NEBRASKA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION
Past Newsletters
September 2007
This Issue: NeRHA E-News -
May 2008
• House Passes Legislation Preventing Large Cuts to Medicaid
House Passes Legislation Preventing Large Cuts to Medicaid • Rural Hospital Educational Resources
Rural Hospital Educational Resources • Electronic health records influence the future of medical care
Electronic health records influence the future of medical care • SAMHSA Announces Availability of New Drug-Free Workplace Kit
SAMHSA Announces Availability of New Drug-Free Workplace Kit • Medicare cuts to hit rural providers July 1
Medicare cuts to hit rural providers July 1 • Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events On April 23rd, the House of Representatives passed, by a veto proof majority of 349 to 62, legislation that prevent states from losing billions in federal dollars by placing a one-year moratorium on seven new Medicaid regulations.
Last week, the Bush Administration issued a formal veto threat against the legislation. The legislation moves to the Senate where its fate is less certain as it is not clear whether the votes are there to overturn a Presidential veto.
House Passes Legislation Preventing Large Cuts to Medicaid
An electronic health record (EHR) is an individual patient medical file that can create a complete, organized patient history. EHRs take up no office space and can help coordinate treatment for patients who see multiple specialists in different locations. Easy access to comprehensive records helps doctors make more accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions, and because EHRs can contain a complete record of past tests and procedures, it’s less likely patients will have unnecessary or redundant tests and x-rays.
Electronic health records influence the future of medical care
Most importantly, EHRs help reduce the many medical errors and adverse drug interactions caused by incomplete or illegible paper records.
EHRs will be a key part of future medical care. More and more doctors are adopting this new technology, and patients are benefiting. A new five-year Medicare demonstration project designed to help primary care doctors and providers implement EHRs launched this year.
The Medicare Modernization Act ( MMA) included a number of important provisions for rural providers that have helped correct a historic imbalance in Medicare payments to urban providers. By implementing these provisions in the MMA, Congress was helping to protect the fragile rural health safety net by paying providers in rural areas a more equitable rate. These provisions include:
• Work GPCI 1.0 floor for rural physician payments
• Outpatient hold harmless
• Incentive payment for physicians in physician scarcity areas
• Payment of reasonable lab costs for certain small rural hospitals as part of outpatient services
• Treatment of certain technical component physician pathology services under Medicare
• Two percent bonus payment for ambulance trips in rural areas
• Five percent add-on payment for home health services
Each of the above, which have been extended in past Medicare bills, is once again set to expire on June 30. The NRHA is strongly encouraging Congress to include extensions of these vital provisions in any health package that is considered this year.
Additionally, the Medicare package must further guard the rural health care safety net. The NRHA is also urging Congress to protect rural hospitals by passing other equitable reimbursement adjustments for those paid disorientate share hospital payments, critical access hospitals, sole community hospitals and rural health clinics.
Medicare cuts to hit rural providers July 1
A one-stop shop for rural hospitals to access distance and web-based educational resources on topics including community engagement, hospital finance, management and leadership, performance improvement, workforce and quality.
Rural Hospital Educational Resources
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed a Drug-Free Workplace Kit, suitable for all sizes of workplaces. The free kit provides public and private workplaces with practical evidence-based information, resources, and tools for producing and maintaining drug-free workplace policies and programs.
Upcoming Events
May 7-10
NRHA Annual Conference
New Orleans, LA
June 5-6
National Conference on Medication Access, Use and Safety in Rural America
Minneapolis, MN
July 14-17
NRHA Quality and Clinical Conference
San Diego, CA
August 15-16
Skill-Building Workshop
San Diego, CA
September 11-12
Nebraska Rural Health Conference
Kearney, Nebraska
October 14-15
Rural Health Clinic Conference
Savannah, GA
October 15-17
Critical Access Hospital Conference
Savannah, GA
December 10-12
Minority and Multicultural Health Conference
Albuquerque, NM
SAMHSA Announces Availability of New Drug-Free Workplace Kit
The health- and wellness-focused kit addresses these problems by explaining to employers what to do in order to protect and prepare the workplace, identify substance abuse related-issues, and provide prevention education and assistance to employees. It discusses the importance of understanding the legal aspects of the problem as well as how to build a team, assess the workplace, develop a policy, and plan and implement a program to address illicit substance use and abuse in their workplaces and workforces. It also provides guidance on setting up systems for evaluating the program’s effectiveness.
The kit is free and available in print and online versions. To order up to five printed copies, call 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727). The kit has nine pullout brochures, 13 fact sheets, a bumper sticker, and two 18x24-inch posters for display in workplaces. The kit’s major sections are:
Components of a Drug-Free Workplace
How to Assess Your Organization’s Needs
How to Develop a Drug-Free Workplace Policy
Educating Your Employees
Training Your Supervisors
Creating an Employee Assistance Program
Drug Testing in the Workplace
Workplace Substance Abuse Prevention Resources and References
An Implementation Guide
Rural health advocates are working to ensure the inclusion of rural provisions in a Medicare package that must be in place to protect critical Medicare provisions set to expire June 30.
