Certainly everyone has heard that Medicare/Medicaid is having problems and it is true for the Arkansas State Medicaid program also. Presently, shortfall amounts such as $60 million next year and $230 million the year after are being given to motivate change in the way Medicaid is handled. Medicaid is trying to keep the program to less than a 5% growth rate and is making changes to make that happen. As part of that effort, Medicaid held a stakeholders meeting on May 26 to inform providers of what is coming.
Much of what was presented seemed to be a rehash of previous meetings but from different people. The discussion about “medical homes” was basically left with their intention to continue with the idea and there will be more info to come. There was an attempt to further define “episodes of care” by example which has been done before. There was more discussion on the partnerships. I think Medicaid understands that many providers services are competitive in nature and those providers will not be able to work together. One idea that was put forth was providers in rural areas of the state that could not afford the equipment and skilled persons might employ Tele-medicine to make up the shortage. Attendees were shown the ETG system used by insurance to define and predict bundles of care. That info can be used to identify which providers are not preforming at an optimal level.
The plan is to identify and prioritize the provider groups and start trying to get things moving on putting the program together in July with hopefully a working framework of some kind by December. This will give Medicaid something to show legislators that the system is being reformed. The meeting was held in the Blue Flame Room at Child Support Enforcement and due to security issues part of the presentation was unusable but a draft work-plan was handed out when the meeting was over. Meeting materials are available on the Medicaid website at: https://www.medicaid.state.ar.us/ and look for Transforming Medicaid.
WEB RA
Medicaid is not going to continue mailing Remittance Advices (RA) to providers. Providers will need to register for the WebRA starting June 6. If a provider has more than one provider number they will need to register for each number. The Web RA will be in PDF format. The Web RA will be available on the Medicaid website on Monday instead of waiting until Saturday for the regular mail copy to be delivered. To register, one must log on to the Provider section with their Medicaid ID and password (as to check a potential resident’s benefits) and click on the WebRA link. Medicaid will retain copies of the RA on their website for 35 days.
Persons who have limited or no internet access may still register as a “hardship” and get the RA mailed to them. Also, paper checks will still be mailed to those that are currently receiving them.
Bedbugs Found Carrying MRSA
Atlanta doctors became suspicious when an increase in MRSA cases corresponded with an increase of bedbug infestations in a specific area of the city. Five bedbugs were collected and analyzed. Three had MRSA and two had VRE. It was not known if the germs originated with the bedbugs or if they acquired the germs from feeding on infected people. The study may be seen on the CDC site under “Emerging Infectious Diseases.”
Coffee Prices Set New High
Prices for green coffee beans hit a new high price in May with Arabica beans going over $3 per pound, getting close to the all-time high set in 1997. Folgers responded with another price hike, this one for 11%. Even with these prices coffee is still considered “affordable” and consumption is not expected to decrease due to prices.
Members Message Board Addition To www.arala.net
If you have recently been to the website at in the Members Only Section, you may have noticed the new page. Members can post job openings, resumes, items for sale and there is a section for general discussions. The page can also accept postings from most social media sites.
New Accommodation Rules for Employees with Disabilities
The American with Disabilities Act Amendment Act (ADAAA) went into effect on May 24. The regulations will be more broad than in the past. The intent was to make employers work with employees to accommodate their disabilities and downplay who has a qualified disability. Accommodations still have to be “reasonable in light of circumstances” and larger employers will have to make more effort to accommodate than smaller ones.
There will be an Association Meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, at 12:00 noon, at the Holiday Inn Airport in Little Rock. The meeting will be a lunch meeting and the cost of the lunch will be $20. Certified Administrators who attend the Association Meeting only will receive two hours (2) CEUs for attendance and those who attend the seminar also will receive four (4) hours CEUs. Two Long Term Care CEUs have been awarded 2 CEUs for attendance at the seminar also.
There will be a seminar on June 21, also, with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m., seminar at 10:00 a.m., and scheduled to end at 12:00 noon. The topic, Elopement, will be presented by Steve Peay, of Boyle Insurance.
Steve Peay is Senior Vice President for Boyle Insurance. Peay began his career in 1984 with R.D. Peay and Son Insurance. In 1988 he joined Crum & Forster as a Sales Manager before joining Boyle in 1990. Peay majored in Risk Management and Insurance at the University of Mississippi. In both 2008 and 2009, he was appointed to the Thomco Insurance Services Senior Living Producer Council. He is also a member of the Tennessee Adult Day Services, and the ARALA.
An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease and it is further estimated by the Alzheimer’s Association that 50% of all people over the age of 85 have some form of the disease. In 2009 the average age of residents in AL communities was 86.9 years. Communities that traditionally do not house residents suffering from Alzheimer’s knowingly or not are now at risk. This presentation will look into reasons why reported elopements are on the rise in spite of new technology and how we can work to manage and resolve this exposure. (It is estimated more than 34,000 Alzheimer patients wander out of their homes or care facilities each year.) More Info.
If you missed the All Hazards Response Planning or the Effective Communications Seminars this year all is not lost. One may view those seminars online and take a test for credit. To access this, go to the Education navigation bar and click on the Continuing Education item. On this page you will find the policies and procedures of the program and the registration sheet. Information about the number of CEUs and the price of each offering is on the registration form. Print off the registration form, fill it out and mail or fax it back to the ARALA office. You will receive the password to the page, the test and evaluation sheet. Then view the video and complete the test. When completed, return the test and evaluation form to the ARALA office. To get credit one must score at least 80% on the test. Your documentation of completion will be returned by mail. For more information get the procedures sheet from the website.
