CMS Releases IPPS Final Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released four final payment regulations that cover inpatient hospital care, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, hospice programs and skilled nursing facilities. Under the FY09 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) final rule, CMS finalized three of nine proposed “never events” for which it will no longer reimburse, including: surgical site infections following certain elective procedures; poor control of blood sugar levels in certain circumstances; and deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism after knee and hip replacement procedures.

The final IPPS rule updates payment policies and rates for hospitals paid under Medicare’s diagnosis-related group payment system. It is expected to increase Medicare payments to acute care hospitals by close to $4.75 billion. The final IPPS rule also expands the Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update Program to include 13 new measures, increasing the total number of measures that must be reported in 2009 to receive full payment in 2010 to 42. The IPPS final rule, which is expected to be published August 19 in the Federal Register, is effective Oct. 1.

NCQA Adds PPO Quality Information to Database
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) on August 6 announced that it will include for the first time quality information for individual preferred provider organizations (PPOs) in its Quality Compass, a database of clinical outcomes and patient experiences. As a result of this addition, the total number of health plans included has increased from 251 last year to 410 and represents 85 million US residents. The updated database will also include 16 new measures of quality of care and service, according to NCQA. For more information, visit the NCQA Web site by clicking here.

CMS To Launch PHR Pilot in Arizona, Utah
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced it will launch an online personal health records (PHR) pilot program in Arizona and Utah for Medicare beneficiaries beginning in January 2009. The pilot is intended to encourage of the use of health information technology. Under the pilot, the beneficiaries will choose from several PHRs, which will then be populated with as much as two years of Medicare data. Beneficiaries will be able to add additional information and share the PHR with their physicians, pharmacists and other health care providers. The pilot will be similar to a program launched in April in South Carolina, called MyPHRSC. For more information, view the CMS press release here.

Vast Majority Say Health Care Reform Needed, Survey Finds
Eighty-two percent of US residents believe that the health care system should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a survey released last week by The Commonwealth Fund. According to the survey, 80 percent of adults support efforts to improve the health system's performance with respect to access, quality and cost. The survey found substantial support for wider adoption of health information technology as a means of improving patient care. Nine of 10 adults wanted easy access to their own medical records and thought it was important that all their doctors have such access as well.

DNC Includes Universal Health Care Commitment in Platform
The Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) platform committee on Saturday voted to approve a platform influenced in part by the universal health care proposal put forward by former presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). According to the platform, Democrats are "united behind a commitment that every American man, woman and child be guaranteed to have affordable, comprehensive health care." The platform advocates the use of tax credits and other means to improve the affordability of health care for all U.S. residents. It also supports the use of tax credits for small businesses that provide affordable health insurance for employees. Once health care become affordable, individuals have the duty to purchase individual insurance and take steps to lead healthy lives, the platform states. Sen. Clinton has been a huge influence in the health care arena, said ACC CEO Jack Lewin, M.D. Sen. Obama and the DNC will benefit from her experience and ideas on universal coverage, Lewin added.