The Benefits of Membership

Transcription

1 The Benefits f Membership KaMMCO Bard Renews Lyalty Award Dividend Prgram KaMMCO is excited t annunce the Bard f Directrs vted unanimusly t cntinue the Lyalty Award Dividend Prgram in KaMMCO s success ver the years is, in n small measure, attributable t the lyalty it has enjyed frm the members f the Kansas Medical Sciety and the Kansas Hspital Assciatin. Full prgram details can be fund at ELM Exchange is nw Med-IQ; nline educatin use high in 2017 ELM Exchange, KaMMCO s risk management nline educatin partner, is nw part f Med-IQ. While the educatinal prgram has nt changed, KaMMCO members may ntice the new name and branding. The nline educatin cntent and site functinality remains the same. In 2017, nearly 300 KaMMCO members cmpleted their first nline curse, and nearly 600 tk tw r mre curses. The userfriendly curses can be accessed 24/7 frm any cmputer (r mbile device) with internet capability. Curses cmpleted by September 30, 2017, ffered participants a 2 percent premium credit tward 2018 plicy renewal, as well as CME. Watch fr all new curses cming in early 2018! KaMMCO Fall Lss Preventin Participatin High Fr 2016 Fall Lss Preventin, KaMMCO changed frm its past practice f ffering presentatins in 8-10 lcatins acrss the state n as many different dates. Instead, KaMMCO ffered members a live presentatin by a natinal speaker, and vide-streamed the live presentatin t fur lcatins acrss the state. Participants were als given the pprtunity t attend the presentatin via webinar frm their wn ffice r hme. Regardless f hw members chse t access the prgramming, the new frmat as well as the tpic were well-received. Nearly 1,600 healthcare prfessinals attended r tuned-in n September 12 t the Hw t Lve Medicine Again presentatin by Starla Fitch, MD. Mre than 200 members chse t participate via webinar; 167 members jined team viewing events in their ffices; and mre than 600 members chse t view the recrded event n the KaMMCO website by Sept. 30. All viewing ptins allwed members t receive a 5 percent plicy premium discunt n their 2018 renewal. Hw t Lve Medicine Again recrding available Members wh may have missed KaMMCO s Fall Lss Preventin speaker Starla Fitch, MD, and her presentatin n Hw t Lve Medicine Again, nw have the pprtunity t watch the presentatin n KaMMCO s website. Beginning January 1, the recrding will be available n the website fr a limited time fr members wh sign-in with their username and passwrd. Watch the vide here: Preventin-2017.aspx?tab=1&VideID= January 1

2 Charging Interest n Medical Bills By Ylanda Sims, JD, MHA Lss Preventin & Risk Management Advisr Is yur practice cnsidering charging interest n medical bills in 2018? If s, patients receiving medical services must be given prper ntice befre interest r finance charges can be assessed n a delinquent accunt. The requirement fr ntificatin cmes frm the Federal Truth in Lending Act and it ensures cnsumers are being treated fairly by businesses in the marketplace. The American Medical Assciatin (AMA) als prvides an ethical pinin addressing interest and finance charges. The Cde f Medical Ethics Opinin states t preserve patients dignity and help sustain the patient-physician relatinship, physicians shuld be candid abut financial matters and: (a) Clearly ntify patients in advance abut plicy and practice with respect t delinquent accunts, including under what circumstances: Payment will be requested at the time f service. Interest r finance charges may be levied. A past due accunt will be sent t a cllectin agency. (b) Ensure that n bills are sent t cllectin withut the physician s knwledge. (c) Use discretin and cmpassin in hardship cases, in keeping with ethics guidance regarding financial barriers t healthcare access. Befre charging interest n delinquent patient accunts, keep the AMA s guidance and the fllwing tips in mind: Make sure all plicies and prcedures used fr cllectins are in cmpliance with state and federal laws. Please nte that Medicare and sme gvernment funded accunts may nt be charged a finance fee. Prvide written disclsures t patients cncerning finance charges and ther fees that may be assessed t their accunt. Cnsider payment arrangements. Charging interest n medical bills may nt yield the result intended which is prmpt payment. This is especially true, if the patient des nt have the financial means t pay. D nt be quick t judge. A patient s accunt may becme delinquent fr a variety f reasns including a simple versight. Telemedicine Services What t knw befre yu begin By Cnnie Christian, MBA, CPHRM Facility Risk Management and Patient Safety Advisr Part I: Telemedicine services and tls cntinue t increase rapidly. In a 2017 survey Accenture ntes f the American respndents, 21% had used telemedicine services r tls and 78% wuld like t use telemedicine services and tls t track health indicatrs such as bld pressure, pulse and glucse levels with technlgy, t use telemedicine fr fllw-up appintments, and t be remtely examined fr nn-urgent health cncerns. 1 The cntinued increases in 1 Jnah Cmstck, Feb. 9, 2017 Strategies prvided in this article are adapted frm ASHRM Annual cnference prgram prvided by Emily Clegg, JD, MBA, Senir Risk and Patient Safety Cnsultant, UMIA Insurance Inc January 2

3 telemedicine use can be attributed t the benefits it brings in access t care, specialized services unavailable in the lcal area, and decreased travel time and stress t patients. A prminent questin frm healthcare prviders acrss the natin is whether telemedicine will increase expsure t prfessinal liability events. Currently it is difficult t determine hw a prvider s liability expsure will be affected due t minimal claims data in this area. As with any new service, research will be vital t success. Belw are a few lss preventin strategies that shuld be cnsidered prir t implementing a telemedicine/e-visit service. Is licensure apprpriate? Regulatins are changing rapidly regarding ut-f-state telemedicine medical licensure. Sme states require full licensure, while thers ffer a telemedicine nly license, and sme are silent n the issue. It is imperative t keep up t date n the regulatins f the state(s) yu are cnsidering ffering telemedicine services. Are patients asked where they are lcated? Has licensure been verified fr patient lcatins? Are there lcal prescribing rules? Has the credentialing prcess been included in the plan? Will a patient-prvider relatinship be created? Definitins differ at the state level as t when a patient-prvider relatinship is created. Researching the distant site state(s) standards will be necessary t determine if there is a duty t treat under the standard f care. Is there a patient/prvider relatinship? If n patient/prvider relatinship has been created - is that clear t the patient? Is the patient educated n cntinuity f care? Are prtcls in place fr tracking rders and fllw up plans? Are patients and cnditins apprpriate fr telemedicine/e-visits? Nt all patients and cnditins are apprpriate fr the telemedicine/e-visit envirnment r a specific prvider r grup s speciality. Realistic patient selectin will prvide the best experience fr bth the patient and the prvider. Are standards in place fr patient selectin? Are guidelines in place fr apprpriate cnditins? Is a plicy in place t terminate a visit utside the prvider s telemedicine expertise r cmfrt level? Is there a plan fr emergencies? Watch Vital Sunds February 2018 issue fr Part II f this article, including additinal lss preventin strategies and nline links January 3

4 Tips frm the Trenches: Claims Update By Cristy Andersn, JD KaMMCO Vice President Claims Specialty: Hspital Prcedure: Just after 11 a.m., the visitr/claimant parked in the back f the hspital and went t have lunch with a hspital emplyee. After lunch, the claimant left the hspital frm the same dr she riginally entered and slipped and fell n the sidewalk, fracturing her ankle. Unable t get up, the claimant yelled fr help and tw facility staff assisted her int a wheelchair and tk her t the emergency rm. Staff nticed when they were helping the claimant int a wheelchair that her ankle was mangled. The weather the day f the incident was freezing rain thrughut the day. The facility staff had treated the walkway in the area where the claimant fell at 8 a.m., just befre lunch at 11 a.m. and anther treatment was t be applied arund the time f the fall. When the area was treated at 11 a.m., the area was ice free. The claimant s ankle was prperly treated including surgery. She made a full recvery. The treatment f her ankle was nt in questin. Allegatins: The claimant alleged the hspital was negligent in failing t keep the walkway free f hazardus cnditins. Reslutin: This claim was denied. Cst f Defense: $611 Risk Management Tips: Just because smene falls n the facility premises desn t mean the facility is autmatically respnsible fr injuries. A facility must use reasnable care under the circumstance t keep thse prtins f the premises which can be expected t be used by invitees in a reasnably safe cnditin. The invitee must still prve the elements f negligence n the part f the facility: That the facility wed the invitee a certain duty f care; That the facility breached that duty in sme way; That the breach caused an injury; That there is a link between the breach f duty and the injury (causatin); That there are cmpensable damages. In the claim described abve, the facility was making reasnable t extreme effrt t keep the sidewalk free frm ice but the sleet was falling fast and their effrts culd nt cmpletely eliminate the hazardus cnditin. Smetimes prviding care t an invitee after a fall as a gesture f gdwill can reduce the pssibility f a claim, hwever, if things start t escalate r if there is uncertainty as t whether the facility is respnsible fr the injury, cntact KaMMCO fr assistance January 4

5 Phillipsburg Clinic Helping Diabetic Patients Imprve Their Health Mre than half the diabetic patients f Phillips Cunty Health Systems in Phillipsburg, Kansas participated in a successful prgram prviding diabetic supprt and educatin. In 2015, the first year f the prgram, 90 patients with chrnic diabetic issues were referred t the Phillips Cunty clinic. Of that number, 60 agreed t start the prgram. The prgram started with the fcus n patients wh need intermediate diabetic care. They were using hspital services frequently fr diabetic-related cncerns, and we wanted t shift them t rutine visits fr diabetic care, rather than emergency visits r intermediate needs, said Jessica Hawkins, Infectin Cntrl Nurse and Diabetic Educatr at Phillips Cunty Health System. The clinic s diabetes educatin prgram, Healthy Grams and Strides Supprt Grup, fcuses n the American Assciatin f Diabetic Educatrs seven requirements, with additinal services such as medicatin and resurce assistance and dietary cunseling. Twenty-tw participating patients had an average baseline f A1c levels when they started the prgram. A1c levels are results f a hemglbin test which shws hw well bld sugar levels are cntrlled. Nrmal A1c levels are belw 5.7 percent; A1c levels f 8 r abve are cnsidered t be nt under cntrl. Fllwing a year in the prgram, thse 22 patients successfully lwered their A1c levels t an average f 7.4. Lcated in nrth central Kansas, Phillips Cunty Health Systems is a rural clinic ffering ttal family healthcare frm infants t geriatrics. The diabetes prgram includes 10 hurs f educatin in the first year, and then tw sessins per fllwing year fr as lng as the patient needs it. There are currently 45 patients in the n-ging prgram. The clinic s emphasis n diabetes educatin aligns with participatin in the Kansas Healthcare Cllabrative (KHC) Practice Transfrmatin Netwrk (PTN). KHC delivers hands-n supprt, caching, educatin and technical assistance t Kansas clinicians as part f the CMS Innvatin Center Prgram. Each participating clinic is assigned a quality imprvement advisr wh wrks with the staff t identify areas fr imprvement and selectin f quality perfrmance measures. The Phillips Cunty clinic chse t cncentrate n imprving A1c levels in their diabetic ppulatin. Jsh Msier, KHC Quality Imprvement Advisr, wrked with the clinic, helping them track the data. As part f their participatin in KHC s PTN, the clinic s data fr diabetic patients shws great imprvement in a relatively shrt span, he said regarding the impact f the prgram. Thse wh receive care frm Phillips Cunty Health Systems will likely cntinue t make great strides thrugh this prgram January 5

6 Call fr Nminatins: 2018 Leadership in Quality Award The Kansas Healthcare Cllabrative (KHC) is nw accepting nminatins fr the 2018 KHC Leadership in Quality Award. The award will be presented at the 10th Annual Summit n Quality, jintly hsted by KHC and the Kansas Fundatin fr Medical Care, Inc., n May 4 in Wichita. Spnsred by the KaMMCO (Kansas Medical Mutual Insurance Cmpany) Fundatin, the awards are presented annually t recgnize leadership and innvatin in quality imprvement and patient safety. The grand prize winner will receive $5,000. All Kansas healthcare prfessinals and rganizatins are eligible fr the award. The KaMMCO Fundatin is an ardent supprter f initiatives that affect healthcare safety, reduce risk f harm, and fcus n the patient as the center f care. The nminatin deadline is Friday, January 19, Mre infrmatin is available nline: Kansas Hspital Persnnel Prtecting Patients Kansas hspital persnnel are prtecting themselves and their patients frm the flu by stepping up and getting immunized. The annual Health Care Persnnel (HCP) Influenza Immunizatin Survey, cnducted by Kansas Healthcare Cllabrative (KHC), fund 93.6 percent f hspital persnnel in Kansas received influenza vaccinatin during the flu seasn. The natinal average was 92.3 percent fr hspital persnnel immunizatin. The immunizatin rate amng Kansas hspital persnnel has increased steadily each year since the first survey cnducted in 2009 fr the flu seasn. At that time, 64 percent received influenza immunizatin. Ninety-eight percent f Kansas hspitals participated in this year s survey, with 138 f the 141 hspitals surveyed in the state respnding. Survey findings als shw that hspitals are achieving higher immunizatin rates by prviding emplyee educatin n the health risks f the flu and the benefits f immunizatin, by aligning plicies with natinal recmmendatins, and by making vaccinatin pprtunities cnvenient fr emplyees. Mst hspitals prvided n-site vaccinatin at n cst r lw cst t increase influenza immunizatin cverage. Educatin Opprtunity fr Lng Term Care Facilities KaMMCO/KaMMCO Casualty wuld like t share an educatinal pprtunity frm the Pineer Health Netwrk (PHN) specific t Kansas Lng Term Care Facilities. This prgram is apprpriate fr thse facilites attached t a hspital and thse nt attached/affiliated with a hspital January 6

7 PHN is pleased t ffer NEW CMS REQUIREMENTS: LTC Facility Rules f Participatin. This is part f the webinar series with Linda Farrar, RN/BSN/LNHA. Cntinuing educatin hurs have been requested frm Kansas Department fr Aging and Disability Services fr all sessins. The three 2018 webinars are as fllws: Sessin IV. Rules f Participatin: Pharmacy Services, Drug Regimen Review, Diagnstic Services; Nursing Services & Cmpetency-Based Staffing & Training Requirements; Infectin Cntrl & Antibitic Stewardship Tuesday, January 16-10:00-11:30am (CST) Sessin V. Rules f Participatin: Quality f Care; Dental Services; Behaviral Health; Specialized Rehabilitatin Services Tuesday, February 13-10:00-11:30am (CST) Sessin VI: Rules f Participatin: Fd & Nutritin; Facility Assessment; Cmpliance & Ethics Prgrams Tuesday, March 6-10:00-11:30am (CST) Registratin fr PHN members is $50/per sessin r $120/all three sessins; Nn-PHN members is $70/per sessin r $180/all three sessins. If yu have questins r wuld like t register, please cntact Mary Adam, PHN, Registratins are limited t ne cnnectin per facility January 7