MHA Today | January 25, 2021

Staff Contact: Dave Dillon

Polling released today by MHA finds strong support for Medicaid expansion implementation. Researchers found that after hearing the arguments in favor of expansion, 70% of voters favor the legislature implementing the program. Support has grown even among those who voted against the measure in August 2020, with 18% of opponents now approving of legislative implementation. Two-thirds of individuals identifying themselves as independents favor expansion. In addition, a majority of Republicans favor implementing expansion — by a 56% to 38% margin — when they understand the arguments for moving forward.

Staff Contact: Rob Monsees or Ted Wedel

A state Senate committee approved a new version of legislation to create protections from liability arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee merged two bills on the topic. The revised Senate Bill 51 now moves to the full Senate for debate.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued an interim final rule regarding a new payment model for 50 of Medicare’s most costly Part B drugs. The rule, known as the Most Favored Nation rule, was set to begin on Jan. 1. Due to several court orders, the MFN Model was not implemented on Jan. 1 and will not be implemented while the preliminary injunction remains in place. To help hospitals project the fiscal implications of the model, MHA published an analysis of the interim final rule. Policy and analytic studies, prepared for distribution by the Hospital Industry Data Institute, are available for download to authorized users of HIDI Analytic Advantage.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler or Daphney Partridge

At 5,593 pages, the Consolidated Appropriations Act is the longest bill ever passed by Congress. The CAA combines $900 billion in COVID-19 stimulus relief with a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill for the 2021 federal fiscal year. In a six-part webinar series, “A Short Course on the Consolidated Appropriations Act,” experts from PYA delve into key CAA provisions impacting the health care industry. Each complimentary one-hour webinar begins at 11 a.m. CST and focuses on a specific subject, detailing relevant provisions and implications for the industry. Online registration is required.

• CAA and the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (recording available)
• Introducing the New Rural Emergency Hospital (recording available)
• Tuesday, Jan. 26: Hospital Payment and Reimbursement
• Thursday, Jan. 28: Provider Relief Fund Update
• Tuesday, Feb. 2: Post-Pandemic Reimbursement for Telehealth
• Thursday, Feb. 4: Paycheck Protection Program

Staff Contact: Brian Kinkade

MO HealthNet’s nonemergency medical transportation vendor, Logisticare Solutions, has been renamed and rebranded. The company’s new name is ModivCare. Existing contacts and processes for scheduling and managing trips for MO HealthNet participants are not affected by the rebranding and remain unchanged.

Staff Contact: Sherry Buschjost

An outreach and education webinar for participants in the Hospital Quality Reporting Programs is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Registration is required for the webinar, “Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on Care Compare: 2021 OPPS Rule Methodology.”

Staff Contact: Jill Williams

The Health Resources and Services Administration is hosting a complimentary webinar, “Telehealth Models for Workforce Recruitment, Retention and Development,” at 11 a.m. CST Wednesday, Jan. 27. Online registration is available.