Strengthening Partnerships: Enhancing Options for Clinical Placements

In June,2009 the Foundation for Home Health and the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation sponsored a invitation only working session for educators, home health and long term care providers. The purpose of the day long session was to promote home health and long term care as clinical placement sites for nursing students thereby increasing their awareness of geriatrics and community based programs as desirable places to work. The program was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nursing and Allied Health Initiative. Click here for a copy of the report.

More OASIS-C Updates

We’ve posted PDF-version of three PowerPoint presentations from CMS OASIS-C implementation calls on the OASIS-C page.

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Home Health Agency is Finalist for BCBS of MA Quality Award

Visiting Nurse Association of Middlesex-East and Visiting Nurse Hospice was honored as a finalist  for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Masachusetts’ Annual Health Care Excellence Award.  The VNA was recognized for reducing its rehospitalization rate from 29% to 17% within two years – the lowest in the state – despite caring for an aging population that increasingly struggles with chronic conditions such as stroke, diabetes, emphysema, heart disease, and hypertension. This accomplishment has significantly reduced health care costs while improving the quality of life for their patients.

Also recognized as a finalist was EMC Corporation, an international leader in Information Infrastructure solutions.   EMC was recognized for its Partners in Health program, which successfully engaged its workforce and their families in learning how individual behaviors, choices and attitudes influence overall health and  health care expenditures, waste and outcomes.

This year’s award winner was Health & Education Services, Inc. (HES), a community-based behavioral health care network in northeastern Massachusetts. HEIS was selected for exceptional achievement in improving the safety and effectiveness of health care in Massachusetts through its Health Access and Integration Program (HAIP).

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Health Care Reform Breakfast, Part III

Join other Alliance members, along with Tim Rowan, editor of Home Care Technology Report and representatives of the Massachusets eHealth Collaborative and Information Technology Committee for a discussion of the new federal and state goals around electronic health records, and other health IT issues of interest to post acute and long term care providers.  This event is on November 5th at the Radission Hotel in Boston and it is free; but preregistration is required.

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Congress Passes Joint Resoution Honoring Home Care

House Concurrent Resolution 59 honoring and recognizing home care and the profession of care giving was approved by the Senate last week after winning approval in the House of Representatives by a vote 387-0.  

The Resolution reads, in part:  “Congress… recognizes caregiving as a profession  [and] supports the private home care industry and the efforts of family caregivers nationwide.”

Follow the Alliance on Twitter

The Alliance now has a new Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/HCA_Of_Mass.

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DPH Emergency Regulations for Vaccine Administration

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has promulgated and is implementing emergency regulations effective September 14, 2009 authorizing the Commissioner of Public Health to designate certain health care professionals, nursing and medical students to administer seasonal influenza and H1N1 vacine.  These regulatory amendments are part of the DPH’s planning and preparation for pandemic influenza A H1N1 this fall. Click on the following links to review the documents.

DPH Memo

Guidelines for Designated Vaccinators

Written Order Allowing Health Care Professionals and Students to Vaccinate

Attachment A: Ammendment to the Regulation 105 CMR 700.003 (H) These are DPH Regulations that ammend MGL 94 C which is the Controlled Substances Act

Payment Reform In Massachusetts Moves Forward

This month, researchers from the RAND Corporation presented a policy brief, Controlling Health Care Spending in Massachusetts, to the state’s Health Care Quality And Cost Council (HCQCC).  Massachusetts’  Division of Health Care Finance and Policy commissioned RAND to develop a menu of potential cost containment strategies. The report provides analysis of 12 possible interventions that the researchers conclude have the most promise to cut spending in Massachusetts. More than 75 broad approaches were initially considered.

Five of the top six approaches in the RAND report deal with health care payment and are consistent with the recommendation by the state’s Special Commission on the Health Care Payment Reform to move away from a predominantly fee-for-service system. Included are a recommendation and several scenarios around implementing bundled payments as a way to incentivize  better coordinated care. The model looks at bundled payments for certain hospital conditions for adults aged 18- 64. Also included in the model are major changes in payments to Academic Medical Centers, expanded Health Information Technology, and reduction of resource use at end of life.

The HCQCC is expected to begin looking at various timelines for implementing these recommendations in September.

Providers to Receive Letters for TPL Claims Beginning September 8, 2009

Providers should expect to see letters from “Commonwealth Medicine” representing the MassHealth TPL (Third Party Liability)  Unit on or about September 8, 2009. The letter, which will take the form of an “Initial Overpayment Notice,” will list those claims for dually-eligible beneficiaries that MassHealth has identified as requiring a Medicare determination of coverage. MassHealth is the payer of last resort and as the subrogee for these beneficiaries is requesting that you begin the demand bill process to determine if Medicare should have been billed for these services.    The claims in dispute are for Federal Fiscal Year 2008 or dates of service October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008.

In preparation for this initiative, the Alliance in cooperation with MassHealth held 2 workshops for providers in July and August.  The process and expectations were discusses by representatives of the TPL Unit and the Provider Outreach and Education department of National Government Services reviewed the “demand bill” process.

For a copy of the TPL Powerpoint which includes an excellent timeline,  click here. For a copy of the NGS presentation discussing the demand billing process, click here

2009 Compensation and Benefit Surveys Available

We’re pleased to announce that the 2009 Compensation & Benefits Survey Reports are now available for purchase on our publications store.

The 2009 Compensation & Benefits Survey Reports provide salary and professional rate ranges for all positions in the home care industry. They are indispensable tools for HR managers, proving a quick and accurate reference of industry pay standards for your employees.

The Alliance publishes two surveys: one for Medicare/Medicaid certified agencies, another for private duty agencies.  Both display state-wide results, as well as data based on geographic area and agency size.

The 2009 surveys contain information about prevailing pay and benefits for the full range of positions in home care agencies.  Both surveys list pay and benefits figures for dozens of positions, including: executive, administrative, supervisory, care giving, and clerical positions.  In addition to listing state-wide results, the surveys also publish figures organized by geographic region and company net revenue.

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