Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 29. July 2010 09:08
On July 27, 2010, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced that, out of 36 applicants, 18 states and the District of Columbia were selected as finalists in the second round of the Race to the Top (RTT) competition. The 18 states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 26. July 2010 09:23
On July 23, 2010, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Department of Labor, and Department of Health and Human Services issued in the Federal Register for that date (Volume 75, No. 141, page 43330) Interim Final Rules for group health plans and health insurance issuers relative to internal claims and appeals and external review processes to implement requirements contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148). [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 23. July 2010 04:30
Wisconsin’s health information exchange (HIE) planning board released on July 19 its plan for developing and implementing an electronic health information network. The Wisconsin Relay for Electronic Data (WIRED) for Health Board’s health information technology strategic and operational plan represents the intensive, dedicated, collaborative efforts of many public and private stakeholders throughout the state. [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 23. July 2010 04:28
New Mexico released a strategic plan on July 19, entitled “Implementing Federal Health Care Reform – A Road Map for New Mexico.” The plan fulfills Governor Bill Richardson’s Executive Order, on April 20, 2010, which established a Health Care Reform Leadership Team that includes eight members of the Governor’s Cabinet. The plan provides a matrix outlining each of the major provisions of the federal health care reform law that New Mexico must address through full implementation in 2014. [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 23. July 2010 04:24
On July 12, the State of New York announced $140 million in additional state funding to support the development and use of health information technology. This includes competitive grants to advance the development of Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs) using electronic health records for the entire continuum of care to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and avoid medical errors (saving money as well as lives). [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 23. July 2010 04:23
On July 16, CMS issued a Notice (CMS-1338-NC) of the Medicare 2011 Prospective Payment Rates for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). The Notice is published in the Federal Register for July 22, 2010 and will be effective on October 1, 2010. The Prospective Payment System (PPS) for SNFs has been formulated by a succession of federal laws, the latest being section 10325 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The SNF PPS rate is a per diem rate covering all costs (routine, ancillary, and capital-related). The net FY 2011 rate will be an increase of 1.7 percent. The Notice sets forth the SNF Market Basket Index and calculated wage indices for various parts of the country. [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 23. July 2010 04:20
US DHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced July 21 the award of $88 million in grants, provided under the Affordable Care Act, to support evidence-based home visiting programs focused on improving the wellbeing of families with young children. Through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, nurses, social workers, or other professionals meet with at-risk families in their homes, evaluate the families’ circumstances, and connect families to the kinds of help that can make a real difference in a child’s health, development, and ability to learn. [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 15. July 2010 10:00
CMS released a letter to State Medicaid/CHIP directors on July 1 offering guidance on a provision of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) authorizing enhanced Medicaid and CHIP administrative funding for a wide range of translation and interpretation activities to help with enrollment, retention, and service delivery for children in families for whom English is not their primary language. [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 15. July 2010 09:55
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on July 7 that its Web site at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov has been expanded to include key measures and hospital-specific data on outpatient and emergency care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. [More]
Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 15. July 2010 09:51
Legal arguments began to be presented on July 2 in Federal District Court in Richmond, Virginia challenging the health care reform law, centering on the law's mandate that individuals purchase health insurance or be required to pay a penalty. [More]
