House Appropriations Committee releases the draft FY 2013 LHHS funding bill
by Erin Mahn
July 17, 2012 (Rural Health Voices) - The House Appropriations Committee released the draft fiscal year 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) funding bill, which will be considered by the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies tomorrow.
The draft bill includes $150 billion in discretionary funding, $6.3 billion below last year’s level and $8.8 billion below the President’s budget request. This funding level is more than $2 billion below the amount provided in fiscal year 2009.
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USDA Announces Federal Resource Guide to Assist Rural Communities
July 23, 2012 (RAConline.org > Online Library > News) - USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today announced the publication of a guide outlining programs the federal government has available to support rural communities as they promote economic development and enhance the quality of life for rural residents.
"Rural communities across the country are working hard to build their economies and provide services to their residents," Tonsager said during a speech here today at a conference of the National Rural Economic Developers Association. "Creating great places to live, raise families, provide recreational opportunities, and infrastructure for high paying jobs in rural America is very important to the Obama Administration and our efforts at USDA. This publication will provide easy, one-stop access to federal programs."
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The Lifespan of Rural Women in 2009
by Bill Bishop and Roberto Gallardo
July 23, 2012 (The Daily Yonder) - The average age at death for rural and exurban women is lower than the national average in four out of five rural counties. The average age at death for women in the U.S. in 2009 was 81.3 years. But that age was reached in only 540 rural or exurban counties in 2009 out of more than 2,500.
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Health care exchanges critical for Wisconsin’s farmers and rural communities
by Darin Von Ruden
July 21, 2012 (The Cap Times) - There’s been a lot of hubbub regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Wisconsin Farmers Union supports the Supreme Court’s decision because it is good for our farm families, rural neighbors, and all Americans. Though the law is far from perfect, it is a huge step in the right direction for family farmers and rural communities to get access to dependable, affordable health care.
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Cloud computing expected to grow rapidly in health care
by Emily Berry
July 23, 2012 (amednews.com) - Cloud computing experts say health care is about to follow other industries in embracing cloud-based computing as a way to share information, cut costs and conduct business faster.
“We have an outlook and expectation of very high growth,” said Barry Mason, vice president for global health care payers at IBM. “There are a lot of drivers behind cloud computing itself, and there’s a tremendous opportunity for all stakeholders in health care. We do see a dramatic shift in spending toward cloud computing.”
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Why telemedicine must become a healthcare priority in America
by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.) and State Senator Sharon Weston-Broome (D-La.)
July 19, 2012 (The Hill) - A snapshot of the current state of America’s health landscape from the Centers for Disease Control Health Disparities and Inequalities Report paints a very bleak picture. The report indicates that approximately 38 percent of African American women with coronary heart disease die before the age 75, compared to only 19.4 percent of Caucasian women. The statistics are far worse for African American men with coronary heart disease, with close to 62 percent dying before the age of 75 – a number that exceeds Caucasian men’s rate, which currently stands at 41.5 percent.
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Appointments to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
July 20, 2012 (The Federal Register) - Newly appointed members are Alice Coombs, MD, Critical Care Specialist and Anesthesiologist, South Shore Hospital; Jack Hoadley, Ph.D., Research Professor, Health Policy Institute, Georgetown University; David Nerenz, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research, Henry Ford Health System; Rita Redberg, MD, Professor, Clinical Medicine, University of California at San Francisco Medical Center; and Craig Samitt, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dean Health System, Inc.. Their terms will expire in April 2015. The reappointed member is Glenn M. Hackbarth, J.D., (chair).
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Medicare Meaningful Use Incentives: A Confusing Minefield for Critical Access
July 23, 2012 (National Rural Health Resource Center) - Critical access hospitals (CAH) need to be aware of what is eligible for Medicare Meaningful Use incentives, and it can be confusing. Sure, we need to purchase a certified electronic health records (EHR), but the incentives for Medicare specify that CAHs can get a portion of the "reasonable costs" of acquiring certified technology. There are several catches (just read the FAQ 10163 and you will see what I mean). Here are some very important considerations when signing a contract for an EHR, whether from a vendor or a larger hospital system offering a great deal on their system.
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HHS: Hospitals ignoring requirements to report errors
by Kelly Kennedy
July 23, 2012 (USA Today) - Hospitals are ignoring state regulations that require them to report cases in which medical care harmed a patient, making it almost impossible for health care providers to identify and fix preventable problems, a report to be released today by the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general shows.
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Rural Mo. town serves as health care experiment
by David Lieb
July 9, 2012 (OPB news) - Polishing off his pork and beans at the local senior center, Gentry Malcom politely passes on the peas and broccoli still sitting on his plastic food tray. He's finished eating, but not done talking about how a heart attack nearly killed him a decade ago.
Malcom is still upset about a $1,600 co-payment — that took three years to pay off — for a life-saving helicopter ride from his rural hospital to a better-equipped facility in a bigger city. He's quit smoking. But his diet hasn't changed dramatically. Exercise? "I have an excellent muscle on my clicker finger for the TV control," quips Malcom, a 69-year-old diabetic who retired after a career at a state mental hospital.
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