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Metric for Measurement of Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury 1) Feb. 2018. Health Watch USA supports the development of a proposed new nursing sensitive metric for the measurement of pressure ulcers. The 2017 to 2018 CMS Technical Expert Pannel Proposed the new metric, which requires reporting of Stage II through Stage IV pressure injuries. Below is a copy of HW USA's Comment and Support Letter: Clarification of the Definition of a Serious Reportable Event 1) Clarification of the National Quality Forum Serious Reportable Events, regarding medical devices. "2B. Patient death or serious injury associated with the use or function of a device in patient care, in which the device is used or functions other than as intended." In response, the NQF performed the following modification in the Serious Event 2B: "Definition of device added to glossary. Suggested addition significantly expands the event and will be considered at next update." View Document The definition of the term, device, was clarified so endotracheal tubes and NG Tubes will be included. Thus, insertion of an NG tube into the lungs and feeding the patient and the placement of an endotracheal tube into the esophagus and ventilating the patient are now clearly reportable events. 2) Non-Payment & Value Based Purchasing of
Hospital Acquired Conditions Health Watch USAsm was one of the main initiators of the national CMS policy of Medicaid adopting Medicare's policy on the non-payment of hospital acquired conditions. HW USA was an initiator and facilitator of this initiative on a national level with activities involving conference presentations, forming partnerships with patient advocacy organizations, and advocacy on Capital Hill. This effort started in the Spring of 2008 and was promoted in the 2008 Health Watch USA fall conference. Ken Conner, JD, presented on Medicare and Medicaid non-payment of never events. Lisa McGiffert from Consumer Union also presented and after the conference joined with Health Watch USA and advanced on Capitol Hill the policy of Medicaid Adopting Medicare Regulations regarding Non-payment of Never Events. This provision was signed into Federal law in the 2010 Healthcare Reform Bill by President Barack Obama on Tuesday, March 23, 2010. Consumer Union played a major role in advancing and advocating for this legislation. On July 1, 2010 Kentucky Medicaid adopted regulations for the non-payment of never events and hospital acquired conditions.
Non-payment policy of Hospital Acquired Conditions is not Effective in Medicare's DRG Payment System
Other Related Publications Regarding Value Purchasing:
2012, Jul. - Letter to The Editor: Letter to the Editor Regarding the Effectiveness of Process Measures and Mortality Measures in Promoting Healthcare Quality New England Journal of Medicine. July 2012;367:381-383. PMID: 22830476 FREE ACCESS http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1206170 2011, Sep. - Journal Article:
Financial Incentives to Promote
Healthcare Quality: The Hospital Acquired Conditions
Nonpayment Policy. The Journal
of Social Work in Public Health. 2011 Sep
26(5):524-541. PMID: 21902485 2009, Nov. - HW
USA Conference Presentation: Certificate of
Need. 2007, Apl. - HW USA Policy Report: Consumer
Driven Healthcare. The Certificate of Need and Reduction of Competition In many states, permission has to be granted to
build a hospital. A certificate of need must be awarded by the State
to allow a new hospital to be built or for a competitor to enter
into the market. Reduced competition has not been shown to save
healthcare dollars. In contradistinction, a 2010 Report by
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley found “Price
variations are correlated to market leverage as measured by the
relative market position of the hospital or provider group compared
with other hospitals or provider groups within a geographic region
or within a group of academic medical centers.“
http://www.mass.gov/ago/docs/healthcare/2011-hcctd-full.pdf
2017 Variation In the Cost of Healthcare - Lack of Competition Leads to Higer Costs. View Study The following have been areas of awareness
regarding the CON which Health Watch USA has undertaken: Presentations 1. Joseph Miller, Assistant Chief, Anti-Trust
Division Office of the US Assistant Attorney General. Presents on
The Certificate of Need and Anti-Trust Issues. Health Watch USA
Conference Nov. 13, 2009. View YouTube Video
https://youtu.be/W0kB2nyB40M
PowerPoint Slides 2. Kevin Kavanagh, MD, MS. The presentation
discusses how once "need" has been determined Certificates of Need
should be placed up for bid with large hospital corporations and the
money raised should be used to match Federal Medicaid Funds for
indigent care. Health Watch USA Conference. Nov. 20, 2008. View
YouTube Video
https://youtu.be/QVq_1s94TGQ OpEds in State Newspapers 1. Kavanagh KT. Kentucky Should Award CONs so
All Hospital Systems in The State Benefit, Not Just One Medical News
- The Business of Healthcare, Louisville, KY, March. 12, 2010
http://www.healthwatchusa.org/HWUSA-Publications/Op-Eds_HWUSA_PDF/20100312-CON-MedicalNews.pdf
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