NewsLine - May 2010 - (Page 3)

A Message from Don The Moran Data Project: Our Path to Positive Payment Reform T he many components that comprise our new health care reform law will be implemented gradually—over the next months and years. For the hospice and palliative care community, however, it will be the appointment of a CMS administrator that will drive implementation of the components that affect us—from the promising concurrent care demonstration project which NHPCO has long supported to hospice payment reform. Right now, the confirmation of a CMS administrator is still under way. Regardless of who is appointed, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in concert with the CMS administrator, will be required to collect, analyze, and revise the Medicare payment methodologies which determine hospice reimbursement rates. Fortunately, any changes to be made cannot occur before FY 2013—allowing time to gather and assess the data. I am proud to say that NHPCO leadership has been way ahead of the curve. Last July, we retained the Washington, DC-based healthcare research fi rm, The Moran Company, to conduct our own data collection and assessment project on behalf of the hospice and palliative care field—one that we fondly refer to as the “Moran Data Project.” Utilizing this highly regarded, third-party research fi rm, our plan is to develop and present to CMS—and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission—alternative Medicare payment models that all of us can live with, rather than leaving this task solely to federal regulators. However, in order for our models to be sound, we must have comprehensive, patient-level data—and for that, we need your assistance. The data collection phase of this project is now under way. As we have publicized in NewsBriefs and NewsLine, it began in February and will conclude in late summer. There are now about 200 providers which are submitting data—but we need 800 more to step up and submit. Software Vendors are Helping to Make Submission Easy I want to personally acknowledge and thank the software vendors which, as we go to press with this issue, have come forward and agreed to assist their hospice clients with data submission: Allscripts; Cerner BeyondNow; Consolo Services Group; Delta Health Technologies; Homecare Homebase; McKesson Corporation; mumms® Software; and Suncoast Solutions. In the coming weeks, I am also hopeful that others will come forward. The data collection phase of this project is now under way… and we need more providers to step up and submit. I know that members are juggling many more demands these days, so the assistance of these vendors in simplifying and supporting the data submission process is a tremendous benefit. Providers can also be assured that their data will remain completely confidential. In fact, NHPCO will not see any of the hospice-specific data nor will the data be released to any government agency. Only aggregated results will be included in the reports produced by The Moran Company. To learn how you can help, please visit www.nhpco.org/moran. While payment reform is inevitable, I am confident that we will see positive change if we continue to work together, just as we are now doing in the early stages of this important project. J. Donald Schumacher President/CEO NewsLine 3 http://www.nhpco.org/moran

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - May 2010

Palliative Sedation in Hospice Care
The Moran Data Project
Your Regulatory Questions Answered
Eight Ways to Improve Access and Care for Veterans
Pet Peace of Mind - With Free Start-Up Funding for Nonprofits
People and Places
Educational Offerings
FHSSA Quarterly Report

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