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February 15 · Issue #24 · View online
Providing you with the latest health care headlines almost daily. Carefully crafted by Shawn Rossi. Questions? Email srossi@mhanet.org.
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Congratulations to Baptist Medical Center- Attala. The hospital was recently awarded a scholarship to the Rural Health Care Leadership Conference to present their poster on Patient and Family Engagement.
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Mississippi Flu Update. The rate of influenza-like illness in the state has risen sharply as of February 4, well ahead of the same time last year. More influenza-like illness is being reported among those ages 5 to 24 than any other group.
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FREE Registration is now open for HCC Regional Coalition Forums in Hattiesburg, Pearl and Oxford
Register today for Coalitions: Building Community Resilience Regional Forums. For more information, contact Valarie Jackson at 601-368-3219 or vjackson@mhanet.org.
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Miss. plant workers warned of cancer-causing toxins
BorgWarner notified its workers last week that TCE concentrations inside the plant exceed national levels
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Senate recommends $45 million mental health budget cut
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended a budget cut or more than $45 million for Department of Mental Health.
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Doctors in love: Five sets of young Tupelo docs mix medicine, marriage
Two by two, young physician couples have been making their way to Tupelo.
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Hero of the Month: Deborah Biggerstaff
Deborah lost her father to colon cancer just one month after her first child was born. Since that time, she has been an avid supporter of the Colon Cancer Alliance.
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Qualified Independent Contractor Change
Effective February 14, 2017 the Part A Qualified Independent Contractor (QIC) contractor will change to C2C Solutions. This will impact providers in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC.
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AG opinion: OCH petition, election invalid without intent to sell
An opinion from Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood’s Office states both a public petition calling for a vote on the potential sale or lease of OCH Regional Medical Center and the proposed referendum itself are, at this point, invalid as the county has yet to formally start the mechanics of a transaction.
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Choctaw Health Center Purchased/Referred Care Program: Building Relationships to Improve Patient Access to Care
Are you interested in becoming part of the Choctaw Health Center (CHC) Purchased/Referred Care Program? Program funds are used to pay for medically necessary referrals outside of CHC. Mark your calendar for this webinar on March 22!
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Humana will exit ACA exchanges in 2018
Just hours after calling off its billion-dollar merger with Aetna, Humana announced it will no longer sell health coverage on the Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges starting in 2018.
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AHA Report Explores 'Next Generation' of Community Health
A new report from the AHA’s Committee on Research explores what the next generation of community health may look like as hospitals and health systems redefine themselves to keep pace with the changing health care landscape.
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Actuaries offer competing proposals for reforming the insurance market
Congressional Republicans working on rewriting rules for the struggling individual insurance market might want to study five different reform proposals chosen as finalists in a national competition among actuarial professionals.
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As GOP plows forward on Obamacare repeal, new data show the nation's uninsured rate hit a record low last year
The nations’ uninsured rate tumbled further last year, hitting the lowest rate ever recorded, according to new data that further underscored the challenge facing GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare
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Uninsured rate hits record low as Obamacare's future remains uncertain
Just 8.8 percent of Americans lack health coverage as Republicans move to repeal key parts of the Affordable Care Act.
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Hospital gives patients a voice when they need it most
Patients who are entering the hospital for extended stays often are hit with uncertainty and major worries that are difficult to calm during a typical caregiver interaction. That, in turn, could affect the quality of their stay and possibly outcomes.
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Experts propose principles to guide population health policy
An article published online this month by the journal Population Health Management proposes seven foundational principles of population health policy to inform the development of practical tools, research and education.
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CMS Webinar: MACRA Merit-based Incentive Payment System Annual Call for Measures and Activities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) opened the submission period for the Annual Call for Measures and Activities for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) track of the Quality Payment Program. The Annual Call for Measures and Activities allows providers and measure stewards from stakeholder organizations to identify and submit measures and activities for three of the four MIPS performance categories. To be considered, proposals must include measure specifications, related research, and background.
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QIO Manual Chapter 5 Changes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently revised Chapter 5 of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Manual, due to revisions to 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 476 (Quality Improvement Organization Utilization and Quality Review).
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BFCC-QIO webinar on March 30
Join KEPRO for a BFCC-QIO webinar on March 30 from 2-3 p.m. EST! They will offer information and assistance to providers, patients, and families regarding beneficiary complaints, discharge appeals, and Immediate Advocacy. During the webinar, KEPRO representatives will present an overview of the role of the BFCC-QIO and the services provided.
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READMISSIONS: How to reduce bounce back from SNFs
After an inpatient stay in the hospital, some patients are discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for continued recuperation and therapy. This article summarizes the findings of a literature search of studies on how to avoid bounce back - readmission of these patients from the SNF to the hospital within 30 days.
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Survey: 78% of patients interested in combination of in-person, virtual healthcare services
In spite of rising consumer interest in telemedicine services, only 21 percent of patients have received remote care, according to an Accenture report
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Medicaid Value-based Purchasing: What Is It & Why Does It Matter?
Medicaid Directors are reorienting the health care system to deliver better care and lower costs through “value-based purchasing” initiatives. These efforts are seeking to address historical fragmentation in the health care delivery system and ensure the sustainability of the Medicaid program. This resource, developed with support from The Commonwealth Fund, provides foundational information about Medicaid value-based purchasing and the role of the federal/state partnership in ensuring the success of this state-led innovation.
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CDC expands investigation of rat virus outbreak in humans
The CDC expanded its investigation into an outbreak of the Seoul virus that has infected 11 people across Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
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Obamacare repeal is stuck between a rock and a hard place
The Obamacare repeal crusade is falling apart thanks to GOP infighting, just four weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency. As constituents across the country flood GOP townhalls, mailboxes, and phone…
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GOP back to open combat over Obamacare
Sharp divisions among Republicans raise doubts about whether any repeal bill can pass.
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Rift in GOP threatens ObamaCare repeal
The emerging divide is a major test for Republican leaders.
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Obamacare repeal would gut opioid treatment gains, study finds
A new study by Harvard Medical School and New York University shows that repealing the Affordable Care Act would cut $5.5 billion a year for substance-abuse and mental health treatment, creating a 50 percent spike in the number of people unable to address their opioid dependence.
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Obamacare Repeal Could Cripple Efforts To Combat The Opioid Epidemic
A new study shows huge numbers of Americans could lose the help they need.
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Key Republican: GOP eyeing major change to Medicaid in ObamaCare bill | TheHill
Republicans are looking to include a proposal that would cap federal payments to the states.
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10 players to watch on ObamaCare
The party remains divided on many central questions: How long should repeal take? Should the Medicaid expansion be abolished? And should some of the taxes in ObamaCare be kept to help pay for a new coverage option?
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Panel Examines What Works, What Doesn't in ACA Marketplaces
Health policy analysts spoke recently about findings in a series of studies about marketplaces established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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Trump administration rule aims to tighten enrollment in ACA
The Trump administration has released its first healthcare-related rule which aims to ease the concerns of the insurance industry looking for ways to curb the number of sicker people who sign up for coverage on the ACA exchanges.
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