05.18.18
MHA Today | May 18, 2018
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MHA Today is provided as a service to members of the Missouri Hospital Association. Additional information is available online at MHAnet. |
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Insights |
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Early next week, MHA will release a full summary of the legislation affecting hospitals. This will include enacted legislation, as well as defeated legislation. Both are important. This week, I want to paint a picture in broad strokes why I think 2018 was a good year. First, the Federal Reimbursement Allowance program was reauthorized. The FRA and the state’s other provider taxes are essential to the state budget. They assure predictability in the state’s Medicaid program and payments for care. This year, the reauthorization includes new language upgrading a 17-year-old safeguard in current law for hospital payments funded by the FRA. The new safeguard emphasizes greater transparency and accountability, particularly for FRA-funded payments flowing through Medicaid-managed care plans. Lawmakers also adopted hospital licensure regulatory reform. Under the new legislation, Missouri’s hospital licensure regulations would automatically update with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ standards. The legislation would expedite the adoption of standards — which traditionally has taken between six to nine months in the review process — and ensure agreement between state and federal rules in much closer to real time. MHA developed the legislation to dovetail with a 2017 enactment that curtails duplication of federal and state hospital inspection standards. Many additional hospital-related items made it across the legislative finish line within the last 48 hours. That’s just how the process works. In the final hours, lawmakers clarified law enforcement warrant requirements for hospital blood draws, prompt service of process requirements in medical lawsuits, drug takeback requirements, and the prudent layperson standard and payment for out-of-network care. Although the goal of no cuts to hospital Medicaid payments — or cuts that represent a proportional share of hospitals’ general revenue in Medicaid spending — was not accomplished outright, cuts were minimized. Medicaid hospital payment cuts of nearly $140 million were proposed by the Greitens administration. The House of Representatives restored $38 million, and the Senate restored even more. The final cuts were winnowed to $32 million for Missouri hospitals, about one-quarter of the initial proposal. Moreover, the House and Senate included language in the budget to slow down and improve transparency of the state’s rate cutting actions. This only was possible through a full-court press by our team in the Capitol, direct engagement by hospital leaders throughout the state and mobilization of our grassroots advocates. Growth in state revenue is lagging behind statewide economic growth — largely due to tax cuts adopted in past sessions. Belt tightening will continue in future years. And, despite the 30-year relationship between hospitals and the state to fund the state share of Medicaid, fighting to protect the FRA and hospital Medicaid payments will be the new normal. Today, lawmakers passed additional tax relief, which may further reduce future budgets. The legislation enacted this week, and prior will advance to the governor. Immediately after adjournment of the General Assembly, lawmakers will open a special session on Gov. Greitens’ suspected transgressions. So, unlike other years, over isn’t really over. Hospitals and their patients did well this year. Despite the sideshow, lawmakers were productive in a very unusual environment. Look for a full roll-up of the session next week. Let me know what you’re thinking.
Herb B. Kuhn |
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Spotlight |
MHA Hosts Annual Leadership Forum
Staff Contact: Mary Becker
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Advocate |
2018 State Legislative Session EndsStaff Contacts: Daniel Landon or Rob Monsees The 2018 session of the Missouri General Assembly ends at 6 p.m. today. MHA will publish a summary of legislative activity affecting hospitals and health care. We deeply appreciate the advocacy support provided by our membership regarding key advocacy priorities.
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Quality and Population Health |
NAADAC Announces Training Opportunity To Learn About Peer Services In MAT SettingsStaff Contacts: Leslie Porth or Shawn Billings The National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors is sponsoring an upcoming webinar, “Peer Services in MAT Settings” at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 23. Participants will learn about how peer support specialists are used in multiple behavioral health settings and will assess differing levels of peer integration across agencies. To connect to the webinar, use the following information.
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CEO Announcements |
Centerpoint Medical Center Names New CEOStaff Contact: Carol Boessen Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, part of HCA Midwest Health, named Bret Kolman as chief executive officer, effective Monday, May 14. He succeeds David Williams who retired after 35 years in health care, including six years as CEO of Centerpoint Medical Center. Since 2013, Kolman served as CEO of HCA’s Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington, La., and from 2003 to 2013, he served as CEO of Lafayette Regional Health Center in Lexington, Mo. A list of CEO changes is available online.
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Did You Miss An Issue Of MHA Today? |
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May 14, 2018 May 15, 2018 May 16, 2018 May 17, 2018 |
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Each year, I use a simple metric to define the success of the Missouri General Assembly’s five-month session, “Will hospitals and the patients they serve be stronger because of lawmakers’ work?” Although the session will end after this email reaches your inbox, the answer is already clear. Yes. 
