The Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) is now accepting applications for Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments for 2016. The deadline for applications is August 1 for the Low Income and Small Rural DSH programs. Applications received by HCA after that date will not be considered.
The Certified Public Expenditure (CPE), Low Income, and Small Rural DSH programs obtain federal match for state and hospital funding to provide additional payments to offset some of the costs for hospitals that provide high volumes of services for Medicaid and uninsured enrollees. Applications and information can be found linked here. Hospitals can contact Mary O’Hare, DSH Program Manager, at mary.ohare@hca.wa.gov for more information.
Hospitals participating in the CPE program can obtain application information at CPE DSH application. According to HCA staff, CPE DSH applications will be due early to mid-July. Hospitals that participate in the CPE program can contact Scott Miloscia at scott.miloscia@hca.wa.gov for more information.
On a related note, WSHA is in contact with HCA regarding the status of DSH payments for 2015, which have been delayed by a court order challenging the formula for determining eligibility. WSHA is encouraging HCA to make provisional DSH payment to hospitals to the degree possible. (Andrew Busz)
Webinar: State Charity Care Law and Federal 501(r) Regulations
WSHA will host a webinar on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 from 2:00- 3:30 p.m. on hospital financial assistance policies and procedures. The webinar is part of WSHA’s efforts to provide helpful and detailed information to hospital members. Presenters will include Taya Briley and Zosia Stanley from WSHA, Barbara Shickich from Riddell Williams, and David Lawson from Davis Wright Tremaine.
The webinar will include review of Washington state’s charity care law, education on important changes in federal law for 501(c)(3) hospitals, guidance on compliance with both state and federal laws, and discussion of WSHA’s work with members to develop a model charity care application form and model communication plan. This is an important topic for all Washington state hospitals and we encourage attendance. NOTE: This webcast is intended for WSHA members only.
Please contact Zosia Stanley if interested in attending.
WSHA Bulletin: State’s Proposal to Waive Medicaid Requirements
WSHA recently published an informational policy bulletin on the state’s plan to apply for a waiver of federal Medicaid requirements in order to accelerate its work on health care system transformation. Read the WSHA bulletin here.
If the state’s proposal is approved, it is likely to have large implications for health care in our state. A waiver can provide significant new opportunities to receive additional federal funds for current and new programs undertaken by hospitals, counties, and public health agencies in care for vulnerable populations, such as those with behavioral health needs, the homeless and others.
Many opportunities will be directed through the newly forming Accountable Communities of Health (ACH). At the same time, the state will be justifying expenditures for these programs based on savings from the medical care system. (Claudia Sanders)
HCA Announces New Options for PEBB
As part of the state’s move toward more value-based purchasing in health care, the HCA announced two new high-quality health plan options for those enrolled in the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) program. These Accountable Care Programs (ACPs) are the Puget Sound High-Value Network and the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network.
These networks will be assuming financial and clinical accountability for defined populations of PEBB members, and will be paid based on their ability to deliver quality care and keep people healthy. The state will be looking to involve additional payers and more counties in this type of model in the future. This is part of the state’s transformation plan Healthier Washington.
Read more about these health plans for public employees in the HCA Press Release or in a recent Seattle Times article. (Claudia Sanders)
Industry Partner Spotlight: WellTrackONE Helps Organizations Capture New Revenue Streams and Improve Care
WellTrackONE™, one of WSHA’s new Industry Partners, is a proven revenue generator for health care organizations using the system to provide Medicare patients with their Annual Wellness Visit. Use the Return on Investment calculator to see how your organization might benefit from using WellTrackONE.
The Annual Wellness Visit has been an integral part of the Affordable Care Act since 2011 and is a key cost-reducing program of the US Health Care Budget. Using a full-service solution, WellTrackONE helps health care organizations process these critical wellness visits with minimal change in their workflow and minimal impact on their operating costs. In turn, it allows the organizations to identify the key risk factors of their patients. Once these risk factors are identified, physicians can initiate treatment plans through its proprietary Clinical Triggers Select program to prevent the onset of chronic illness and disease.
To learn more about this program, please contact Bill Archer, National Sales Manager at WellTrackONE. (Paul Unsworth)
