MHA Today | November 18, 2020

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued new and revised CARES Act relief payment reporting requirement FAQs. HHS added three additional questions dated Nov. 18. The FAQs update the reporting of net patient revenues from years prior to 2019 and clarify capital equipment purchase qualifying expenses.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that Medicare fee-for-service estimated improper payments has declined by $15 billion since 2016. As prescribed by the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, CMS is required to “periodically review programs it administers, identify programs that may be susceptible to significant improper payments, estimate the amount of improper payments and report on the improper payment estimates.” Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS exercised its enforcement discretion and temporarily suspended all improper payment-related engagement or data requests to providers between March and August. In response to the suspension, CMS modified statistical methodologies to create the report. CMS estimates that the change in methodology continues to meet the statutory national-level precision requirement.

Staff Contact: Stephen Njenga or Dana Dahl

Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital recently implemented a standardized triage process and collaborated with select tertiary care centers to transition patients into a short-term skilled nursing program. The goal of transitional care is to provide a bridge between acute care discharge and home, for patients who cannot be discharged to home. As a traditional skilled nursing facility alternative, patients in the program benefit from low nurse-patient ratios and interventions typically seen in the acute care environment, including daily physician rounding, intravenous antibiotics, intravenous medications, wound care, physical and occupational therapy, and palliative care.

Over the previous 12 months, only 6% of patients placed in SGCMH’s swing bed program have been subject to a 30-day inpatient readmission, which is significantly lower than the SNF state average. More than 75% of patients return home sooner. Participating patients have, on average, experienced discharge in 10 days, while SNF discharge averages are approximately three weeks.

SGCMH was chosen as one of four national critical access hospitals to receive recognition for demonstrating excellence and innovation in care coordination for their swing bed transitional care project.

Left to Right: Hirshell Parker, Katie Hogenmiller, Brandie Filer, Tom Keim, Dr. Noguera, Morgan Ritter, Anna Mattingly, Rita Brumfield and Kim Lalumandier

Staff Contact: Alison Williams

In early September, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released Care Compare on Medicare.gov, which streamlines the eight original health care compare tools into one site. CMS will retire the original Compare Tools on Tuesday, Dec. 1. To find and compare health care providers, go to Medicare.gov and choose “Find care.” Members are encouraged to update any public-facing links currently directing to the eight original care tools to direct audiences to Care Compare. CMS publicly reported data is available for download from the Provider Data Catalog on CMS.gov.

Staff Contact: Becky Boyce

Suzann Gomillion has been named CEO of Landmark Hospital of Joplin. Gomillion transitioned into this position full time on Nov. 12 after serving as Interim CEO since July 6.