Featuring hospital and health care headlines from the media and the Web.
Iowa News
Local committee stresses the importance of 2020 Census
Iowans are already being reminded how important it is on multiple levels to take part. Dozens of Iowa communities have launched what are called Complete Count Committees. Alex Hassel leads the panel in Des Moines and notes the population count, taken once every decade, is used to set funding for a host of federal programs. “Medicaid and SNAP and Section 8 housing vouchers, National School Lunch Program,” Hassel says, “these programs are critical for our communities, so we need an accurate count to make sure that those funding levels reflect the needs of our community.” (Radio Iowa)
UnityPoint Clinic Express opening in Waverly
UnityPoint Clinic Express is a new walk-in clinic opening Feb. 3 at 101 Cedar River Pkwy. Suite 101 in Waverly. This new location will be quite similar to urgent care clinics in Waterloo and Cedar Falls with an emphasis on convenience and a more personal experience that has resulted in patient satisfaction scores ranking in the nation’s 99th percentile. (Waverly Newspapers)
Free youth mental health first aid trainings set
Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach, in partnership with Project STOMP, will offer four free Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings in northwest Iowa during February and early-March. The training is open to any individuals who work with youth and teens on a daily basis. Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches adults who work with 12-to-18-year-old youth the skills they need to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health issues, including: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and/or substance abuse problems. (The Globe)
National News
AHIP, hospitals ask Supreme Court to expedite review of ACA decision
Insurers, hospitals and hospital organizations have added their voices in support of the Affordable Care Act and the Supreme Court’s timely review of the validity of the law. America’s Health Insurance Plans and separately, 33 state hospital associations, the American Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, Catholic Health Association of the United States, Association of American Medical Colleges, and America’s Essential Hospitals, filed amicus, friend-of-the-court briefs urging the Supreme Court to review, during this term, the appeals court decision in Texas versus the United States. (Healthcare Finance News)
Nebraska could pave the way forward for Medicaid work requirements
Nebraska’s two-tiered approach to Medicaid expansion has spawned interest among health wonks because its work requirement could stand up to legal scrutiny. The Trump administration has been pushing states to adopt a Medicaid work requirement, claiming that such policies can improve people’s health outcomes by getting them to work more. Many red states were eager to pursue a work requirement because it aligns with the ideological commitments of conservative policymakers, but the courts have ruled against them so far. But Nebraska is tacking a new approach that circumvents one of the courts’ most pressing concerns with work requirements: Medicaid enrollment. (Modern Healthcare)
MedPAC recommends 3.3% raise for hospitals in 2021
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to recommend hospitals receive a 3.3% raise in 2021. The CMS has scheduled a 2.8% pay raise to hospitals for inpatient and outpatient services. MedPAC recommended that Congress increase net payments by 3.3% but change the structure of the pay boost to close the gap between reimbursement rates for physician offices and hospital outpatient departments. Commissioners also recommended giving hospitals incentives to reduce mortality and improve patient satisfaction by tying some of their raise to quality improvements. (Modern Healthcare)