The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced that the Administration cut wasteful improper payments by $17.6 billion dollars in 2011 as part of the Obama Administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste, fueled by decreases in payment errors in Medicare, Medicaid, Pell Grants, and Food Stamps. Combined with the avoided improper payments in 2010, agencies have avoided making over $20 billion in improper payments in the two years since President Obama issued an Executive Order initiating an aggressive campaign against the wasteful payment errors.
To help cut improper payments, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced it will launch demonstration programs beginning in January 2012 targeting some of the most common factors that lead to improper payments. The demonstration programs will help strengthen Medicare by aiming at eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse.
To see the OMB press release, please visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/15/we-can-t-wait-agencies-cut-nearly-18-billion-improper-payments-announce-
To learn more about CMS efforts to cut improper payments, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4176
Source: HHS News Release
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Patient Engagement Important to Success of Health Care Reform
Kenneth Bertka, MD, recently authored an article about the importance of patient engagement in the success of health care reform. In his article Patient Engagement's Critical Role in Post-Reform Success: 6 Steps to Improve Patient Centeredness, Dr. Bertka says that "[p]atient engagement...is more than a nice thing to do. Engaged patients are more likely to comply with their treatment and prevention plans, which results in higher quality care, fewer medical errors and lower cost."
Read Dr. Bertka's article here.
Source: Becker's Hospital Review
Read Dr. Bertka's article here.
Source: Becker's Hospital Review
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
OCR Launches Privacy and Security Audits
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, in Section 13411 of the HITECH Act, requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide for periodic audits to ensure covered entities and business associates are complying with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and Breach Notification standards. To implement this mandate, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is piloting a program to perform up to 150 audits of covered entities to assess privacy and security compliance. Audits conducted during the pilot phase will begin in November 2011 and conclude by December 2012.
More information regarding OCR’s Pilot Audit Program is available on the OCR website at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/audit/index.html
Source: OCR News Release
More information regarding OCR’s Pilot Audit Program is available on the OCR website at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/audit/index.html
Source: OCR News Release
Monday, November 7, 2011
PCPAN Coalition Urges Opposition to Merger of Two Large Pharmacy Benefit Chains
More than 50 consumers, small business owners and community pharmacists with Preserve Community Pharmacy Access NOW! (PCPAN) Coalition gathered in Washington, D.C. on November 4 to urge Congress and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to support patient care and oppose the planned merger between Express Scripts Inc. and Medco Health Solutions Inc, two of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies.
Several Members of Congress attended the press conference to express their opposition to the merger.
“If allowed to go forward, this merger would have devastating effects on consumers and small businesses, alike,” said Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT). “In an industry that already offers few choices, further market concentration would squeeze out the community pharmacies many of us have come to trust the most.”
“Right now, there is not a level playing field which is why I feel we need to act now,” said Congressman Thomas Marino (R-PA). “I supported community pharmacies when I sponsored a bill that sets out to level that playing field – and that would not cost the federal government or anyone else a penny. As a matter of fact, it would actually lower the prices for independent pharmacies and they, in turn, would pass it on to the consumer. I continue to support community pharmacies now.”
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) manage prescription drug benefit programs for employers, unions, health plans and others. PBMs control the drug benefits of more than 200 million patients nationwide. This number includes a diverse group of Americans such as Medicare Part D beneficiaries, servicemen and veterans that are TRICARE beneficiaries, and more.
"[Dr]ugstores are lobbying against the merger, arguing that the deal, in which Express Scripts would acquire Medco for $29 billion, would put drugstores out of business and lead to higher consumer prices," reports Cq.com.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet held a hearing on the merger on September 20. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights plans to hold a hearing on the merger in December.
Several Members of Congress attended the press conference to express their opposition to the merger.
“If allowed to go forward, this merger would have devastating effects on consumers and small businesses, alike,” said Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT). “In an industry that already offers few choices, further market concentration would squeeze out the community pharmacies many of us have come to trust the most.”
“Right now, there is not a level playing field which is why I feel we need to act now,” said Congressman Thomas Marino (R-PA). “I supported community pharmacies when I sponsored a bill that sets out to level that playing field – and that would not cost the federal government or anyone else a penny. As a matter of fact, it would actually lower the prices for independent pharmacies and they, in turn, would pass it on to the consumer. I continue to support community pharmacies now.”
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) manage prescription drug benefit programs for employers, unions, health plans and others. PBMs control the drug benefits of more than 200 million patients nationwide. This number includes a diverse group of Americans such as Medicare Part D beneficiaries, servicemen and veterans that are TRICARE beneficiaries, and more.
"[Dr]ugstores are lobbying against the merger, arguing that the deal, in which Express Scripts would acquire Medco for $29 billion, would put drugstores out of business and lead to higher consumer prices," reports Cq.com.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet held a hearing on the merger on September 20. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights plans to hold a hearing on the merger in December.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
TJC, SGS Form Alliance to Offer Coordinated Accreditation and ISO Certification Option
The Joint Commission (TJC) and SGS Group are joining forces to offer hospitals and critical access hospitals in the United States the option of pursuing both accreditation and certification to various ISO and industry best practice standards beginning in early 2012.
This program combines The Joint Commission’s modern health care quality and safety standards, survey process, and accountability performance measures with SGS management system audits including certification to the ISO 9001 quality management system standards. The combination of accreditation and ISO offers hospitals the tools to maintain best practices and lower costs across their entire operation while remaining focused on their core service – delivering quality health care to patients.
ISO standards articulate management systems to consistently meet established requirements. Joint Commission standards supply the valuable quality and safety enhancing requirements which can be integrated into an organization’s quality management system. By encouraging leadership commitment to maintaining focused, organized and dynamic processes, the coordinated option has the potential to deliver extra value by improving the operating performance of the organization.
SGS, a public company, is the world’s leading verification, inspection, certification, and testing company focused on providing independent certification and quality assurance services through its worldwide network of subsidiaries, branches and agencies. SGS operates a network of 1,250 offices around the world.
The Joint Commission, and its affiliate Joint Commission International, are the leading health care accrediting bodies, both in the United States and internationally, utilizing up-to-date standards they have developed working with the health care community to help improve the quality and safety of care.
“We are providing this option for hospitals and critical access hospitals in the United States that are interested in exploring the combination of ISO education and certification with Joint Commission accreditation as a mechanism to more precisely identify system vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. Future plans are to expand the option to organizations accredited under other Joint Commission accreditation programs,” says Ann Scott Blouin, RN, Ph.D., FACHE, executive vice president, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission.
“Providing this enhanced service to health care organizations through the alliance of SGS and The Joint Commission is a natural progression for health care performance improvement,” says Tony Perkins, senior vice president, SGS. “We are offering health care organizations an opportunity to take advantage of a number of ISO standards which complement Joint Commission accreditation requirements. This provides a method for hospitals to focus on improvements in quality and customer service in all departments, as well as their facility’s impact on the environment.”
Click here for more information.
Source: TJC News Release
This program combines The Joint Commission’s modern health care quality and safety standards, survey process, and accountability performance measures with SGS management system audits including certification to the ISO 9001 quality management system standards. The combination of accreditation and ISO offers hospitals the tools to maintain best practices and lower costs across their entire operation while remaining focused on their core service – delivering quality health care to patients.
ISO standards articulate management systems to consistently meet established requirements. Joint Commission standards supply the valuable quality and safety enhancing requirements which can be integrated into an organization’s quality management system. By encouraging leadership commitment to maintaining focused, organized and dynamic processes, the coordinated option has the potential to deliver extra value by improving the operating performance of the organization.
SGS, a public company, is the world’s leading verification, inspection, certification, and testing company focused on providing independent certification and quality assurance services through its worldwide network of subsidiaries, branches and agencies. SGS operates a network of 1,250 offices around the world.
The Joint Commission, and its affiliate Joint Commission International, are the leading health care accrediting bodies, both in the United States and internationally, utilizing up-to-date standards they have developed working with the health care community to help improve the quality and safety of care.
“We are providing this option for hospitals and critical access hospitals in the United States that are interested in exploring the combination of ISO education and certification with Joint Commission accreditation as a mechanism to more precisely identify system vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. Future plans are to expand the option to organizations accredited under other Joint Commission accreditation programs,” says Ann Scott Blouin, RN, Ph.D., FACHE, executive vice president, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission.
“Providing this enhanced service to health care organizations through the alliance of SGS and The Joint Commission is a natural progression for health care performance improvement,” says Tony Perkins, senior vice president, SGS. “We are offering health care organizations an opportunity to take advantage of a number of ISO standards which complement Joint Commission accreditation requirements. This provides a method for hospitals to focus on improvements in quality and customer service in all departments, as well as their facility’s impact on the environment.”
Click here for more information.
Source: TJC News Release
EHNAC Requests Public Review of Program Accreditation Criteria
The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a non-profit standards development organization and accrediting body, announced that it has posted new versions of program criteria for general public review. EHNAC seeks interested parties to provide opinions, comments and suggestions for the upgraded criteria versions that have been developed for each of EHNAC’s accreditation programs with regard to the necessity, appropriateness and workability of the criteria versions proposed for adoption.
Comments are due on Nov. 26, 2011.
Below is a listing of the eleven affected programs:
ePAP – e-Prescribing Accreditation Program
FSAP EHN – Financial Services Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks
FSAP Lockbox – Financial Services Accreditation Program for Lockbox Services
HIEAP – Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program
HNAP-70 – Healthcare Network Accreditation Plus Select SAS 70©1 Criteria Program
HNAP EHN – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks [Includes Payer]
HNAP Medical Biller – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Medical Billers
HNAP TPA – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Third Party Administrators
MSOAP – Management Service Organization Accreditation Program
OSAP – Outsourced Services Accreditation Program
OSAP HIE – Outsourced Services Accreditation Program for Health Information Exchange Services
Please click here for more information and to review the criteria.
Source: EHNAC News Release
Comments are due on Nov. 26, 2011.
Below is a listing of the eleven affected programs:
ePAP – e-Prescribing Accreditation Program
FSAP EHN – Financial Services Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks
FSAP Lockbox – Financial Services Accreditation Program for Lockbox Services
HIEAP – Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program
HNAP-70 – Healthcare Network Accreditation Plus Select SAS 70©1 Criteria Program
HNAP EHN – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks [Includes Payer]
HNAP Medical Biller – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Medical Billers
HNAP TPA – Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Third Party Administrators
MSOAP – Management Service Organization Accreditation Program
OSAP – Outsourced Services Accreditation Program
OSAP HIE – Outsourced Services Accreditation Program for Health Information Exchange Services
Please click here for more information and to review the criteria.
Source: EHNAC News Release
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
ONC Seeks Opinions on Mobile Devices as Health Information Tools
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) Office of the Chief Privacy Officer plans to perform a project using a qualitative data collection approach to obtain in-depth information from mHealth users regarding privacy and security concerns with this technology and perspectives on potential safeguards.
mHealth refers to the use of mobile devices to communicate health information, and includes text messaging, email accessibility on the device, Skype, or the use of applications downloaded to the device.
ONC is conducting focus group research to identify and explore the attitudes and preferences of a diverse sample of consumers with respect to the communication of health related information on mobile phones and devices, including text messaging. Results from this focus group research are expected to be available in 2012. For more information on this and other mHealth initiatives at HHS, please visit http://www.hhs.gov/open/initiatives/mhealth/projects.html.
Source: ONC News Release
mHealth refers to the use of mobile devices to communicate health information, and includes text messaging, email accessibility on the device, Skype, or the use of applications downloaded to the device.
ONC is conducting focus group research to identify and explore the attitudes and preferences of a diverse sample of consumers with respect to the communication of health related information on mobile phones and devices, including text messaging. Results from this focus group research are expected to be available in 2012. For more information on this and other mHealth initiatives at HHS, please visit http://www.hhs.gov/open/initiatives/mhealth/projects.html.
Source: ONC News Release
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