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Connection Newsletter
By AzHHA Communications ● Aug 22, 2024
Smart Brevity® count: 3.5 mins...909 words
In this issue, read about:
- The 12-day timeframe remaining to get your registration discount for the 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference.
- Why AzHHA joined 25 hospital associations to file an amicus brief on Medicare DSH payments.
- A cyberthreat alert for the health sector.
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Don’t forget! Early bird deadline is Monday, Sept. 2, 2024
The bottom line: The early bird deadline for the 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference is fast approaching.
Remember, the 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference will once again be held at the exquisite Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson on Oct. 16-18, 2024.
The big picture: View the 2-and-a-half-day conference agenda here, including breakout session tracks with best practices in leadership workforce, policy and hospital finance.
Don’t delay! Register by Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, to take advantage of the early bird discount.
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AzHHA joins other hospital associations in filing an amicus brief on Medicare DSH payments
Last week, AzHHA joined 25 other hospital associations in filing an amicus brief urging the correction of the Medicare disproportionate share (DSH) calculation.
Why it matters: In order to be eligible for the DSH payment, uncompensated care payment and 340B Program participation, 15% or more days most be attributable to either: 1) Patients eligible for Medicare Part A supplemental security income (SSI) or 2) Patients eligible for Medicaid but not Medicare Part A.
- Unfortunately, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) currently misinterprets the formula set by Congress, thereby undercounting the number of SSI-eligible days and thereby the DSH fraction.
- Altogether the loss in payments is estimated at more than $9 billion annually to help care for treating the most vulnerable low-income adults in the country.
What’s next: The Supreme Court will review whether HHS needs to revise its Medicare DHS formula.
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AzHHA comments on AHCCCS credentialing and re-credentialing process
Last week AzHHA submitted comments to AHCCCS on its Medical Policy Manual Policy 950 - Credentialing and Recredentialing Process.
AzHHA identified the following three items that would clarify the policy, lead to greater transparency and reduce administrative burden:
- State all items in the policy that are needed for a completed application to have uniform requirements. The policy requires minimum items but allows different health plans to include other items.
- Clarify that the contractor shall reimburse providers back to the date the provider submits the completed credentialing application as opposed to when the health plan deems the application complete - which could be much later.
- Require a certain period by which health plans need to inform providers that the application is complete or that additional information is needed.
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HHS alerts health sector to cyberthreat from Everest ransomware group
The Department of Health and Human Services Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) this week released an advisory about Everest, a ransomware-as-a-service group increasingly targeting the healthcare field. The group is known to access systems through compromised user accounts and common remote access tools.
“Yet another Russian-speaking ransomware group targets U.S. healthcare,” said John Riggi, AHA national advisor for cybersecurity and risk.
- “Everest appears to have morphed into what is known as an ‘initial access broker’ meaning their role in the underground Russian ransomware economy is to facilitate ransomware attacks by initially gaining unauthorized access to a victim organization through such means as credential theft. They then sell the unauthorized access to other gangs, who conduct the ransomware attack.
- It is noted that Everest, like other gangs, utilizes legitimate cybersecurity threat simulation tools such as Cobalt Strike to facilitate their attacks.
The bottom line: It is recommended that healthcare organizations set network monitoring tools to alert for Cobalt Strike activations, implement the recommended mitigations included in the alert, and implement the voluntary healthcare cybersecurity performance goals.”
For the latest cyber and risk resources and threat intelligence, visit aha.org/cybersecurity.
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Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 - Az HFMA Fall Conference
Join other healthcare financial experts for an exciting on-day conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. Hear from CFOs, revenue cycle experts, the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions and more. Register today.
Monday, Sept. 16, 2024 - Healthcare Recruitment and Retention Forum
This event will explore healthcare recruitment and retention challenges and solutions, including generational differences in preferences for employment. Shifts in Human Resource practices - including those for Access and Functional Needs populations - will also be discussed. Learn more and register.
Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 - The Path to Complete Care Symposium
At this event, learn how spirituality can impact physical healing through presentations by one featured speaker and six breakout presenters. Six CMEs are available through Creighton University. Registration is free for medical professionals. Register now.
Oct. 16-18 - 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference
The 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference will once again be held at the exquisite Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson on Oct. 16-18. This will be an inspirational gathering of more than 200 hospital and healthcare executives seeking opportunities for continuing education, meaningful discussion and relationship building. Register by Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, to receive an early bird discount.
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