NEWS - December 2008
Health Care Reform
Early news coverage suggests that U.S. health care system reform may be a high priority for the new presidential administration. Ideally, improvements will address administrative, cost, and delivery issues without undermining insurers, patients, and service providers. Abstracts describing some of the latest news and recommendations appear below.
Daschle's "Federal Health Board" Approach
An editorial recently published by the Providence Journal praises selection of former Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle (D, South Dakota) as incoming Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Universal health coverage is under consideration, although financing may delay significant progress until the economy begins to revive. Daschle's proposal for a Federal Health Board to oversee government programs would identify and support effective new drugs and procedures. Health care reform will require hard choices from everyone because demand for care exceeds the financial resources available from the private and public sectors.
For a copy of the article, visit: http://www.scrippsnews.com.
Electronic Health Care Billing Systems
Bringing new levels of efficiency to administrative tasks will be a critical component of health care reform. The shift to electronic medical records (EMR) has been progressing in recent years. Software manufacturers such as Netalytics (San Francisco CA) are integrating billing components to enable rapid deployment to meet Medicaid and Medicaid requirements. For example, MPMsoft is an electronic billing engine. Netalytics is an addictive disorder EMR. The product offers various electronic management modules for financial, insurance billing, patient, and pharmacy functions. Netalytics partnered with MPM to reduce the time to bring MPMsoft to market.
For a copy of the article, visit: www.reuters.com.
For more information about the manufacturer, visit: http://www.MPMsoft.com.
Health Care Funding Issues In Texas
As a former legislator in Texas who currently serves as a chief executive officer for Tarrant County's tax-supported health system (JPS Health Network), Robert Earley identifies two top priorities for national health care reform. For Medicaid and Medicare, consistent funding is an ongoing issue for health care providers who serve indigent and uninsured individuals. The current payment model consists of two types of reimbursement: "disproportionate-share hospital funding" (DSHF) and "upper-payment-limit funding" (UPLF).
According to Mr. Earley, nine urban hospital districts provide the required funding for DSHF. Transferred local tax and federal match monies are pooled for use by 162 hospitals in Texas as enhanced reimbursement according to "the amount of indigent care provided." UPLF bridges the gap between state Medicaid reimbursement and going commercial rates. The nine urban hospital districts receive matching federal monies to cover the cost of providing services to uninsured patients. Each year, both programs are subject to elimination or reductions.
Mr. Earley proposes an alternate solution: Establishment of a federally qualified health care center or trauma center that is operated using federal grant funding. Such a facility would relieve some of the financial burden for Tarrant County and other jurisdictions.
Read the original article by visiting: http://www.fwbusinesspress.com.
West Virginia's Health Care "Wish List"
The governor of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, has the stated goal of providing health care coverage for every worker in his state. The chairman of the state's Senate Health & Human Resources Committee, Roman Prezioso (D, Marion) is also setting health care reform as a priority. The majority of health care dollars is being expended on care for acute and chronic conditions, rather than prevention. A study was recently submitted to the Committee that addressed administrative issues, health care system redesign, health information technology, health care system redesign, and prevention/wellness programs. Anticipating a potential lack of federal funding in the near future, legislators seek ways to encourage West Virginians to adopt healthier lifestyles and to also reduce health care costs. Streamlining paperwork is one option. Another issue is expanding access to care, especially for returning veterans.
For the original article, visit: http://www.dominionpost.com.
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