04.18.2016

House hears concerns and sunsets hospital tax, and more...

House hears concerns and sunsets hospital tax

The Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee has released its FY17 proposed state budget and it contains a provision that hospitals had fought hard for – insertion of language that would sunset a new $250 million tax on hospitals that Gov. Charlie Baker proposed.

The “tax” – which is a term the federal government uses for the mechanism as opposed to “assessment” – would be part of a 5-year Medicaid waiver proposal the Baker Administration is seeking from Washington.  The $250 million would be used to leverage federal matching dollars and $250 million in Medicaid payments would be sent back to hospitals. Approximately half of Massachusetts hospitals will get back more than they pay in, and approximately half of the hospitals in the state will be taxed more than they receive back in Medicaid payments. Some hospitals will face significant financial losses under the tax.

The tax, as currently drafted, is also slotted to start a year earlier than the new waiver, with the FY2017 proceeds being scooped by the state to pay for costs associated with expanded coverage in the Medicaid program.

In the proposal the governor filed, the tax was permanent in nature and would have continued in perpetuity. In response to MHA concerns, House Ways and Means, led by committee chairman Rep. Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill), on Wednesday did insert  key language that would end the tax on June 30, 2022.

“Sun-setting the new tax on hospitals is a critically important step. We’re grateful that the House heard our concerns and put a stop date on what could have been an open-ended financial hit to hospitals,” said MHA President & CEO Lynn Nicholas, FACHE. “By setting a defined end for the new tax, the House Ways and Committee proposal appropriately ties the tax with the waiver’s time-limited investments into a new Accountable Care Program. We strongly support the sunset date and we look forward to working with the legislature on other workable adjustments to the governor’s tax proposal to ensure that the intent of the House Ways & Mean’s proposal is fulfilled. That includes assurances that all hospitals receive the Medicaid funding as intended. Helping to provide meaningful mitigation of the tax burden to net-payer hospitals is also important. Any attempt to increase the size of the tax beyond $250 million would receive strong opposition from the hospital community. The aggregate amount of the new tax over the 2017 to 2022 period is $1.5 billion. More than that is unacceptable and unjustified.” 

State leaders coordinate campaign against legal pot

Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo are leading a coordinated effort – including the formation of a campaign committee – to oppose a state ballot question in November that would legalize marijuana use by people over age 21.

Campaign For A Safe and Healthy Massachusetts states on its homepage, “Wrong for kids. Wrong for Massachusetts. Oppose the creation of a billion dollar marijuana industry.”

“Where marijuana is legal, young people are more likely to use it and a vote against legalizing the commercial marijuana industry is a vote to protect our kids and communities,” Mayor Walsh said in a release.

In March, the MHA Board of Trustees voted unanimously to oppose the ballot question.  MHA President Lynn Nicholas said at the time, “The downsides relating to poorer health, loss of productivity, and the message it sends to youth whose development would be adversely affected by use of marijuana made this an easy one for the board.”

The latest poll on the issue, released April 14 by the Western New England University Polling Institute, showed Mass. voters supporting legal pot 57-35 with 7% undecided. The poll was of 497 registered voters with a margin of error of 4%. 

CDC confirms the worst about Zika

The CDC on Wednesday announced what many cautious travelers had already surmised – that the Zika virus is definitively linked to microcephaly in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and brain damage.  The findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The Massachusetts DPH’s State Public Health Laboratory has been handling public calls about Zika since the beginning of the year and tracks weekly call volume. The latest report shows calls holding steady at about 80 per week after a spike in February. The lab tested six samples last week and announced that it is providing testing services for the New Hampshire DPH. 

Innovative health projects seek state funding

Massachusetts hospitals and other entities are addressing behavioral health integration, social determinants of health, combatting serious advancing illness, end-of-life care, and a host of other innovative programs to improve care and lower costs, according to a list of letters of intent that were submitted for the Health Care Innovation Investment Program.

The state’s Health Policy Commission last week released the list of 100 projects from 80 provider groups.

The Health Care Innovation Investment Program is funded by up to $5 million from the Health Care Payment Reform Trust Fund and the Distressed Hospital Fund. Entities can receive up to $750,000 over 24 months “to prepare and implement innovative payment and care delivery models” that address “persistent health and cost challenges,” according to the HPC. Award announcements are expected in July.

Free equity of care conference

A national effort to eliminate healthcare disparities is gaining steam as more and more hospitals are signing on to AHA’s Equity of Care Campaign, which focuses on  increasing the collection and use of race, ethnicity and language preference data; increasing cultural competency training; and increasing diversity in governance and leadership.

MHA – with the support of the HRET and MA Hospital Engagement Network – has scheduled a conference on the equity of care issue from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 16 at MHA’s Conference Center in Burlington.  It’s free and features dynamic speakers from across the U.S.

Health care for all's major event

Health Care For All’s signature fundraising event this year is entitled “Patient-Centered Care: For The People” and takes place Tuesday, May 3, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The State Room, 60 State Street, Boston.

According to Health Care for All: “This event will feature interactive, technology-based discussion around provocative topics in patient-centered care. These conversations will be facilitated by thought leaders and graphic recording artists to create an engaging atmosphere and capture participants’ thoughts and perspectives. Guests can enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening and experience a short speaking program while overlooking downtown Boston and waterfront views.”

Readmission focus group - Thursday, April 28

An MHA readmissions focus group that was cancelled due to a snow storm in February has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Main Conference Room. To register for the forum, please contact MHA’s Debbie Ryan at dryan@mhalink.org.

MHA along with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors and the Massachusetts QIN/QIO will bring together individuals from hospitals, physician practices, home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities and other caregiving entities across the continuum to share strategies on reducing readmissions.

Solving the big-picture of readmissions is a complex process. This recent MHA paper – State of the State: Reducing Readmissions in Massachusetts – looks at a number of best practices to reduce readmissions now underway at Massachusetts hospitals, and details how hospitals can leverage these and other practices to develop a “portfolio” of strategies to deal with readmissions, as well as to incorporate readmissions reduction strategies into new risk-based population health payment models.

Compassion in action symposium series: Boston

On April 28, the Schwartz Center will convene a panel of experts from the front lines of care who will address some important questions about delivering care during trying times. The first of two Compassion in Action Symposium events hosted by the Schwartz Center in 2016 will be moderated by Gideon Gil, managing editor of STAT News. The program will address the following: In the face of trauma and emotional suffering, what skills and tools can healthcare professionals develop to sustain resiliency? How can organizations and systems support caregivers, enabling them to continue to provide the best possible care for patients and families? What effect can mass tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina, the Boston Marathon Bombing or the Columbine High School shootings have on clinicians, and how can organizations help sustain resiliency in the aftermath?

Fourteenth annual celebration of women in healthcare

On May 25, Schwartz Center will hold its 14th Annual Celebration of Women in Healthcare, featuring keynote speaker Margaret A. McKenna, president of Suffolk University. McKenna will share her personal and professional experiences as a woman leader in the community and there will be plenty of time to network. More than 500 women leaders from all segments of healthcare attend this event, which takes place at Tufts Health Plan, 705 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown.

Transition

The State House News Service reported on Thursday that Aron Boros, the executive director of the Center for Health Information and Analysis since November 2012, will leave his post on June 17. His term was scheduled to end in November 2017.

50th annual human resources/labor forum: new and shifting healthcare roles of the future

FRIDAY, MAY 6; 9 A.M. - 2:45 P.M.
MHA CONFERENCE CENTER, BURLINGTON, MASS.

Healthcare is undergoing sweeping change—and with that comes the evolution of existing roles and creation of new roles for the healthcare workforce. From the C-suite to the frontline, roles are being developed and skill sets are shifting to provide greater operational efficiencies, reduce cost, and improve care delivery. At this year’s 50th Annual HR/Labor Forum, we will explore these roles and what they mean for the future of your organization. We will also hear from a panel of your colleagues on specific staffing strategies to help their hospitals adapt to the changing environment. After lunch, we will shift gears and provide you with important HR/legal updates. We will conclude the day with our popular members-only Hot Labor Topic session from Ropes & Gray. We hope to see you this year!

John LoDico, Editor