MHA Today | November 15, 2021

Staff Contact: Jane Drummond

Friday, 10 states sought an injunction prohibiting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from enforcing its vaccine mandate of certified health care providers. The suit is led by Missouri’s Attorney General, Eric Schmitt. The parties also filed a motion to expedite the court’s hearing of the case, seeking completed briefing by Monday, Nov. 22, and oral argument between Tuesday, Nov. 23, and Monday, Nov. 29. Because of the Monday, Dec. 6, deadline for health care workers to initiate vaccination, the motion asks the court to issue a decision by Nov. 29.

Staff Contact: Jane Drummond

Friday, the Fifth Circuit issued a permanent stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard. The court previously entered a preliminary order enjoining OSHA from enforcing the standard. In revisiting the issue, the court deemed the rule both overinclusive and underinclusive at the same time, and also likely beyond the agency’s authority to enact.

Several challenges to the ETS have been filed across the country. Under federal law, all lawsuits will be consolidated and entered into a blind lottery, with one appellate court selected to enter a final decision on the merits.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the 2022 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles, as well as the 2022 Medicare Part D income-related monthly adjustment. MHA published an issue brief with details.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology and Definition of “Reasonable and Necessary” final rule is being rescinded. CMS cited the reason for repealing the rule is due to “concerns that the provisions in the final rule may not have been sufficient to protect Medicare patients.” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure stated, “Although we continue to be in favor of enhancing access to new technologies, we are mindful that they may have unknown or unexpected risks and must first ensure such technologies improve health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries. The Medicare program needs to implement policies that balance access and appropriate safeguards.”

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

MHA published an analysis of the effect of proposed changes in Medicare organ acquisition reimbursement. Although proposed, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not adopt the changes in the FY 2022 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System payment and policy updates. CMS commented that the proposal will be addressed in future rulemaking. Due to the uncertainty about future CMS actions, MHA published an analysis about the proposed changes. The analysis includes current payment rates as reported within the Medicare cost report, as well as the payment rates if CMS finalizes the proposal. The analysis is available online for authorized users of HIDI Analytic Advantage.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

The 2021 Federal Health Insurance Exchange open enrollment period began Nov. 1. During the first week of open enrollment, 773,557 individuals selected a Marketplace insurance plan. As compared to last year’s open enrollment, plan selections decreased 5.5%.

Staff Contact: Shane VanOverschelde

Data from the 2020 Annual Licensing Survey have been published for Premier Data Package subscribers on HIDI Analytic Advantage. The data file and Excel-based report generator include all hospital-level public data elements included on the 2020 Annual Licensing Survey and are posted in the following location.

• • Folder: Finance and Policy/Premier Data
  • File name: MO0000_ASF20-DATA.zip

Hospitals interested in subscribing to the HIDI Premier Data Package should review the package information. Current subscribers with questions about downloading files should contact HIDI.

Staff Contact: Stephen Njenga or Dana Dahl

The Flex Monitoring Team released its Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project Quality Measures National Annual Report and State Annual Reports based on 2020 data from critical access hospitals. The 2020 report uses measures from MBQIP domains, including patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement and care transitions. FMT also produces state-level annual MBQIP reports for each of the 45 states participating in the Flex Program, including Missouri.

Staff Contact: Stephen Njenga

The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy published a report that provides contact and project summary information for 59 projects funded during the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program’s 2018-2021 funding cycle, including a specialized track of 12 Health Improvement Special Projects that focused on addressing cardiovascular disease. The report includes a summary of overall program impacts and a cohort snapshot, as well as detailed individual project profiles.

Staff Contact: Dana Dahl

MHA recognizes the innovation, quality of care and dedication of health professionals and volunteers in our communities during National Rural Health Day 2021, taking place Thursday, Nov. 18. National Rural Health Day recognizes the efforts of those serving the health needs of an estimated 57 million people across the nation.

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health produced a website for rural health stakeholders to showcase individuals and organizations selected as 2021 Community Stars, and provide visitors with a variety of tools, including social media posts that promote the #PowerofRural trend. The website also shares how rural communities across the country will be celebrating National Rural Health Day.