tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261073102008-07-17T20:32:47.336-04:00David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comBlogger596125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-37713059977121163512008-07-17T20:32:00.001-04:002008-07-17T20:32:32.343-04:00

Healthcare IT News reports that HHS has imposed a $100,000 civil penalty on Providence Health and Services of Seattle for HIPAA violations. "The violation, involving unprotected backup tapes, optical disks and laptops three years ago, compromised the protected health information of more than 386,000 patients, HHS officials said." I don't recall HHS previously exercising its civil penalty

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-43923516583813318142008-07-16T19:29:00.001-04:002008-07-16T19:29:17.760-04:00

Government Executive reports today that "Springer will join Ernst & Young's government and public sector advisory services practice as an executive director."

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-90857972398607300362008-07-15T19:07:00.001-04:002008-07-15T19:07:06.154-04:00

Congress voted to override the President's veto of the Medicare fix bill (HR 6331) today, according to the Washington Post. Hopefully, this means that the new law will be implemented in a manner that does not require FEHB carriers to adjust Medicare secondary claims.

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-18573455762643911142008-07-15T18:53:00.001-04:002008-07-15T18:53:16.305-04:00

The Federal Times reports that OPM Director Linda Springer has resigned effective August 13. Deputy Director Howard Weizmann will fill the position for the remainder of the Bush administration.

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-50018198681588059282008-07-15T18:44:00.001-04:002008-07-15T18:44:36.667-04:00

"The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the AARP today released two new checklists designed to help men and women over the age of 50 learn what they can do to stay healthy and prevent disease." It's good information for FEHB Program enrollees who tend to be over 50, like me.

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-62835933694249614722008-07-13T18:45:00.002-04:002008-07-13T19:05:34.947-04:00

News reports indicate that President Bush may veto the Medicare fix bill which Congress enacted last week with veto proof margins. However, both of the Republican Senators from Texas have announced that they would vote to override any veto. CMS has said that it will hold claims with July dates of service until Tuesday. Robert Pear of the New York Times reported on why it is so difficult to

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-18572432507593224052008-07-09T20:49:00.003-04:002008-07-09T21:30:03.536-04:00

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D Mass) returned briefly to the Senate floor tonight to vote in favor of ending Senate debate over the House version of the Medicare fix bill. The Senate voted in favor cloture and the House bill by a veto proof 69-30 margin. The Medicare fix bill will avoid the 10.6% cut in Medicare reimbursement to doctors that was scheduled to take effect on July 1 and an additional 5% cut

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-4670784748691515682008-07-08T18:47:00.000-04:002008-07-08T18:48:18.482-04:00

According to an AP report, "For the first time, an influential doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems."

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-27959301743231328522008-07-06T11:23:00.003-04:002008-07-06T12:27:26.147-04:00

I hope that everyone is enjoying the 4th of July holiday weekend. OPM announced last week that on June 26 the agency established a working group with OPM's Office of the Inspector General and develop steps to strengthen the controls and oversight of the FEHB Program.The New York Times reports today on the cost efficacy issues raised by use of Genetech's blockbuster specialty drug Avastin.

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-90366193122324318092008-07-03T22:24:00.002-04:002008-07-03T22:28:23.531-04:00

BNA joins Business Insurance in reporting that the House and Senate negotiators have resolved all of the benefit policy issues that had distinguished their respective mental health parity bills. The House dropped its position that health plans must cover all mental illnesses identified by the American Psychiatric Association and adopted the Senate's effective date (2010 if enacted this year). The

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-699854490293725942008-07-01T18:32:00.002-04:002008-07-01T18:35:45.417-04:00

The Washington Post reports that "The nation's two electronic prescription networks plan to announce today that they are merging in an effort to encourage the adoption of their technology by doctors and patients." Interestingly, the merger is between "SureScripts [which] is owned by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and National Community Pharmacists Association [and] RxHub [which- is

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-91724614164346240312008-06-29T11:33:00.004-04:002008-07-01T18:31:31.771-04:00

Congress recessed for the Fourth of July holiday without approving a Medicare doctor reimbursement fix bill. HHS announced that it will temporarily freeze Medicare doctor reimbursement rates according to the Washington Post. "Congressional aides said the freeze could last 10 days."The IRS released additional health savings account/high deductible health plan guidance on June 25. "Notice 2008-

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-51289212630390566652008-06-25T18:42:00.004-04:002008-07-01T18:42:01.971-04:00

The Markle Foundation's Connecting for Health Program framework for protecting the privacy and security of electronic personal health records has gained the support of Microsoft, Google, WebMD, the American Medical Association, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and American's Health Insurance Plans ("AHIP") according to a press release. According to an AP report,The new "Connecting For

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-59406575611533906582008-06-24T21:49:00.002-04:002008-06-24T21:56:23.155-04:00

Earlier this month, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") published Notices 2008-51 and 2008-52. Notice 2008-51 "provides guidance on a qualified Health Savings Account ("HSA") funding distribution from an individual’s Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or Roth IRA to a Health Savings Account (HSA). The qualified HSA funding distribution is a one-time transfer from an individual’s IRA to his or

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-80502655922875647172008-06-24T21:45:00.002-04:002008-06-24T21:49:41.424-04:00

The House approved a Medicare fix bill today by a veto-proof margin. The National Journal reports that Senators Baucus and Grassley have reached a compromise that may lead to enactment of a law this month. According to the National Journal, Baucus did not discuss details of the compromise he worked out with Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley, but industry sources say the compromise

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-7725670398629439902008-06-23T20:37:00.001-04:002008-07-01T18:38:30.242-04:00

Your FEHBlog learned from the Business Insurance reporter that the House and Senate negotiators adopted the effective date provision from the Senate bill (S 558) which reads as follows:The provisions of this Act shall apply to group health plans (or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such plans) beginning in the first plan year that begins on or after January 1 of the first

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-68465471500063111172008-06-21T04:25:00.002-04:002008-06-21T04:35:25.810-04:00

Business Insurance reports that House and Senate negotiators have resolved the benefit related differences between the mental health parity bills that their respective chambers passed. Earlier the House backed off on its provision requiring health plans to cover all mental disorders identified by the American Psychiatric Association. According to Business Insurance, "Negotiators now have also

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-79093548596786303162008-06-20T10:47:00.002-04:002008-06-20T11:00:59.289-04:00

Mark your calendars now. The Indian generic drug manufacturer Ranbaxy has struck a deal with Pfizer to begin marketing a generic version of the blockbuster anti-cholesterol drug/statin Lipitor at the end of November 2011 according to the Financial Times. Ranbaxy will have 180 days of exclusive marketing rights to generic Lipitor. Daiichi Sankyo of Japan is seeking to acquire Ranbaxy. The Indian

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-77001425368820792162008-06-20T10:39:00.003-04:002008-07-01T18:47:21.047-04:00

AIS Health Business Daily reprinted today an interesting article on how health plans can help avoid security breaches. The article reads in part as follows: Health plan privacy and security officers interviewed by HPW say that while no information-protection system is totally foolproof, there are certain key steps plans can take to reduce significantly the risk of

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-35133892711663236812008-06-20T10:31:00.002-04:002008-06-20T10:39:01.185-04:00

The American Medical Association has announced that it will begin to rank health plans on the quality and timeliness of their claims administration according to the Chicago Tribune. The AMA believes that their ratings will serve as a counterpoint to health plan on-line ratings of physicians. However, the AMA News reports this week that relatively few people select their physicians by using these

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-76061690741064735412008-06-16T04:46:00.002-04:002008-06-16T04:58:53.446-04:00

Last week, the Senate continued to debate, but made no real progress toward adopting, a Medicare bill that would avoid a 10.6% cut to physician reimbursement on July 1. CMS has warned that any reimbursement change will have to be made retroactively if a law is not passed by June 16.The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology awarded Booz Allen Hamilton a $450,000

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-20070315757938157302008-06-10T21:58:00.003-04:002008-06-10T22:07:31.007-04:00

FCW.com reports that On June 6, the Bush administration issued an executive order saying that all companies hired to perform work for federal agencies must use an electronic verification system to ensure that their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States. On June 9, the Homeland Security Department designated its online E-Verify system for use in the verification process. The

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-25484393376492419872008-06-08T16:51:00.002-04:002008-06-08T17:10:02.120-04:00

Modern Healthcare Online reports that Sen. Max Baucus (D Mont), the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, has released his "Medicare reform" bill that would retain the current 0.5% increase in doctor reimbursement from Medicare in 2008 and allow a 1.1% increase in 2009. This is higher than the increase that Sen. Baucus initially proposed. Absent the enactment of this legislation, a 10.6%

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-15448897105273917342008-06-06T22:01:00.002-04:002008-06-06T22:11:08.482-04:00

Government Health IT reported on the June 4, 2008, House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on the bipartisan health information technology bill that has emerged from the leadership of that committee. What caught my eye were two points: (1) that the Bush Administration warned that The adoption of health IT standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria through

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26107310.post-90070287083642131102008-06-03T22:04:00.002-04:002008-06-03T22:14:41.813-04:00

Last December, Congress provided doctors, who were facing a 10.6% cut in Medicare reimbursement, with a stay of execution that expires on June 30. The House of Representative's rules prevented a longer extension. (In fact, Congress gave doctors a 0.5% reimbursement boost for the first six months of 2008). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have warned Congress that unless a new

David Ermerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841542810249024908noreply@blogger.com