The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and her agencies are reporting these events, updates and deadlines for providers and hospitals. The agencies include the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ).
From HHS
Health departments across the country will receive more than $840 million in cooperative agreements from HHS to improve and sustain emergency preparedness of state and local public health and health care systems. The cooperative agreement funds are distributed through two federal preparedness programs: the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) programs. Nationwide, HHS awarded a total of $228.5 million for HPP and $611 million for PHEP in fiscal year 2015.
HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell and Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced a nationwide sweep led by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in 17 districts, resulting in charges against 243 individuals, including 46 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $712 million in false billings. Most defendants charged and largest alleged loss amount in Strike Force history.
From the AHRQ
2015 AHRQ Research Conference
Register for this year’s AHRQ Research Conference October 4-6, “Producing Evidence and Engaging Partners to Improve Health Care” at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Crystal City, Virginia. The conference, which is being co-hosted by AcademyHealth, will bring together authorities in health care research and policy to participate in sessions focused on addressing today’s challenges in improving quality, safety, access and value in health care. In addition, AHRQ and AcademyHealth will team with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to hold sessions October 6 that will address key issues in dissemination and implementation of patient-centered outcomes research.
AHRQ’s State Snapshots Measure Health Care Quality, Access State By State
The overall quality and safety of health care are improving. But which states are showing the most improvement in which areas of care? AHRQ’s annual State Snapshots provide easy-to-read charts on the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement in each state and the District of Columbia. The State Snapshots allow users to analyze data from their state in various ways, including types and settings of care, or by select clinical conditions, insurance status, access to care and priority populations.
From CMS
MLN National Provider Call
When: Thursday, August 27, 2015, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Register for this event.
Countdown to ICD-10 – five weeks before ICD-10 implementation on October 1, 2015. Sue Bowman from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and Nelly Leon-Chisen from the American Hospital Association (AHA) will be joining us with coding guidance and tips, along with updates from CMS.
Hospital Quality Reporting Program Webinars
CMS is hosting webinars that will summarize the impact of the FY 2016 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS), Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Final Rule on Hospital Quality Reporting Programs. These presentations have been approved for one continuing education (CE) credit each. Complete details are available below:
- August 27, 2-3 p.m. ET Cancer Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program – Register
- September 2, 2-3:30 p.m. ET Hospital Quality Inpatient Reporting Program – Register
From ONC
5th Annual Consumer Health IT Summit
Join the ONC in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, October 1st, for this all-day meeting to celebrate important advancements in health IT that can equip individuals with information and technology to advance a patient-centered learning health system. Learn how health IT can deliver better health, smarter spending and healthier people. The Summit will bring together federal and private sector leaders who are working to enable consumers to become involved partners in their health via health IT. Register to day, the event is free but first come first served.