In Washington…
Bush budget released, with good news for hospitals—
For the first time in more than a decade, cuts in Medicare payments to hospitals is not a part of the President’s budget. In the budget blueprint President Bush released at the beginning of March, there are no significant Medicare reductions and some good news. President Bush endorsed the largest increase ever for NIH by proposing a $2.8 billion increase for fiscal year 2002, he included a $100 million increase in funding for substance abuse and mental health services and he proposed a $124 million increase in funds for community and migrant health centers. A Medicare prescription drug benefit, reforming HCFA operations, and a review of the HHS research agenda will also be priorities.
And on Beacon Hill…
MGH and BWH nurse executives make the case for nursing legislation—
At the end of February, BWH’s Nancy Kruger and MGH’s Jeanette Ives Erickson sat down with Senate Health Committee Chairman Richard Moore to talk about his nursing legislation and offer Partners help in advancing the bills. Moore has proposed a combination of scholarships, loan forgiveness, and mentoring programs as an initial step toward addressing the nursing shortage. Kruger and Ives Erickson testified later in March at hearings on the bill.
Boston teaching hospital CEOs brief the Boston
delegation on Medicaid and the uncompensated care pool—
During the last week in February, 10 Boston hospital CEOs sat down for lunch with a number of House and Senate members of the Boston delegation for a frank talk about the inadequacy of Medicaid reimbursements and the need for shared responsibility in financing the uncompensated care pool. The session was hosted by Speaker
Tom Finneran and Rep. Kevin Honan. Representing Partners were Jeff Otten, David Trull, Samuel Thier, MD, James Mongan, MD and Tom Durant, MD.
Speaker Finneran’s annual address mentions hospital issues—
Massachusetts House Speaker Tom Finneran (D-Boston) said in his annual address to citizens of the Commonwealth that investing in health care is among his priority agenda items for the legislative session. Finneran’s two specific proposals focused on expanding dental coverage for uninsured and low-income patients, and expanding comprehensive health coverage for breast and cervical cancers.
Worth noting—
The all-important February state tax collections were announced and showed a five percent increase over last February. Although revenue collections are slipping, they are still running $250 million ahead of projections. It’s a coincidence that the hospital agenda for the year—Medicaid rates and pool relief—costs exactly that amount.