppose the measure They say the ratios would cost them and nursing homes about $3 billion annually infringe on the flexibility to shift staff as needed and likely reduce some hospitals services and beds
4
Experts predict between 130 and 140 million patients will be seen in our nations emergency departments in 2013 Although virtually every ED has patients frequent them for care and services the number alone represents approximately 44 percent of the population a staggering number of patients Questions are constantly being raised over what percentage of these patients are emergent andor how many of the patients do not really need the ED Today many hospitals are designing programs to specifically address the non-emergent patient lsquoExponentialrsquo progress for prosthetics helps ease tough path for amputees Yahoo News June 12th 2013
Response to the victims who lost limbs in the Boston Marathon bombings has thrown a spotlight on just how far the field of limb replacement and rehabilitation has come in a short period Not only were doctors on the scene with extensive field experience with limb trauma but a broad coalition of manufacturers also stepped up to pledge an array of prostheses no matter the cost Waiting in the wings has been an extensive peer support program designed to help amputees navigate the difficult road ahead Panel Tells Congress Medicare is Unfairly Penalizing Hospitals Serving the Poor Kaiser Health News June 14th 2013
The financial penalties that Medicare imposes on hospitals with high rates of patient readmissions are too harsh for hospitals serving the poor and should be changed according to a congressional advisory agency the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission or MedPAC Since last Fall Medicare has been reducing its payments to 2213 hospitals under a provision in the health care law that aims to improve quality at the nations hospitals The penalties kick in when patients with heart failure heart attack or pneumonia are readmitted at higher than expected rates within 30 days While the Medicare policy seems to be having an effect - facilities are scurrying to keep better tabs on their high-risk patients after discharge - some hospital officials and other experts say the penalties are unfair because hospitals that treat the poorest patients are getting hit harder than others The Evolving Role of ER Doctors and Emergency Departments in Delivery of Health Care
Forbes June 17th 2013
Emergency physicians are important decision makers for roughly half of all hospital admissions underscoring the key role they can play in reducing health care costs according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation Based on recent data from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) hospital admissions from the emergency
department (ED) increased by 17 percent from 2003-2009 The study also pointed out the fact that hospital inpatient care is a key
determinant of overall health care costs and expenditures comprising 31 percent of US health care costs Healthcare Leaders Seek Strategic Sweet Spot HealthLeaders June 17th 2013
Hospitals and health systems are getting squeezed at both ends of the revenue spectrum To survive they must effectively integrate a number of healthcare services and add value But how Whether their operational strategy is dominated by the patient-centered medical home the ACO model or other clinical integration strategies hospitals and health systems are moving heavily into acquisition of physician practices
ATS Seeks Comments on Firearm Violence Position Statement
3
formally the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA enacted in 1996 The privacy rules took effect in 2003 though they apply only to health-care providers insurers billing and claims processors and their contractors Some states voluntarily follow the lawrsquos strict privacy guidelines which require that discharge data be shorn of details -- such as age ZIP codes or admission and discharge dates -- that could be used to connect it to a specific person However some others do not The Emergency Department The Nexus of Healthcare Beckerrsquos Hospital Review June 5th 2013
The ATS Legislative and Policy Committee recently developed a position statement on Firearm Violence The Committee is seeking comments from the ATS members on the following paper Please submit all comments by June 28th to infoamtraumaorg
State Health Policy News Continuedhellip
3
wounds could have been prevented New York NY Legislation would follow CA with required nurse-to-patient ratios at hospitals Daily Journal June 11th 2013
A push to increase the number of nurses per patient at New Yorks 185 acute care hospitals pits promises of fewer patient deaths and complications against a billion dollars or more in annual health care costs Advocates say required staffing of one nurse for every two intensive-care patients and 1-to-4 ratios in regular medical-surgical units will improve patient care reduce deaths complaints and readmissions and leave hospitals financially intact New York hospitals oppose the measure They say the ratios would cost them and nursing homes about $3 billion annually infringe on the flexibility to shift staff as needed and likely reduce some hospitals services and beds
4
Experts predict between 130 and 140 million patients will be seen in our nations emergency departments in 2013 Although virtually every ED has patients frequent them for care and services the number alone represents approximately 44 percent of the population a staggering number of patients Questions are constantly being raised over what percentage of these patients are emergent andor how many of the patients do not really need the ED Today many hospitals are designing programs to specifically address the non-emergent patient lsquoExponentialrsquo progress for prosthetics helps ease tough path for amputees Yahoo News June 12th 2013
Response to the victims who lost limbs in the Boston Marathon bombings has thrown a spotlight on just how far the field of limb replacement and rehabilitation has come in a short period Not only were doctors on the scene with extensive field experience with limb trauma but a broad coalition of manufacturers also stepped up to pledge an array of prostheses no matter the cost Waiting in the wings has been an extensive peer support program designed to help amputees navigate the difficult road ahead Panel Tells Congress Medicare is Unfairly Penalizing Hospitals Serving the Poor Kaiser Health News June 14th 2013
The financial penalties that Medicare imposes on hospitals with high rates of patient readmissions are too harsh for hospitals serving the poor and should be changed according to a congressional advisory agency the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission or MedPAC Since last Fall Medicare has been reducing its payments to 2213 hospitals under a provision in the health care law that aims to improve quality at the nations hospitals The penalties kick in when patients with heart failure heart attack or pneumonia are readmitted at higher than expected rates within 30 days While the Medicare policy seems to be having an effect - facilities are scurrying to keep better tabs on their high-risk patients after discharge - some hospital officials and other experts say the penalties are unfair because hospitals that treat the poorest patients are getting hit harder than others The Evolving Role of ER Doctors and Emergency Departments in Delivery of Health Care
Forbes June 17th 2013
Emergency physicians are important decision makers for roughly half of all hospital admissions underscoring the key role they can play in reducing health care costs according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation Based on recent data from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) hospital admissions from the emergency
department (ED) increased by 17 percent from 2003-2009 The study also pointed out the fact that hospital inpatient care is a key
determinant of overall health care costs and expenditures comprising 31 percent of US health care costs Healthcare Leaders Seek Strategic Sweet Spot HealthLeaders June 17th 2013
Hospitals and health systems are getting squeezed at both ends of the revenue spectrum To survive they must effectively integrate a number of healthcare services and add value But how Whether their operational strategy is dominated by the patient-centered medical home the ACO model or other clinical integration strategies hospitals and health systems are moving heavily into acquisition of physician practices
4
Experts predict between 130 and 140 million patients will be seen in our nations emergency departments in 2013 Although virtually every ED has patients frequent them for care and services the number alone represents approximately 44 percent of the population a staggering number of patients Questions are constantly being raised over what percentage of these patients are emergent andor how many of the patients do not really need the ED Today many hospitals are designing programs to specifically address the non-emergent patient lsquoExponentialrsquo progress for prosthetics helps ease tough path for amputees Yahoo News June 12th 2013
Response to the victims who lost limbs in the Boston Marathon bombings has thrown a spotlight on just how far the field of limb replacement and rehabilitation has come in a short period Not only were doctors on the scene with extensive field experience with limb trauma but a broad coalition of manufacturers also stepped up to pledge an array of prostheses no matter the cost Waiting in the wings has been an extensive peer support program designed to help amputees navigate the difficult road ahead Panel Tells Congress Medicare is Unfairly Penalizing Hospitals Serving the Poor Kaiser Health News June 14th 2013
The financial penalties that Medicare imposes on hospitals with high rates of patient readmissions are too harsh for hospitals serving the poor and should be changed according to a congressional advisory agency the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission or MedPAC Since last Fall Medicare has been reducing its payments to 2213 hospitals under a provision in the health care law that aims to improve quality at the nations hospitals The penalties kick in when patients with heart failure heart attack or pneumonia are readmitted at higher than expected rates within 30 days While the Medicare policy seems to be having an effect - facilities are scurrying to keep better tabs on their high-risk patients after discharge - some hospital officials and other experts say the penalties are unfair because hospitals that treat the poorest patients are getting hit harder than others The Evolving Role of ER Doctors and Emergency Departments in Delivery of Health Care
Forbes June 17th 2013
Emergency physicians are important decision makers for roughly half of all hospital admissions underscoring the key role they can play in reducing health care costs according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation Based on recent data from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) hospital admissions from the emergency
department (ED) increased by 17 percent from 2003-2009 The study also pointed out the fact that hospital inpatient care is a key
determinant of overall health care costs and expenditures comprising 31 percent of US health care costs Healthcare Leaders Seek Strategic Sweet Spot HealthLeaders June 17th 2013
Hospitals and health systems are getting squeezed at both ends of the revenue spectrum To survive they must effectively integrate a number of healthcare services and add value But how Whether their operational strategy is dominated by the patient-centered medical home the ACO model or other clinical integration strategies hospitals and health systems are moving heavily into acquisition of physician practices
