State Blocks Plan To Close Connecticut Maternity Ward
The maternity ward at Windham Hospital had been scheduled for permanent closure, but the state Office of Health Strategy denied the application. In Medicaid news, St. Anthony Hospital is allowed to sue Illinois over delayed payments. Also: "phantom" doctors, the Epic-Tata lawsuit and more.
AP:
State Office Denies Plan To Permanently Close Maternity Ward
Hartford Healthcare said Wednesday it is reviewing its legal options after the state Office of Health Strategy this week denied the health system’s application to permanently close the decades-old maternity ward at Windham Hospital. (7/6)
The CT Mirror:
Request To Close Windham Hospital's Birthing Unit Gets Initial Denial
Attorney General William Tong, who submitted comments to the Office Health Strategy expressing his concerns about the application to close the unit, applauded the initial decision Wednesday. “This is the right decision for the health and safety of mothers and babies in the Windham area. Asking parents to travel another 25-45 minutes to undergo a major medical procedure at a different hospital would have created an additional burden and risk. I thank the Office of Health Strategy for carefully considering these critical factors, and for this draft decision,” Tong said. (Golvala, 7/6)
In Medicaid news —
Crain's Chicago Business:
St. Anthony Hospital Can Sue Illinois Over Medicaid Payments
Most of St. Anthony’s patients are on Medicaid, a government-run program for the poor and disabled. The hospital claimed at the time of its original suit that it was in financial distress, losing about 98% of its cash reserves, allegedly because managed care organizations had delayed and reduced Medicaid payments. As of February 2020, St. Anthony said it was missing more than $20 million in payments. (Davis, 7/6)
Fierce Healthcare:
Study Finds Rampant 'Phantom' Docs On Medicaid Network Directories In Oregon
A new study found most network directory listings in Oregon’s Medicaid program were “phantom” providers that didn’t take Medicaid payments. The findings outlined in a study in Health Affairs published Tuesday comes as the Senate is exploring how to tackle pay parity between mental and behavioral health as well as network adequacy for mental health providers. (King, 7/6)
KHN:
Feds Want A Policy That Advocates Say Would Let Hospitals Off The Hook For Covid-Era Lapses
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is responding to the chaos of the covid-19 pandemic by proposing to hide from the public a rating that lets consumers compare hospitals’ safety records and to waive approximately $350 million in financial penalties for roughly 750 hospitals with the worst patient-safety track records. CMS’ chief medical officer, Dr. Lee Fleisher, said those safety metrics were not designed to properly account for how a pandemic, with its patient surges and workforce shortages, might affect hospital systems. (Weber, 7/7)
On electronic health records —
Modern Healthcare:
Court Slashes Punitive Damages In Epic-Tata Trade Secrets Suit
The court order filed Friday marks the latest chapter in the electronic health records vendor's legal fight against India-based information-technology services and consulting firm Tata Consultancy Services. In 2016, a jury awarded Epic Systems $940 million, but subsequent court actions have substantially reduced the amount Tata must pay. A federal appeals court previously ruled that punitive damages should not exceed the amount of compensatory damages, which is also $140 million. (Kim Cohen, 7/6)
