CMS Issues Proposed Mental Health Parity Rule for Medicaid, CHIP

CMS has issued a proposed rule that would "align mental health and substance use disorder benefits for low-income Americans with benefits required of private health plans and insurance," according to a press release from the agency.

The proposed rule would apply certain provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 to both Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Under the proposed rule:

• All beneficiaries who receive services through managed care organizations (MCOs) or alternative benefit plans would receive access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits, regardless of whether services are provided through MCOs or another service delivery system
• Plans must make the criteria for medical necessity determinations for mental health and substance abuse disorders available to beneficiaries and contracting providers 
• States would be required to make available to enrollees the reasons for any denial of reimbursement or payment for services related to mental health and substance use 
• States would still have flexibility in providing services through managed care delivery mechanisms other than Medicaid MCOs and must ensure that Medicaid MCO enrollees receive parity in services from these groups

To read the press release, click here.

Researchers: Reagan's Speeches Reveal Alzheimer's Clues

Researchers at Arizona State University say they have uncovered subtle hints of early dementia in some of the speeches Ronald Reagan gave before he was formally diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994.

Specifically, the researchers uncovered anomalies in the President's speeches, such as use of repetitive words and substituting nonspecific terms such as "thing" for specific nouns. To uncover the patterns, they used an algorithm that analyzes changes in speech patterns.

The researchers point out that their findings do not provide any evidence that Reagan was impaired while he was in office. Instead, they hope their results could provide tools to spot the disease years before symptoms become clinically evident.

To learn more, click here.

QIOP Progress Report: Nursing Homes Reducing Adverse Drug Events, Pressure Ulcers, More

A new progress report from CMS's Quality Improvement Organization Program revealed significant reductions in adverse drug events, catheter use, wounds, the use of restraints and more. The Quality Improvement Organization Program is a five-year effort designed to enhance the quality of services that Medicare beneficiaries receive.

According to the report, the following achievements were accomplished in the more than 5,000  nursing homes participating in the program:

• 44,640 potential adverse drug events were prevented
• In 787 facilities, 3,374 pressure ulcers were prevented or healed
• 6,250 Medicare beneficiaries in 981 facilities are now restraint free 
• Medicare beneficiaries saw 85,149 fewer days with urinary catheters 

To learn more, click here.

Spotlight on Sharps Safety

Needlestick injuries are a serious concern in healthcare, with an estimated 5.6 million healthcare workers being at risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and others.1 Are you doing everything you can to protect yourself and your employees?

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the CDC, recommends that healthcare employees take the following steps to protect themselves from needlestick injuries2:

• Avoid using needles when safe and effective alternatives are available
• Help your facility leaders select and evaluate devices with safety features
• Use the devices with safety features provided by your employer
• Avoid recapping needles
• Plan for safe handling and disposal before beginning any procedure involving needles
• Dispose of used needles promptly in appropriate sharps disposal containers
• Report all needlestick and other sharps-related injuries promptly to ensure you receive appropriate follow-up care
• Tell your employer about any hazards from needles that you see in the work environment
• Take part in bloodborne pathogen training and follow recommended infection prevention practices, including Hepatitis B vaccination

In addition to the steps listed above, NIOSH recommends healthcare employers do the following2:

• Analyze needlestick and other sharps-related injuries in the workplace to identify hazards and injury trends
• Set priorities and strategies for prevention by examining local and national information on needlestick injury risk factors and successful intervention efforts
• Ensure workers are properly trained on safely using and disposing of needles
• Modify work practices that pose a needlestick injury risk to make them safer
• Promote safety awareness in your facility
• Establish procedures for and encourage the timely reporting and follow-up of all needlestick and sharps-related injuries
• Evaluate the effectiveness of prevention efforts and provide feedback on performance

Professional Medical stocks safety syringes and sharps disposal systems to protect your residents and employees. To learn more, contact your ProMed territory manager, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or visit us online at promedsupply.com for additional information.

References
1 Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Needlestick/Sharps Injuries. Available at: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/sharps/sharps.html. Accessed March 26, 2015.

2 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ALERT: Preventing Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Settings. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2000-108/pdfs/2000-108.pdf. Accessed March 26, 2015. 

Counting Down to National Nurses Week 2015

We are exactly one month out from National Nurses Week 2015! Have you started planning how your facility will celebrate?

This year, National Nurses Week will be celebrated May 6-12. The theme of the celebration is "Ethical Practice. Quality Care."

If you're looking for ways to honor the nurses at your facility, you can download the National Nurses Week 2015 Resource Toolkit here.

To learn more about National Nurses Week, which is sponsored by the American Nurses Association, click here.

ProMed Easter Closure Reminder

As a reminder, ProMed will be closed on Friday, April 3 in honor of Good Friday/Easter.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Customer Care Team at (800) 648-5190.

SCOTUS: Providers Not Allowed to Sue for Higher Medicaid Rates

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-4 vote that Medicaid residential providers cannot sue for higher reimbursements in order to address escalating costs.

The case originated in 2009 in Idaho, where providers sued the state over Medicaid reimbursements not keeping pace with rising medical costs.

To learn more, click here.