Few Chicago-area hospitals shine in government's new patient star ratings - Chicago Tribune

 

he federal government has adopted a new patient satisfaction metric to rate the nation's hospitals, awarding each institution one to five stars after synthesizing the responses to consumer surveys.

In Illinois, the Chicago area stood out for having some of the lowest-rated hospitals — six received just one star — along with a handful of highly rated facilities that have focused on making hospital visits less unpleasant.

Of the 65 hospitals rated in Cook and the collar counties, just one received the top score of five stars: Midwestern Regional Medical Center, a cancer treatment center in Zion. Fourteen received four stars, according to Medicare data posted Thursday to the federal Hospital Compare site.

The searchable data base is available by clicking on the following:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-how-patients-rate-illinois-hospitals-20150416-htmlstory.html

The ratings are based on 11 facets of patients' hospital experiences as ranked in post-visit surveys, including how well doctors and nurses communicated, how well patients believed their pain was addressed and whether they would recommend the hospital to others.

Hospitals that performed well said their success came from listening to patients' complaints. They reduced wait times, encouraged patients to ask questions and resolved billing issues at bedside rather than during checkout. Some have taken less obvious steps; Midwestern Regional has a gym where patients and their families can exercise, as well as a Labradoodle named Tori that plays catch with patients.

Officials at low-ranking hospitals said a rating of one to five stars does not adequately capture the complexities of administering care, especially at facilities that see many low-income patients who often have chronic conditions.

 

"Rating hospitals is more complicated than judging a restaurant or hotel with star ratings," said William Dorsey, CEO of Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, which received one star.

In assigning the ratings, Medicare compared hospitals against each other, essentially grading on a curve. The website notes that "a 1-star rating does not mean that you will receive poor care from a hospital" and that "we suggest that you use the star rating along with other quality information when making decisions about choosing a hospital."

Many in the hospital industry fear Medicare's five-star scale places too much weight on patient reviews, which are just one measure of hospital quality. Medicare also reports on other aspects of hospital care, such as how many patients died or contracted infections during their stay, but those factors are not yet associated with star ratings.

"Health care is fairly complex, and to try to capture the complexity of health care in one set of star ratings causes us to have pause," said Dr. Jay Bhatt, the Illinois Hospital Association's chief health officer. "We need to think about that in the context of other factors."

In Illinois overall, 13 of 147 rated hospitals received five stars, 62 received four stars, 50 got three stars and 16 got two stars….

Read the entire article by clicking on the following;  Few Chicago-area hospitals shine in government's new patient star ratings - Chicago Tribune

Rockford doc accused of Medicare fraud OK'd to leave jail - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

Rockford doctor arrested Friday and charged with Medicare fraud returned today to federal court, where a judge granted several conditions for him to be released from custody.

Dr. Charles DeHaan appeared in court wearing an orange Boone County Jail uniform and is expected to be released from jail later today. He lives in Belvidere.

State officials temporarily suspended DeHaan's physician and surgeon license and his Illinois Controlled Substance license this month, citing a pattern of inappropriate sexual conduct with multiple patients.

The cases intersected in federal court as Magistrate Judge Ian D. Johnston drew up terms for his release.

DeHaan is not allowed to have contact with current or former patients. He's involved with a private practice called Housecall Physicians Group of Rockford.

Any travel he does is restricted to the court districts of northern Illinois, northern Indiana and western Michigan.

DeHaan's mother lives in Michigan, which is why he's allowed to travel there. Johnston denied defense attorney Debra Schafer's request to also allow DeHaan to visit his daughters in Oregon and Texas.

DeHaan also is not allowed to visit assisted-living facilities where former or current patients are. The state's complaint regarding his suspended licenses involves reports of inappropriate sexual conduct with elderly patients at senior residential facilities between 2009 and 2013.

DeHaan is still allowed to visit any assisted-living facility where his mother lives or may live in the near future.

His wife, Mary, will be a third-party custodian responsible for reporting to the court if her husband violates any conditions of his release. DeHaan also was issued a $4,500 unsecured bond, which he doesn't have to pay but would pay if he violated his release terms.

Click on the following for more details:  Rockford doc accused of Medicare fraud OK'd to leave jail - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Republican plan for Medicare could face years of hurdles: experts - chicagotribune.com

David Morgan

Reuters

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants to turn Medicare into a voucher system and President Barack Obama hopes that fact alone will help him win votes among senior citizens and baby boomers.
But health policy experts, including two analysts who first floated the idea of Medicare vouchers 17 years ago, say no such plan is likely to become legislation - let alone law - until after the next presidential election in 2016.
That is because the mere notion of fundamentally revamping the $590 billion-a-year healthcare program, which serves 50 million elderly and disabled Americans, raises a multitude of policy issues that no politician or policymaker has addressed publicly…..

No experts in either the public or private sectors of the $2.8 trillion U.S. healthcare system have said in detail how a voucher system might work. The task require better insurance risk-adjustment mechanisms than are available now, as well as a deeper understanding of geographic variations in medical costs.

Click on the following for more details:  Republican plan for Medicare could face years of hurdles: experts - chicagotribune.com

Medicare fraud: Biggest case in U.S. history - latimes.com

Washington—
Federal law enforcement officials announced what they called the largest healthcare fraud case in the nation’s history, indicting a Dallas area physician for allegedly bilking Medicare for nearly $375 million in billings for nonexistent home healthcare services.
Top Justice Department officials, working for several years to stem a rampant rise in healthcare fraud around the country, also revealed Tuesday that 78 home health agencies that were working with the physician, Dr. Jacques Roy, will be suspended from the Medicare program for up to 18 months.

Click on the following to read all of the story:  Medicare fraud: Biggest case in U.S. history - latimes.com

Wendell Potter: Pay Much Attention to the Insurers Behind Paul Ryan's Curtain

 

Ryan et al would never propose such a fundamental reshaping of those programs unless they were confident that corporate America stands ready to help them sell their ideas to the public. Like big business CEOs, Congressional Republicans wouldn't think of rolling out Ryan's budget plan without a carefully crafted political and communications strategy and the assurance that adequate funding would be available to carry it out.

Republicans know they can rely on health insurance companies -- which would attract trillions of taxpayer dollars if Ryan's dream comes true -- to help bankroll a massive campaign to sell the privatization of Medicare to the public.

the insurers were lobbying hard for a provision in the bill requiring all of us to buy coverage from them if we're not eligible for a public program like Medicare or Medicaid. They won that round, too. That provision alone will guarantee billions of dollars in revenue the insurers would never have seen had it not been for the bill the president signed.

behind the change in the Medicare program in the 1980s that allowed insurers to offer what are now called "Medicare Advantage" plans. The federal government not only pays private insurers to market and operate these plans, it pays them an 11 percent bonus. That's right: People enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans cost the taxpayers 11 percent more than people enrolled in the basic Medicare program.

The insurers and their allies have demonstrated time and again that they can persuade Americans to think and act -- and vote -- against their own best interests.

 

Click on the following for more details: Wendell Potter: Pay Much Attention to the Insurers Behind Paul Ryan's Curtain

New FactCheck Article: A 'Budget Busting' Law?

A ‘Budget-Busting’ Law?

Republicans and Democrats both misrepresent the fiscal effect of the health care law.

January 19, 2011

Summary

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office states that repealing the health care law would worsen the federal deficit over the next 10 years — by $230 billion.
So how does the House Republican Leadership support its claim that the law itself is "budget-busting" and would add $701 billion to the deficit? And how does Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi justify claiming it will "save taxpayers $1.3 trillion"? Both sides are spinning shamelessly.
We judge that CBO’s projection, which is both official and nonpartisan, is the best available. But even that estimate is uncertain, as the agency itself concedes. For one thing, there is doubt about whether all of the Medicare savings in the law will actually materialize. Those reductions are supposed to offset part of the law’s new spending, but they could put too great a burden on hospitals.
Pelosi’s $1.3 trillion claim is deceptive. She’s projecting CBO’s estimate 20 years into the future, something the agency says is an imprecise and uncertain calculation. Furthermore the law raises taxes to pay for much of its new spending, so saying it "saves taxpayers" anything is misleading. Her figure is actually a reduction in the projected federal deficit.
As for the GOP’s claim that "the bill would add over $700 billion in red ink over the next decade," we judge it to be mostly bogus.

• It rests largely on a claim that hundreds of billions of dollars in projected Medicare savings are being "double-counted." But CBO is simply not doing that.
• The GOP’s $700 billion figure also includes more than $200 billion for a permanent "doctor fix" to prevent a cut in Medicare payments to doctors. But that is not even a part of the new law, and many Republicans endorse the "doctor fix" anyway.
• The GOP claims the law will cost $115 billion to administer, but that isn’t true. CBO actually puts those costs at roughly $10 billion to $20 billion over the next 10 years.

Majority of Poor, Young, Uninsured Back Healthcare Bill

A majority of seniors say passing it was a bad thing

Click on the following for more details on this recent Gallop Poll:  Majority of Poor, Young, Uninsured Back Healthcare Bill

Wal-Mart Backs Drive to Make Companies Pay for Health Coverage - WSJ.com

 

The support of Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, could give momentum to one of the most-contentious aspects of legislation taking shape in Congress to fix the health system.

Wal-Mart now supports requiring employers to provide health insurance to employees.

employers provide insurance for workers or help pay for it.

As a company, we believe the present health-care system is unsustainable and making the country's businesses less competitive in the global economy

 

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Wal-Mart Backs Drive to Make Companies Pay for Health Coverage - WSJ.com

Sunlight Foundation Blog: Criticizes Baker-Dole-Daschle Plan for Health REFORM

 

The actual reform proposal is available at: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/10782  The major point of criticism is that the law/lobbying firm which Dole-Daschle work for receives half of its revenue from medical corporations.

 

Today, former senators Tom Daschle and Bob Dole released a plan for health care reform that is being hailed a bipartisan way forward. Headlines blare about the Daschle/Dole plan for health care. But were these two to not have had illustrious careers in the Senate, the headlines would tell a far different story: “Health Care Lobbyists Release Health Care Plan.”

Both Daschle and Dole work for a major Washington, DC lobbying firm, Alston & Bird. Many of Alston & Bird’s major clients are from the health care sector including the American Hospital Association, HealthSouth Corp, and pharmaceutical companies Abbott Laboratories, Bayer, Celgene, and Mylan Laboratories. In total, Alston & Bird is currently representing 31 clients from the health care sector. Of the $2,730,000 reported income received from clients, nearly 50% of that, $1,070,000, comes from these 31 health care clients.

This looks like another benefit of the revolving door. You can release a legislative proposal from outside of Congress and the first thing anyone thinks of is your previous job and not your current one.

The following 31 companies and organizations are listed as health care sector clients of Alston & Bird:

Abbott Laboratories
$30,000.00

Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care
$40,000.00

American Assn of Nurse
Anesthetists
$30,000.00

American Clinical Laboratory Assn
$10,000.00

American College of
Gastroenterology
$50,000.00

American Hospital Assn
$20,000.00

American Orthotic & Prosthetic
Assn
$30,000.00

Anthem Inc
$0.00

Bayer AG
$30,000.00

Celgene
Corp
$90,000.00

Cltn of Full Service Community Hospitals
$40,000.00

Covenant Health System
>$10,000.00

CSL Behring
$30,000.00

CVS/Caremark Corp
$20,000.00

Endo
Pharmaceuticals
$0.00

Fresenius Medical Care
$40,000.00

Fundamental Health
>$0.00

Generic Pharmaceutical Assn
$50,000.00

Giner Inc
$20,000.00

Health
Management Assoc
$30,000.00

HealthSouth Corp
$110,000.00

Humana Inc
$0.00

Kidney Care Council
$90,000.00

Lifescan
$30,000.00

Mylan Laboratories
>$50,000.00

National Assn for Home Care
$50,000.00

National Assn of Behavioral Health
>$20,000.00

Roche Group
$30,000.00

Roho Group
$50,000.00

Tennessee
Hospital Assn
$20,000.00

Vision Service Plan
$50,000.00

Click on the following to read the rest of the story:  Sunlight Foundation Blog

The Healthcare War is Now Official

The following is from Robert Reich’s Blog at:  http://www.robertreich.blogspot.com/

Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Healthcare War is Now Official

Yesterday the American Medical Association came out against a public option for health care. And yesterday the President reaffirmed his support for it. The next weeks will show what Obama is made of -- whether he's willing and able to take on the most formidable lobbying coalition he has faced so far on an issue that will define his presidency.
And make no mistake: A public option large enough to have bargaining leverage to drive down drug prices and private-insurance premiums is the defining issue of universal health care. It's the only way to make health care affordable. It's the only way to prevent Medicare and Medicaid from eating up future federal budgets. An ersatz public option -- whether Kent Conrad's non-profit cooperatives, Olympia Snowe's "trigger," or regulated state-run plans -- won't do squat.
The last president to successfully take on the giant health care lobbies was LBJ. He got Medicare and Medicaid enacted because he weighed into the details, twisted congressional arms, threatened and cajoled, drew lines in the sand, and went to war against the AMA and the other giant lobbyists standing in the way. The question now is how much LBJ is in Barack Obama.
The big guns are out and they're firing. All major lobbying firms in Washington -- many of them brimming with ex-members of Congress -- are now crawling all over the Hill. Lots of money is on the table. AMA's political action committee has contributed $9.8 million to congressional candidates since 2000, and its lobbying arm is one of the most formidable on the Hill. Meanwhile, Big Insurance and Big Pharma are increasing their firepower. The five largest private insurers and their trade group America's Health Insurance Plans spent a total of $6.4 million on lobbying in the first quarter of this year, up more than $1 million from the first quarter last year, and are spending even more now. United Health Group spent $1.5 million in the first quarter, up 34 percent from the $1.1 million it spent in the first quarter last year. Aetna spent $809,793 between January and the end of March, up 41 percent from last year. Pfizer, the world's biggest drugmaker, spent more than $6.1 million on lobbying between January and March, more than double what it spent last year. It also spent nearly $3.3 million lobbying in the fourth quarter of 2008. Every one of them is upping their spending.
Some congressional Democrats are willing and able to stand up to this barrage. Many are not. They need cover from the White House.
The President can't do this alone. You must weigh in and get everyone you know to weigh in, too. Bombard your senators and representatives. Organize and mobilize others. And let the White House know how strongly you feel. This is one of those battles that define a presidency. But more importantly, it's one of those battles that define the state of American democracy.

Private insurance companies push for 'individual mandate' -- chicagotribune.com

industry's real trouble begins in 2011, when 79 million baby boomers begin turning 65. Health insurers stand to lose a huge slice of their commercially insured enrollment (estimated at 162 million to 172 million people) over the next two decades to Medicare, the government-funded health insurance program for seniors.

Private insurers lost an estimated 9 million customers between 2000 and 2007.

Private insurance companies push for 'individual mandate' -- chicagotribune.com

Shortage of Doctors Proves Obstacle to Obama Goals - NYTimes.com

 

To cope with the growing shortage, federal officials are considering several proposals. One would increase enrollment in medical schools and residency training programs. Another would encourage greater use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. A third would expand the National Health Service Corps, which deploys doctors and nurses in rural areas and poor neighborhoods

Shortage of Doctors Proves Obstacle to Obama Goals - NYTimes.com

Democrats’ Budget Deal Sets Up Fight on Health Plan - NYTimes.com

A way around the filibuster:

an obscure procedure known as a reconciliation on a health care bill, allowing health care legislation that meets budget targets to be approved by a simple Senate majority.

House and the Senate first agree on an overall budget blueprint and then pursue legislation, “reconciling” the blueprint with the needed policy changes. If enough Senate Democrats support the legislation, the White House would not need a single Republican vote.

Read the rest of the story:  Democrats’ Budget Deal Sets Up Fight on Health Plan - NYTimes.com

Congress returns to immense agenda | csmonitor.com

 

$3.6 trillion budget proposal for the next fiscal year – a third of which is to be paid for with borrowed money.

Congress returns to immense agenda | csmonitor.com

Rockford Memorial Hospital has resolved its issues with Medicare

This legal notice apparently no longer is in effect.  I called Patient Financial Services at Rockford Memorial Hospital.  The hospital is aware of the legal notice but stated  the issues have been resolved and that Medicare and Medicaid paid services provided at the hospital will continue after April 29, 2009.  If you have any question call Rockford Memorial’s Hot Line at 815 971 6239.

 

 

 

Finding a Doctor Who Accepts Medicare Isn’t Easy - NYTimes.com

Here is a very alarming story about Medicare and your internist.  It recommends that you carefully selected your internist before you are 65 to insure that he/she will accept Medicare reimbursement.  Those planning to retire in any retirement Mecca need to check out Medicare “acceptance” by physicians and medical facilities. 

To read this article, click on the following:  Finding a Doctor Who Accepts Medicare Isn’t Easy - NYTimes.com