Regional Digest
Regional Digest
• According to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin gets less than other states for Medicare reimbursements, which means its Medicare recipients get fewer benefits. The situation, reported the Journal Sentinel, prompted Wisconsin to sue the federal government. Attorney General James Doyle, who brought the suit earlier in March, said the state came up $130 million a year short because of the federal formula.
• St. Thomas Hospital in Davidson County in Tennessee has pulled out of a home health business with Baptist Hospital, ending a joint venture that was designed to save them money and reach more patients. St. Thomas transferred ownership of its half of the home health company to Baptist in late February and will take a charge of $500,000 to $1 million on its books, reported the Tennessean. St. Thomas said, however, that it will continue to refer Davidson County patients to Baptist Home Care for home health services.
• The Visiting Nurse Association of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania is going out of business. The company cited difficulties with the Medicare payment system and competitive pressures from hospital-based providers as reasons for closing, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The agency began informing staff last week that it had stopped taking new clients and would spend the rest of this month transferring its existing caseload to other home service providers, the Post-Gazette reported. Nearly 75% of the agency’s patients are Medicare recipients.
• The Cass Medical Center Home Health Agency in Kansas City has been accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (Oakbrook Terrace, IL).
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