February 18, 2005
1.
JCAHO Releases Professional Liability Report
“Health Care at the Crossroads,” a white paper produced by JCAHO’s Public Policy Initiative, was posted on JCAHO’s website on February 10, 2005. Click here for the white paper (PDF).
The report focuses on 3 elements of the medical liability system, i.e.,
(1) Preventive Processes, (2) Physician-Patient Communications, and (3)
the Injury Compensation System.
Although there are numerous specific recommendations pertaining to each
of the above components, the conclusion describes a vision with four
basic goals:
Acculturate patient safety;
Prompt disclosure of medical errors to patients and quality improvement processes;
Early compensation offers to injured parties; and
Alternative dispute mechanisms.
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2.
Medicare Pay-For-Performance Demonstration Project
CMS announced a physician pay-for-performance project, which will last 3
years and involve 10 physician groups encompassing 5,000 physicians and
200,000+ patients.
The “Physicians Group Practice” demonstration will measure performance
relating to 32 health quality measures. The physician groups, which were
selected via an application process, are Geisinger Clinic, Marshfield
Clinic, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic, Deaconess Billings Clinic, Everett
Clinic, Middlesex Health System, Forsyth Medical Group, Park Nicolett
Health System, St. Johns Health System, and the University of Michigan
Faculty Practice Plan.
Click here
for more information.
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3.
OIG Approves Cardiology Gain Sharing Arrangements
For Advisory Opinion document, 05-02 (concerning a proposed arrangement
in which a hospital will share with five cardiology groups a percentage
of the hospital's cost savings arising from the cardiologists'
implementation of a number of cost reduction measures in certain cardiac
catheterization laboratory procedures)
click here. (PDF)
For Advisory Opinion document, 05-03 (concerning a proposed arrangement
in which a hospital will share with a group of cardiac surgeons a
percentage of the hospital's cost savings arising from the surgeons'
implementation of a number of cost reduction measures in certain
surgical procedures )
click here. (PDF)
For Advisory Opinion document, 05-04 (concerning a proposed arrangement
in which a hospital will share with each of eight cardiology groups a
percentage of the hospital's cost savings arising from the cardiology
group's implementation of a number of cost reduction measures in certain
cardiac catheterization laboratory procedures)
click here. (PDF)
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>For more information about the topics presented in this newsletter please contact one of the Healthcare Attorneys:
Read the December issue of our HEALTHCARE NEWSLETTER.
Tucker Arensberg, P.C.
1500 One PPG Place Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412/566-1212
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