Reps: Expand home health prescribing
The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act, co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and 26 others, would allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinic nurse specialists and certified nurse midwives to order home health services for Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare recognizes nurse practitioners and physician assistants as being authorized to order nursing home care but they are not able to order less costly and less intrusive home care services.
Physician alignment obstacle to ACOs
A survey by San Diego-based healthcare staffing company AMN Healthcare says the biggest obstacle faced by healthcare facility administrators and doctors when forming accountable care organizations is physician alignment. Forty-two percent of respondents in facilities moving toward ACOs said physician alignment is the most serious obstacle they face. Of those not moving toward ACOs, 40 percent said the reason they aren't doing so is because of physician alignment.
CMS proposes mental health rule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a rule that would establish conditions of participation for community mental health centers (CMHCs). The proposed rule includes establishing qualifications for CMHC employees and contractors; requiring CMHCs to notify clients of their rights and to investigate and report violations of client rights; convening of a treatment team to develop an active treatment plan and coordinate services; creating a Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement program; and setting organization, governance, administration of services and partial hospitalization services requirements. CMS is accepting public comment on the proposed rule until August 16.
AAFP seeks changes from the RUC
The American Academy of Family Physicians sent a letter to the American Medical Association/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee asking the RUC to make specific changes to its structure, processes and procedures, including more seats for family medicine, general internal medicine and general pediatric medicine; the addition for three new seats for external representatives; a permanent seat for geriatric medicine; the elimination of existing rotating subspecialty seats; and greater voting transparency. The AAFP has requested that the RUC respond to its recommendations by March 1, 2012.
Hospice organization releases marketing ethics guidelines
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has released marketing ethics guidelines for hospice and palliative care organizations. They include clearly stated policies for contracting with and making referrals to other community providers; clearly stated policies that support the ethical use of electronic forms (social media); and ethical and responsible use of patient/family testimonials in media outreach.