Monthly Archives: May 2013

05.16.13
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Check out this amazing post by a prominent child health advocate on WBUR’s CommHealth blog about the proposed closing of desperately needed child psychiatric beds by the Cambridge Health Alliance. This is must reading for anyone who cares about access to mental health services for the most vulnerable children in the Commonwealth. Visit the blog and add your own comment about the need to preserve this vital service

Silence As Kids’ Psych Beds Cut; What If Cancer Or Burn Beds?
 
The CDC has just released a report on the prevalence of mental illness among Americ…

05.16.13
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Tavenner to Lead Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

The American Nurses Association (ANA) and PSNA applauded today’s vote by the Senate to confirm Marilyn Tavenner, MHA, BSN, RN, as the permanent head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Tavenner, a former Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse, has served as chief executive officer of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and was Virginia’s secretary of Health and Human Resources under former Governor Tim Kaine.

“Tavenner’s nursing expertise, along with her public and private sector experience, will enable her to continue providing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with the leadership needed to guide our health care system during this time of great change,” says ANA President Karen A. Daley, PhD, RN, FAAN. “CMS is an agency that touches the lives of all Americans, through the Medicare, Medicaid, and children’s health insurance programs and other vital functions. With this confirmation vote, CMS is getting a superb leader who understands the need to expand patient access to high quality health care.”

Tavenner joined CMS in February 2010 and became acting administrator in December 2011. Tavenner’s confirmation marks the first time CMS has had a permanent administrator since Mark McClellan resigned in 2006.

 

05.15.13
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Holding California private non-profit hospitals accountable for Charity Care

Call on the California legislature to:

  • Hold California private non-profit hospitals accountable to actually meet their obligation to provide charity care and community benefit in exchange for the billions of dollars they receive in subsidies as a result of their tax exempt status.

The California Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file hearing will decide the fate of a CNA sponsored bill on May 24th.

Charity Care Accountability

AB 975, by Assembly members Bob Wieckowski of Fremont and Rob Bonta of Oakland takes on the abuse of charity care obligations by many of California’s biggest nonprofit hospital chains, like Sutter and Kaiser, that are rewarded with nearly $2 billion in tax exempt benefits beyond what they return to communities.

AB 975 would

  • Clearly define charity care to ensure it is care for the poor, not marketing, cutting of services or other schemes, and redefine genuine community benefit, and assure greater public transparency.

TAKE ACTION!

Contact Assembly Appropriations Committee before May 24th, and tell them:

“I’m a nurse and a member of CNA (or a patient) and I pass AB 975 off the suspense file which will improve healthcare delivery and transparency in California.”

Appropriations Committee Members:

Chairman Mike Gatto (Glendale/Los Angeles) P. 916-319-2043 email 

Assembly Member Raul Bocanegra (San Fernando Valley) P.9 16-319-2039 email

Assembly Member Steve Bradford (Gardena/South Los Angeles County) P. 916-319-2062 email

Assembly Member Ian Calderon (Whittier) P. 916-319-2057 email

Assembly Member Nora Campos (San Jose) P. 916-319-2027 email

Assembly Member Susan Eggman (Stockton) P. 916-319-2013 email

Assembly Member Jimmy Gomez  (Echo Park/Los Angeles) P. 916-319-2051  email

Assembly Member Isadore Hall (Compton/South Los Angeles) P. 916-319-2064 email

Assembly Member Nate Holden (Pasadena) P. 916-319-2041 email

Assembly Member Richard Pan, M.D. (Sacramento) P. 916-319-2009 email

Assembly Member Bill Quirk (Hayward) P. 916-319-2020 email

Assembly Member Shirley Weber (San Diego) P. 916-319-2079 email

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05.15.13
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MNA NewsScan, May 15, 2013: RN supply/demand gap to be 1.2M by 2020

NOTES ON NURSING

Federal Report Shows Wide Disparity in Nursing Supply   The U.S. Nursing Workforce Report issued by the Health Resources and  Services Administration National Center for Health Workforce Analysis predicts continuing shortages as more than 500,000 RNs are expected to retire within the next seven years.

HEALTH CARE

One-Third of Patients Willing to Change Doctors to Save Money Respondents also were asked how much money they would need to save annually to make that switch. Thirty-four percent thought keeping down out-of-pocket insurance costs was more important than retaining their doctors.

Angelina Jolie:  My Medical Choice   It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women.  Related:  Jolie’s Procedure Shows Harsh Choices Women Face   The $3,000 cost of the screening test may be an “obstacle for many women” without health insurance,

California Hospital Charges are 4.5 Times Their Cost    The hospital industry typically seeks to dismiss reports on the massive disparity between its costs and charges insisting that few actually pay the “list” price, and insists the charges are “random” when in fact there are distinct patterns in the pricing practices.   Related:  Miami Hospitals Plan to Release More Cost Data    Once a closely-held competitive secret, hospital prices are beginning to shake loose from the grips of healthcare executives in the wake of last week’s unprecedented move by the federal government to publicly share what hospitals bill Medicare for the most common diagnoses and treatments.

LABOR UPDATES

Record Debate Yields Victory for Care Workers’ Unionization   An all-night, 17-hour debate prompted by furious GOP opposition ended with a victory for unions seeking to organize care-workers on Wednesday.