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A proposed CMS rule change would allow state Medicaid agencies to use voluntary payroll deductions for home health care workers to pay for benefits to third parties, including insurance. Meanwhile, a change in CMS compensation rules means payments for inpatient services in 2022 could increase by $ 2.3 billion.
Modern Healthcare: CMS Wants to Help Home Caregivers Obtain Medical Coverage
CMS wants to allow state Medicaid programs to pay for home help benefits, including health insurance. A proposed rule would allow state Medicaid agencies to use voluntary payroll deductions for home health workers to pay third parties for employee benefits. Providing benefits to part-time workers could help home health agencies recruit and retain employees, which in turn can improve access to home and community services, CMS said in a statement. press Friday. (Brady, 8/2)
Modern healthcare: Inpatient pay rule gives hospitals $ 2.3 billion boost
Providers will no longer have to disclose the terms of their contract with Medicare Advantage insurers after CMS on Monday approved its inpatient compensation rule for 2022. Final rule grants providers a 2.5% increase in payments in inpatient services, $ 2.3 billion more than in 2021. CMS expects disproportionate hospital payments for Medicare and uncompensated Medicare costs to fall by 1.4 billion dollars over 2021. Long-term care hospitals will also benefit from a 1.1% increase, an increase of $ 42 million. Additionally, Medicare will continue to pay additional payments for COVID-19 treatments until the end of the fiscal year in which the pandemic ends. (Brady, 8/2)
In other health industry news –
Oklahoman: OU Health Launches Programs To Increase Nursing Workforce In Times Of Shortage
OU Health on Monday announced several new initiatives to strengthen the state’s nursing workforce amid a nursing shortage in Oklahoma and across the country. Among the new initiatives is a weekend nursing program, which will pay nurses for 72 hours of work if they commit to four 12-hour weekend shifts over two weeks, which they can also choose to do. share with a colleague. (Branham, 8/3)
North Carolina Health News: Calls and Offers Delay Payment of Fines by Assisted Living Centers
When Ashe Gardens Assisted Living in Pender County “failed to supervise 11 residents exhibiting aggressive, aggressive, sexually expressive and errant behaviors,” state officials fined the facility $ 70,000 for that and other shortcomings, according to state records. But the center did not pay a penny of the fines imposed in December 2019. All of these fines are still under appeal to the state Department of Health and Social Services for over a year and a half. later. A representative of the establishment said he could not comment on this situation. (Goldsmith and Dougani, 8/2)
Modern healthcare: Allegheny Health Network sues property insurer over $ 1 billion in COVID-19 claims
Allegheny Health Network says its real estate insurer refuses to pay up to $ 1 billion in claims owed to it for losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is suing them. The Pittsburgh-based chain of 13 nonprofit hospitals says American Guarantee & Liability Insurance Co. is “obligated” to cover these losses and expenses. The company, with 43 direct and indirect subsidiaries, is seeking a jury trial in the Pennsylvania Civil Division Court of Common Pleas. Allegheny’s claims mirror those of at least 177 U.S. companies, many of which are healthcare providers, suing the U.S. subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group over unpaid COVID-19 claims. (Tepper, 8/2)
Statistics: With Apple Support, Can an App Help Heart Attack Patients Recover?
In July 2016, two cardiologists and a handful of computer scientists and developers traveled in a minibus to Apple’s special projects office in Cupertino, Calif., With the big idea of ​​showing off a company with big designs on transforming human beings. Health care. The Johns Hopkins University team had received a rare invitation from Apple to prepare their mockups for Corrie, an app to guide heart attack patients through the maze of healing. For a week, Apple and the Hopkins team worked on the design, carefully discussing the details of each feature. (Aguilar, 8/3)
Georgia Health News: Northside, United sign new deal, ending months-long dispute
UnitedHealthcare and Northside Hospital have signed a contract to integrate all hospitals in the Atlanta area of ​​Northside into the insurer’s network. The two organizations announced their new agreement on Monday. The new contract restores United members’ access to Lawrenceville and Duluth hospitals in Northside, which will also be part of United’s Medicare Advantage plans. Both hospitals had been off-grid for United members for five months. (Miller, 8/2)
KHN: health giant sold dozens of hospitals, but continued to sue patients
Tennova Healthcare-Lebanon no longer exists as a hospital. But he still sued Hope Cantwell. There was a knock on the door of Cantwell’s apartment in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this year. She said she had not yet been vaccinated against covid-19 and was not answering the door to strangers. So she didn’t. But then several more attempts took place over the course of a week. Finally, she masked herself and opened. A legal assistant served him on trial; she was subpoenaed to appear in court. (farmer, 8/3)
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of coverage of health policies by major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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