Conferences

The Remington Report's 5th Annual Conference

Healthcare Reform: Value-Based Leadership Strategies for Integrated Chronic Care Models, Technology & Collaborative Partnerships

August 13-14, 2009
Marriott Downtown Chicago, Magnificent Mile
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Healthcare Reform News

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Additional $313 Billion In Medicare and Medicaid Savings In FY2010 Budget
President Obama announced a Medicare and Medicaid savings proposal that would contribute another $313 billion to the $635 billion already identified in the administration’s FY2010 budget to fund healthcare reform over the next 10 years.
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Obama’s Latest Support On Specific Health Reform Principles
President Obama said he supports a public insurance plan option, along with coverage mandates for individuals and employers.
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Secretary Sebelius Releases $81.7 Million To Expand Health Center Services
Secretary Sebelius also announced the release of $81.7 million to expand services offered at the nation’s health centers. The grants are funded through the Health Center Program, which helped more than 17 million individuals last year by providing access to high quality, family-oriented, comprehensive primary and preventive health care.
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Obama’s Plan To Save $287 Billion: Here’s How It Breaks Down
President Obama’s fiscal 2010 HHS budget seeks changes intended to save Medicare more than $287 billion to help fund a major overhaul of the entire health system. Proposals, with savings in millions, include:
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HHS To Award $75 Million In State Grants For Uninsured
States may apply for $75 million in grants to expand health insurance access to the uninsured, the Department of Health and Human Services. The grants will be made in two categories:
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New Interagency Health Care Fraud Prevention And Enforcement Action Team Announced For Medicare
Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the creation of a new interagency effort, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), to combat Medicare fraud and extends operations locally.
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Medicare Trust Fund To Be Exhausted In 2017
In its annual report to Congress, the Medicare Board of Trustees said it expects the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund to be exhausted in 2017. This is two years earlier than previously predicted, resulting from current economic recession.
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$879 Billion Released For 2010 Health And Human Services Programs
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released an $879 billion proposed budget for Department of Health and Human Services programs in fiscal year 2010, a $63 billion increase from FY 2009.
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Healthcare’s Future For Reform Options Released
Released for public comment is a set of policy options for reforming the health care delivery system. The comprehensive report is expected as early as June 2009. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA) drive this. Click for more to see how home care and the healthcare delivery system are affected.
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Obama's First 100 Days On Health Reform
A comprehensive report to date.
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Congress Passes Bill Funding HHS Programs
The appropriations package (H.R. 1105) provides $66.3 billion in discretionary funding for HHS programs, a 3% increase from the current level.
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President Releases $155 Million For New Health Centers – Primary Care And Prevention
$155 million authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been released for 126 new health centers to offer primary and preventive care services.
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2010 Budget – Provisions For Pay For Performance
$630 billion over 10 years set aside for healthcare reform would come from savings in health care programs, including proposals to bundle Medicare payments for hospital and post-acute care ($17.84 billion in savings).
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Economic Recovery Bill – Related To Healthcare
House approves a final version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) increasing Medicaid’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentage by nearly $87 billion and state disproportionate share hospital allotments by 2.5%.
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Pay For Performance Tied To Technology Stimulus Package
The Senate Finance Committee approved a legislative package that includes $180 billion in investments in health information technology and a host of other domestic programs to help lift the sagging economy. Providers have incentives tied to technology adoption.
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Don Parker, Atlantic Health Systems

FutureScan: What Health Systems and Hospital Models Will Look Like in The Future
Length: 56 minutes
 

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Eight Miami-Area Residents Charged In $22 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Home Health Care Agencies
Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges Individuals, Freezes Assets
Eight Miami-Dade County, Fla., residents have been indicted in connection with an alleged $22 million Medicare fraud scheme operated out of Miami businesses purporting to specialize in home health care services.
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HHS Announces Initiatives To Create Aging And Disability Resource Centers In Every State
HHS expands funding for Aging and Disability Resource Center Programs (ADRCs). ADRCs provide “one-stop shop” sources of information, one-on-one counseling, and streamlined access to programs and services that can enable people to remain in their own homes and communities.
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CMS Announces Timeframe For Submitting Quality Measure
Hospitals participating in the Medicare pay-for-reporting program will have from July 1 to Aug. 15 to report whether they participate in a systematic database for cardiac surgery.
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New Medicare Nursing Home Guidance To Include Quality Of Life And Environment Requirements
CMS issued new guidance for nursing home surveyors, further defining and clarifying several important dimensions of care to help improve nursing home residents’ quality of life and environment and to de-institutionalize their physical environments.
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Health Reform Deal With Drug Companies Announced
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) announced an $80 billion commitment from the pharmaceutical industry to reduce Medicare Part D prescription drug costs for seniors as part of health care reform.
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  HOSPITAL & HEALTH SYSTEMS NEWS 

ED Crowding Mainly Due To Lack Of Inpatient Beds
Lack of access to inpatient beds is the main reason for continued hospital emergency department crowding, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
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CMS Proposes Smaller Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Update In 2010
Medicare payments to long-term care hospitals in 2010 would increase an estimated 2.2% instead of the previously proposed 2.8% under a supplemental proposed rule published in The Federal Register.
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CMS Wants Medicare Rates For Acute-Care To Stay Same In 2010
CMS wants Medicare payments to acute-care hospitals to remain flat for 2010.
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Medicare Announces Sites For Care Transition Pilot Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 14 communities around the nation that have been chosen for the Agency’s Care Transitions Project, seeking to eliminate unnecessary hospital readmissions.
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Bundled Payment Demonstration Begins
ACE is a new hospital-based demonstration that will test the use of a bundled payment for both hospital and physician services for a select set of inpatient episodes of care to improve the quality of care delivered through Medicare fee-for-service. A bundled payment is a single payment for both Part A and Part B Medicare services furnished during an inpatient stay. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it has selected sites for the Acute Care Episode (ACE) demonstration.
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For additional Hospital & Health System News click here>

  PHYSICIAN NEWS 

Physician Practice Interactions With Health Plans Cost $31 Billion A Year, Could Last Three Work Weeks
A new national survey of physician practices finds that physicians on average are spending the equivalent of three work weeks annually on administrative tasks required by health plans.
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CMS Issues Draft On Physician Value-Based Purchasing Plan (P4P)
A plan, goal, objectives, assumptions and principles has been drafted by CMS to transition Medicare Value-Based Purchasing (P4P) For Physicians. Value-based purchasing (VBP) aligns payment more directly to the quality and efficiency of care provided by rewarding providers for their measured performance across the dimensions of quality.
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New Standards Developed For Patient Centered Medical Homes
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) launched new nine standards for medical practices, including evidenced-based guidelines for chronic conditions and performance reporting and improvement.
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For additional Physician News click here>

  HOME CARE & POST-ACUTE SERVICES 

Contract Awarded To Study Telehealth And Blood Pressure Management
The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), has been awarded a contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to investigate the impact of telehealth monitoring for blood pressure management among older adults.
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AARP Endorses Bill To Help Americans Get Care In Their Own Homes
AARP endorsed the “Empowered at Home Act” (H.R. 2688) sponsored by Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), which would provide incentives and greater opportunities for states to expand access to home and community-based services. “Empowered at Home Act” would reduce costly Medicaid bias.
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CMS Begins Pre-Bidding Awareness And Education Campaign For Competitive Bidding
CMS announced it is beginning a supplier awareness and education campaign ahead of the re-bidding of the initial contracts for the Medicare competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies.
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Home Health Interventions Associated With Lower Medicare Spending And Re-Hospitalizations For Patients With Chronic Illness
Medicare patients with diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or congestive heart failure that used home healthcare within 3 months of being discharged from a hospital cost the program $1.71 billion less and had 24,000 fewer re-hospitalizations than similar patients that used other forms of post-acute care over a two-year period.
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CMS Proposes More Accurate Payment Rates For Medicare Skilled Nursing Facilities In Fiscal Year 2010
The rule calls for payments to Medicare skilled nursing facilities to be reduced by $390 million in 2010, or 1.2 percent lower than payments for FY 2009.  This adjustment to nursing facility payments is an effort to rebalance an earlier adjustment to the case-mix indexes (CMIs).
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Proposed Rule To Update 2010 Medicare Hospice Wage Index And New Rule For Physicians
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update the Medicare Hospice Wage Index for fiscal year (FY) 2010 and adds new rules for physicians.
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Home Health Agency Patient Satisfaction Surveys Begin
CMS is rolling-out the patient satisfaction survey designed to measure the experiences of people receiving home health care from Medicare-certified home health care agencies. The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Home Health Care Survey results will be publicly reported on Home Health Compare once an agency has four quarters of data, For now, it is voluntary.
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Update On The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), enacted on July 15, 2008, made limited changes to the competitive bidding program for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS), including a requirement that the Secretary conduct a second competition to select suppliers for Round 1 in 2009.
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MedPAC Submits FY 2010 Payment Recommendations – Home Care “0”
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission sent Congress its payment recommendations for fiscal year 2010, skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and home health agencies would not receive a payment update.
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Home Care Poised For Big Cuts In 2010 And 2011
President Obama is targeting the Medicare home health program for $550 million in cuts in the recently released proposed Federal budget.
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For additional Home Care Trends & News click here>

 TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

Under The Stimulus Package, Who Is Eligible For Electronic Health Records (EHRs)?
The Recovery Act establishes financial incentives beginning in January 2011 for eligible professionals (EPs) who are meaningful EHR users. Beginning in 2015, payment adjustments will be imposed on EPs who are not meaningful EHR users. Read about the differences between incentives for Medicare and Medicaid.
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What Does “Meaningful Use” For Electronic Health Records Really Mean?
CMS will lead the formal rulemaking process for defining “meaningful use,” a standard that hospitals and office-based physicians must meet to be eligible for $34 billion in electronic health-record system subsidy payments under the federal stimulus law, according to discussions at the HIT Policy Committee meeting.
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Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2009 – Could Mean Big Changes Ahead
H.R. 2068, to be known as the “Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act,” is co-sponsored by Bart Stupak (D-MI), Lee Terry (R-NE), and Sam Johnson (R-TX) amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act regarding telehealth services. Includes provisions for home health.
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Congress Earmarks $87 Billion For Medicaid; $20 Billion For Health Information Technology
$87 billion in federal dollars has been earmarked by Congressional leaders to help states keep their Medicaid programs fiscally viable. Another $27.1 billion is included for an array of other healthcare provisions. This is part of an $825 billion spending and tax-cuts bill meant to help the economy, according to documents released by the House Appropriations Committee.
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The U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services Health Resources And Services Administration Is Making $3.4 Million Available For 14 New Telehealth Grants
The Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNPG) demonstrates how telehealth programs and networks can improve access to quality healthcare services in underserved rural and urban communities. This program will provide funding for Federal fiscal years 2009 -2011. (TNPG) will be accepting applications until March 6, 2009.
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Cleveland Clinic Taking Patient Monitoring For Chronic Conditions In The Home To A Next Level
Cleveland Clinic is partnering with Microsoft HealthVault to enable certain patients to monitor chronic conditions – high blood pressure, diabetes and heart failure – at home. These patients will use high-tech devices, home computers and the Internet to keep Clinic doctors posted on their conditions. The next level – monitoring going direct to physicians and integrated into a consumer record.
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For additional Technology News click here>

 MANAGED CARE NEWS

Medicare Advantage Growth Rate Lowered For 2010
CMS announced the national average fee-for-service growth rate on which 2010 Medicare Advantage payment rates will be based. The 0.81% growth rate is significantly lower than the 4.24% growth rate in 2009.
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Largest Managed Care Companies Join Forces To Post Cost Of Medical Procedures
Wellpoint is collaborating with four major independent Blues plans on a cost-transparency program to provide the total estimated cost ranges associated with 39 medical procedures completed at hospitals, outpatient centers and other facilities.
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CMS Identifies 15 Chronic Conditions For Medicare Advantage Plans
Beginning in 2010, Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs) that serve Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions must meet new guidelines to identify the beneficiary populations eligible for enrollment.
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For additional Managed Care News click here>

  MEDICAID NEWS 

Rhode Island And CMS Reach Agreement On Global Medicaid Waiver – Will Other States Follow?
The Rhode Island Global Compact Waiver established a State-federal compact that provides the State with greater flexibility while assuring federal funding certainty. One of the central goals of the Waiver is to reorient the Medicaid program to reward responsible personal choices, including prevention and wellness. An individually-based system provides comprehensive primary care that facilitates partnerships between beneficiaries, physicians, other healthcare professionals and community providers and, when appropriate, the beneficiary’s family. Further, the Waiver will implement care management instruments across populations, increasing the opportunity for more efficient monitoring of access and quality, and greater use and efficacy of performance-based payment incentives.
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Highest Medicaid Funding Found In District Of Columbia, Lowest In California
The District of Columbia ranked number one for highest average Medicaid funding per enrollee, based on data from fiscal year (FY) 2005. The average amount spent was $7,941 for each Medicaid beneficiary. The lowest amount of Medicaid funding was found in California with an average of $2,701 per beneficiary.
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State Medicaid Programs To Spend $1.6 Trillion On Long-Term Care
State Medicaid programs will spend $1.6 trillion on long-term care expenses over the next twenty years, according to a new study released by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). When federal matching funds are included, total government expenditures on long-term care will exceed $3.7 trillion.
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For additional Medicaid News click here>

 HEALTHCARE STUDIES NEWS 

Patients Reveal A Willingness To Trade Hands-On Medical Care For Computer Consultations
A study by a research team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) provides key insights into consumer preferences, suggesting that patients want full access to all of their medical records, are willing to make some privacy concessions in the interest of making their medical records completely transparent, and that, going forward, fully expect computers will play a major role in their medical care, even substituting for face-to-face doctor visits.
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National Cost Of Chronic Disease Soars
The U.S. spent an estimated $1.7 trillion treating patients with one or more chronic diseases in 2007, about three-quarters of total health care spending, according to the second annual Almanac of Chronic Disease, released by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.
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How Will Housing Trends For Age 55+ Affect Home Care’s Future?
Most Baby Boomers are choosing to “age in place,” but a large and growing number – more than 1.2 million households are choosing to move to communities designed to meet their needs, according to a report released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the MetLife Mature Market Institute (MMI).
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U.S. Has Highest Rate Of Poorly Coordinated Care
More than half (54 percent) of U.S. chronically ill patients did not get recommended care, fill prescriptions, or see a doctor when sick because of costs, compared to 7 to 36 percent in other countries. About one-third of U.S. patients – a higher rate than in any other country – experienced poorly coordinated care, such as delays in access to medical records or duplicated tests.
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The Remington Report

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Chronic Care – A Sense of Urgency Under Healthcare Reform
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Teleconference

H1N1 (Swine Flu): Proactive Operational Strategies For Homecare And Hospice

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Virtual Audio Learning Teleconference

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CDC Updates Reports On H1N1 (Swine) Flu
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported at least 2,532 confirmed cases of the virus in 44 states, including 57 patients who have been hospitalized. A CDC review of 26 hospitalized cases found 58% had an underlying health condition, including seven patients with asthma. How can your agency become more proactive?
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