BBA relief on horizon for 2001- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
BBA relief on horizon for 2001- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
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January 19, 2001
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In This Issue:
The Tradition Continues
First Chair in Cardiac Surgery
BBA relief on horizon for 2001
Pike Notes
Who's News
Ask Yourself: Are You Ready for JCAHO?
Spanish Classes for Health Care Providers
HR Update
Special Winter Perk
Finally, BWH and other Massachusetts hospitals will soon experience some financial relief, courtesy of the Benefits Improvement and Protection Act (BIPA). Solid lobbying efforts of BWH and Partners played a role in bringing about this Balanced Budget Act (BBA) relief. In December, negotiators from the White House and Capitol Hill reached an agreement that would provide relief from the drastic cuts imposed by the BBA. The relief package includes $36.7 billion over the next five years. The House of Representatives and the Senate approved the bill Dec. 15, and President Clinton signed it into law Dec. 18. It is estimated that this BBA relief bill will bring $3 million for Brigham and Women’s/Faulkner Hospitals for fiscal year 2001 and a total of $16 million over five years. For the entire Partners system, the bill is estimated to bring $10.6 million for fiscal year 2001 and a total of $54 million over the next five years. According to the Massachusetts Hospital Association, the legislation will provide $259 million in relief to Massachusetts hospitals during the next five years. Hospitals in the Commonwealth collectively lost more than $250 million in 2000. Among the parts of the bill most beneficial to BWH are the inflation update for hospital inpatient services and stabilized payments for the hospital’s indirect medical education (IME) costs. For more information about the BBA relief package, contact Deborah Colton at dcolton@partners.org