MHA Today | May 6, 2022

Staff Contact: Brian Kinkade or Jane Drummond

The General Assembly passed a record-setting budget for SFY 2023 today, just hours before the 6 p.m. deadline set by the constitution for the passage of appropriations bills. The $45 billion operating budget represents increased spending of more than 33% over the current year’s budget and is driven by federal stimulus funding and remarkably robust general revenue fund receipts and balances. The budget fully funds the Medicaid program for the upcoming year, including the projected cost of Medicaid expansion. Two modest items of interest include $500,000 in general revenue to continue funding the Poison Control Center and $1.5 million for pilot health home projects for medically complex children.

The legislature also passed a $4.3 billion capital improvements package, which includes $2.9 billion in American Rescue Plan Act-funded projects. The ARPA spending package includes $300 million in investments in broadband infrastructure and $8.5 million in grants for rural health care providers for telehealth equipment.

The budget now will be sent to Gov. Parson. The governor must review and give his final approval (which may include vetoes of particular spending “line items”) by Thursday, June 30. SFY 2023 begins Friday, July 1.

Staff Contact: Brian Kinkade

The Missouri Office of Administration awarded contracts for Medicaid managed care services to Home State Health Plan (Centene), Healthy Blue (Anthem) and United Health Care Community Plan. These contracts are for MO HealthNet-covered medical and behavioral health care for adults, children and pregnant women enrolled in Missouri’s Medicaid program. The plans are the incumbent contractors and the only three that submitted bids for the new contract.

A separate “specialty plan” contract was awarded to Home State and will provide medical and behavioral health managed care services for children who are in the state’s foster care system and children in subsidized adoption placements. Although foster children have had their medical care provided through managed care for many years, the specialty plan marks the first time behavioral health will be provided through managed care for these children.

The contracts are effective Friday, July 1, for one year with four one-year renewals at the state’s option. The actual contract documents can be found on OA’s website by searching bid number RFPS30034902200777.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

MHA released a summary and comprehensive analysis of proposed updates to the Medicare IRF PPS for FFY 2023. The analysis compares FYs 2022 and 2023, which includes updates to the market basket, market basket reductions mandated by the ACA, case-mix group updates and updates to the wage index. In aggregate, IRFs in Missouri will see an estimated increase of 2.3% for services paid under the IRF PPS.

The analysis does not include the effects of payments for managed care patients, sequestration, or any modification in fee-for-service payments as a result of hospital participation in new payment models being tested under Medicare demonstration or pilot programs. The analysis, which is available online for authorized users of HIDI Analytic Advantage, includes a summary for the nation, Missouri, health systems and individual hospitals. Hospitals have until Tuesday, May 31, to review their hospital-specific data and submit comments regarding the proposed rule.

Staff Contact: Keri Barclay

The FDA has limited the authorized use for the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine to individuals who are ages 18 and older for whom other authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, and to individuals ages 18 and older who elect to receive the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine because they otherwise would not receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This change in authorization is due to the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

Staff Contact: Kevin Stock

HIDI coordinates the annual distribution and collection of a comprehensive survey of hospital information. This survey is a combined effort of MHA, AHA and DHSS. Submission of the survey is required by DHSS for hospital licensure in Missouri.

Surveys must be submitted by Friday, May 13, to ensure data meet the DHSS hospital licensure 2022 deadline. Data received after May 13 will be submitted as late transmittal to DHSS. The CEO signature page also must be signed and returned to HIDI by email, fax, mail or uploaded to HIDI Analytic Advantage. For annual survey questions, email asf@mhanet.com.

Staff Contact: Keri Barclay

MHA is aware of a shortage of the GE contrast product Iohexol (Omnipaque). This shortage is expected to be resolved by the end of June. Facilities experiencing shortages are encouraged to explore use of contingency contrast agents that remain available on the market. As this is a global issue for GE, it is unlikely that other facilities would have sufficient supplies on hand. Facilities also can explore if the supplier has an identical product in different volumes than typically ordered. MHA will continue to monitor the concern and will share any guidance or recommended alternatives should they become available.

Staff Contact: Sherry Buschjost

Beginning Wednesday, May 11, the CMS Hospital Quality Reporting System no longer will support the use of Internet Explorer. To avoid technical issues when logging in to the HQR system, CMS recommends using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.