Healthcare Trustees of New York State

ACO Regulations Released - Creates Opportunities

2011-04-01T09:52:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) released the long-awaited accountable care regulations that were part of the Affordable Care Act - also known as the health care reform bill. These proposed regulations would create accountable care organizations (ACOs) that will measure quality and total cost of care for Medicare beneficiaries, beginning January 1, 2012. ACOs present opportunities for a number of provider types including physicians in group practices, networks of individual practices, hospitals and other groups of providers. There is a shared savings payment (bundled payment) if the spending per beneficiary is below a predetermined benchmark and they meet quality performance. Medicare beneficiaries do not enroll in the ACO, rather they join through their physician that participates in an ACO. The beneficiary can always decline to participate, but then needs to find another doctor. Governing Boards should review the regulations with their CEOs to determine if they can apply for an ACO or join an ACO. Regs are located at: http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-07880_PI.pdf.

Spring is Almost Here - Challenging Times Ahead

2011-03-11T13:57:00.003-05:00

The month of March is noted for its changing weather - one day we can see snow and the next we might see warmer temperatures with more sunshine.

We are living in a very changeable time in health care right now - New York State's legislature is dealing with a challenging state budget which is likely to be resolved by the April 1 deadline.

The health care industry will see more on the Affordable Care Act - health reform law. Regulations are due any time on the new delivery system redesign Accountable Care Organizations, where we will see more hospitals forming relationships with physicians. Comments on the value-based purchasing proposals are being sought, which have a significant impact on quality measures for hospitals. Patient expectations will continue to rise - especially from the baby-boomer generation who are likely to demand "full service care" with the latest availability in technology.

Change is inevitable and we must learn to accept it for what it is.

Tough Budget Times in Albany

2011-02-03T15:12:00.003-05:00

New York State's Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled his proposed state budget earlier this week. The $132.9 billion plan calls for billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid and millions more in education, public health and aging services. Hospitals, nursing homes and home care agencies will be affected by the proposed $2.85 billion cut in Medicaid funding for 2011-12.

HANYS President Daniel Sisto commented that including the commensurate loss of federal matching funds, the governor’s proposed health care cuts amount to approximately $15 billion over two years. This is the largest cut to health care services in state history. Even within the context of our fiscal crisis, the magnitude of these cuts is extreme. Hospitals and other providers in New York state cannot absorb these cuts, provide high-quality care and transform health care delivery all at the same time.

Health care advocacy has begun against the drastic budget cuts. Trustees are encouraged to meet with their legislators and explain how devastating these cuts will be to their local hospitals, health systems, and continuing care systems.

Board Responsibilities

2011-01-05T15:21:00.002-05:00

Today, hospitals and health systems can no longer afford inefficient or ineffective governance. Boards have fiduciary responsibilities to make policy, oversee management, and create and implement sound strategy.

With the challenging environment we face in New York State and at the federal level, the responsibilities of Boards is ever increasing. To make a difference, Boards need to get out in front and lead by expanding their knowledge and expertise.

Healthcare Trustees of New York State (HTNYS) has developed a Board Orientation guide to assist trustees in becoming more familiar with their roles and responsibilities. This resource and other Board education resources are available at www.htnys.org

Stepping Up To the Challenge of Health Reform

2010-12-14T16:50:00.003-05:00

As governance expert Jamie Orlikoff wrote in the December 2010 issue of Hospitals and Health Networks, hospital leaders are under tremendous pressure to improve their current operations and navigate health care reform effectively. Trustees also play a critical role in the strategic planning process.

Leaders are faced with a two-pronged challenge: preparing for the future under reform, which includes new and radically different strategic imperatives while closely examining every aspect of their business to ensure that their organization is fiscally and operationally ready to meet the challenges of reform.

Leaders also must keep their organizations ahead of the reform curve, making changes that will create durable solutions. To do better with less, we need to take the things we've been doing well and capitalize on opportunities to raise performance to the next level. Ultimately, making these improvements is a business imperative, one that will enable leaders to control the future of their organizations.

Health Insurance Premiums Could Skyrocket by 2020

2010-12-02T08:47:00.004-05:00

According to a Commonwealth Fund Report, "Realizing Health Reform's Potential," the average U.S. premium for employer-sponsored
family coverage is likely to rise 79% by 2020 to $23,000. The authors of the report support health reform as a way to avoid that increase. Link to the article http://www.commonwealthfund.org/

The researchers compared costs of existing individual and family plans by state and company size. They found that in New York between 2003 and 2009, the average cost of single coverage for people working at small businesses rose 25% to $5,140, up from $4,103. The costs grew 48% to $5,116, from $3,448, for workers at large firms. The cost of family plans at small businesses increased
24%, to $12,582 from $10,115; at large firms, they rose 51%, to
$14,020 from $9,286.

Healthcare Reform Here to Stay

2010-11-22T14:03:00.002-05:00

I came across an interesting article that I wanted to share with you from the November 21 New York Times.

Vow to Repeal Health Care Holds Little Promise
Republicans won a smashing victory in U.S. national elections this month; no issue resonated more with the party’s base than President Barack Obama’s health care legislation.
The House Republicans’ “Pledge to America” vowed “to repeal and replace the government takeover of health care with common sense solutions focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.” The party won more than five dozen seats, the most in seven decades.

There is no chance this pledge will be achieved.

While Republicans have a big majority in the House, Democratic control of the Senate and the presidential veto power make repeal or major change impossible.

There is another reason.

More than a few Republicans know that while the politics of trying to nitpick provisions and curb funding are appealing, any wholesale repeal of major provisions of the health care overhaul is likely to generate a backlash. For more visit www.nytimes.com

Health Care Governance Education

2010-09-30T16:30:00.001-04:00

With the implementation of health care reform, it is increasingly important to educate Governing Boards about the changes that are coming to the health care delivery system. This past week, Healthcare Trustees of New York State held its 30the annual conference. The conference featured many governance, policy and political experts. To view the handouts, visit www.htnys.org

Health Reform and Governance

2010-08-13T12:01:00.002-04:00

To assist trustees in preparing for the implementation of health care reform, Healthcare Trustees of New York State (HTNYS) is holding a two and a half-day conference, "Leadership in Times of Change." Governing Boards not only need to understand many of the initiatives within the health care reform law, but also must engage in strategic discussions around what these changes mean for their organizations. For additional details, visit, http://www.htnys.org/

Effective Governance

2010-07-13T13:18:00.002-04:00

Are you looking for a resource to help you and your board members fulfill your responsibilities related to health care quality and patient safety? “Effective Governance for Quality and Patient Safety in Canadian Healthcare Organizations”, has identified a number of key elements or ‘drivers’ that enable boards to fulfill their responsibilities for quality and patient safety.
Together, these drivers support the execution of effective governance for quality and patient safety, and are interdependent and build upon each other. This toolkit is intended to be a resource for healthcare board members and senior leaders, and leverages the commissioned research led by Dr. G. Ross Baker (2010).

Hospital Trustees and Clinical Integration

2010-06-29T14:59:00.002-04:00

Clinical integration spans the spectrum from initiatives aimed at achieving greater coordination around a single clinical condition or procedure to fully integrating hospital systems with closed staffs consisting entirely of employed physicians. Are any trustees interested in moving towards clinical integration? If so, please share your thoughts on how you are going about exploring and implementing this change.

Board Responsibilities and Health Reform

2010-06-16T16:45:00.002-04:00

The new federal health care reform law, The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act of 2010, contains many changes, including payment reductions, and some opportunities for the way health care is delivered to communities. Governing Boards must understand these initiatives and determine if it makes sense for their organization to participate in them.

To assist trustees in understanding the new terminology and initiatives that are part of the new law, Healthcare Trustees of New York State has created a Health Care Reform Glossary for Trustees. This resource is available at www.htnys.org/reform.

$775 Million in Health Care Cuts

2010-06-08T15:22:00.002-04:00

New York State lawmakers yesterday approved an emergency spending bill that includes about $775 million in health care cuts. With this latest budget action (the seventh in just two years), more than $5 billion in funding for health care services has been cut by state leaders. The health care cuts contained in the Governor’s initial Executive Proposal would equate to 17,000 jobs and $2 billion in lost economic activity. (According to formula developed by the federal Bureau of Economic Activity.)

We feel strongly that there cannot be any further health care cuts or taxes. It is imperative that the legislature look to other options to balance any future shortfalls. Health care has contributed far more than its fair share.

Adapting to the Changing Landscape

2010-05-27T10:32:00.004-04:00

Between the recession and federal health care reform, the landscape in changing. The biggest question trustees will be asking is "Can we adapt?" If your board has not already begun to ask these questions, now is a good time to start. A recent article in Trustee magazine includes a breakdown of the specific questions trustees should be asking.

The article closes with these words of inspiration (or perhaps words of warning): "Successful hospitals and health systems will be those that moved forward early..."

HTNYS Board Orientation Resource

2010-05-06T15:45:00.002-04:00

Every year, Governing Boards have new Board members joining their Boards. To help educate new Board members, Healthcare Trustees of New York State (HTNYS) has developed Boardroom Basics, a great tool to educate and inform new and current trustees about fundamental board roles and responsibilities. Visit http://www.htnys.org/publications/ to get additional details.

Designing Hospitals with the Future in Mind

2010-04-30T09:55:00.003-04:00

Trustees must always keep the future in mind as they lead their organizations. With the rapid changes occurring in health care, it can be a challenge to keep up. Sometimes it just seems easier to keep doing things the way they have always been done, but this is a recipe for failure. For more on this topic, check out a great article that futurist Jack Uldrich shared with HTNYS recently: Designing Hospitals with the Future in Mind.

Good Advocacy in Washington D.C.

2010-04-28T13:44:00.002-04:00

New York had great representation in Washington D.C. over the past few days to speak to Members of Congress on the new health care reform law. Senator Chuck Schumer joined us at HANYS Federal Briefing yesterday afternoon and was hopeful that he would be able to support some of the modifications and corrections we need to make on the health reform law.

To educate trustees about the new health reform law, Healthcare Trustees of New York State is creating a variety of tools. We will be launching a new Reform web link on our web page www.htnys.org over the next few days - so please stay tuned.

Federal Trustee Advocacy

2010-04-26T16:59:00.002-04:00

This week, a group of Healthcare Trustees of New York State (HTNYS) Board members are in Washington D.C. attending the American Hospital Association annual meeting to learn about the latest happening with Congress on how health care reform will effect hospitals. As part of this effort, our trustees will be meeting with their Congressional Representatives to discuss implementation of health reform and its impact on New York's hospitals and to discuss other key issues. HTNYS will be posting the key federal issues on its web site at www.htnys.org

I am heading to Washington myself tomorrow to attend HANYS Federal Briefing.

Trustee Recognition

2010-04-23T16:17:00.004-04:00

Trustees provide tremendous value to their hospitals and communities. To recognize the leadership and advocacy that New York's trustees provide, Healthcare Trustees of New York State needs your help in identifying candidates for the 2010 Trustee Leadership and Advocacy Awards. For additional information and to nominate someone, please go to www.htnys.org and click on awards. The deadline to nominate a trustee is April 30.

Federal Reform Overview

2010-04-05T16:06:00.002-04:00

Feeling overwhelmed by the details of health reform? HTNYS will host a conference call on April 13, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., to provide trustees an overview of the federal health care reform law.

Members can register now on HTNYS web site.

This is the first in a series of educational opportunities that HTNYS will offer in the coming months to help trustees prepare for the significant changes that will occur under federal health care reform.

Governing Board Resources and Education

2010-03-26T12:19:00.003-04:00

In these ever-changing times, it is critical for Governing Boards to continually educate themselves so they can fulfill their fiduciary roles and responsibilities. HTNYS is a great resource for Board education. HTNYS mission focuses on board education, communication and advocacy. We have designed several resources for Board education - some orientation information such as HTNYS Boardroom Basics publication and other programming on governance and leadership topics. For more information, visit www.htnys.org

Busy Times At State and Federal Levels

2010-03-22T14:03:00.003-04:00

There is a lot going on in New York State with the budget and at the federal level with moving reform forward.

What's Happening in New York State
Earlier today, I am pleased to report that there was a Press Event held in WNY where trustees representing various WNY hospitals stood together in opposition to the Governor's health care cuts and taxes. A special thank you to trustee and community leaders, Howard Howlett, George Muscato, trustee and Brenda Ireland, for speaking at the press event. I also want to thank the Western New York Healthcare Association for sponsoring the event with HTNYS.

As you know, today, the NYS Senate unveiled its Budget Resolution which is close in resemblance to the Governor's proposed budget. It will be interesting to see how the vote goes: If all the 30 Republicans vote against it, Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson will have to try to get some of the 16 Dems who previously said they couldn't vote in good conscience for a budget that cuts school aid and health care.

And, From Washington
We all know that last evening the House of Representatives passed health care reform legislation. A key group of anti-abortion Democrats were reassured by a last-minute promise of an executive order from Obama stating that the provisions in the health care bill comply with the 32-year-old Hyde Amendment, which sharply restricts federal funding for abortion. Health care reform is now in the hands of the United States Senate. President Obama is likely to sign the House legislation tomorrow to put additional pressure on the Senate to pass the health reform bill.

Joint Commission Revises Medical Staff Standards

2010-03-19T13:18:00.002-04:00

The Joint Commission has approved revisions to its Medical Staff Standards MS.01.01.01 effective March 31. The goal of the revised standard was to support and reinforce a productive working relationship between organized medical staff and the governing board to improve patient safety. The revisions were developed by a special task force which included representation from Healthcare Trustees of New York State.

Howard Howlett Says “Let the Games Begin”

2010-03-17T14:26:00.001-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'd like to share some Washington observations from our friend Howard Howlett:

"I'm not talking about the NCAA Basketball tournament where teams play by the rule book. In fact, professional basketball has referees to make sure everyone plays by the same rules. And, if they don't, they get 5 chances or they are expelled.

I'm talking about Washington where the games have been going on for sometime over health care. Their rule book is the U.S. Constitution. The referees are the 3 leaders: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Leader Nancy Pelosi, and President Obama. Not quite sure if they are enforcing the rules or not.

The other apparent problem is the other team is locked in their locker room and can’t get out no matter how loud they scream.

So, let the games begin..."

NY's Family Health Care Decisions Act Signed Into Law

2010-03-16T15:04:00.004-04:00

Today, marks a very good day for New York State. Governor Paterson signed into law the Family Health Care Decisions Act which will allow family members to make health care decisions, including decisions about withholding life-sustaining treatments on behalf of patients who lose their ability to make such decisions themselves. This legislation has been "in the works" for several years.

Without this statute, New York's law provides that life-sustaining treatment cannot be withdrawn or withheld from an individual who has lost the capacity to make such a decision.

New Yorkers should still look to prepare a health care proxy which would allow an agent to make health care decisions on behalf of an individual if they lose the capcity to do so.

Advocacy in the North Country

2010-03-11T16:28:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow I am headed to Ogdensburg with Dan Sisto for a meeting with several hospital Board Chairs and CEO's with Senator Aubertine and Assemblywoman Russell. The hospital's will continue to advocate for no health care cuts and taxes and will describe how detrimental the cuts will be to local hospitals and the communities in these legislative districts.

Cutzilla Takes Center Stage in Opposing Health Care Cuts

2010-03-10T11:55:00.001-05:00

Today, HANYS has launched a video which serves as an adjunct to its traditional advocacy. It is quite unexpected and unconventional, but should capture the attention of state leaders and key legislative staff. Cutzilla can be viewed at www.stopcutzilla.org. It is critical to continue to capture the devastation that Governor Paterson’s health care cuts and taxes will have on New York’s health care providers. This new media focus says it all. Please share any comments on the Cutzilla video with us.

Will We Have a Sugar Tax?

2010-03-09T09:27:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I attended a symposium in downtown Albany, "Taking Action Against Obesity: A Sugar Sweetened Beverage Tax for NYS." The event was sponsored by an Alliance of several organizations and individuals which was formed to support taxing sugar drinks in New York State. Both HANYS and Healthcare Trustees of New York State are part of this coalition.

The Governor showed up for this event in support of this tax and said that while he occassionally would like to have a soda, his wife has banned soda from the Governor's Mansion. The Governor urged the group to keep building momentum to support this tax.

It is actually quite startling when you think about our sugar intake. According to the American Dietetic Association, only one high risk dietary practice emerged as being linked to overweight children: the intake of sweetended beverages. Obesity currently costs NYS an estimated $7.6 billion annually. Currently 25% of NY adults are considered "obese" and another 35% are overweight. And, current per capita consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is on average 46 gallons per year! The NYS Commissioner of Health, NYC Commisisoner of Health and a Professor from Yale University all urged that we begin to drink less sugar drinks toprotect our health.

If we don't get a handle on this issue soon, numbers will increase thus further increasing the medical costs associated with treating people with diabetes and other chronic conditions related to sugar intake.

The healthiest drink - water!

Howard's Take on Advocacy Day

2010-03-05T11:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday! I'd like to share some commentary from our own Howard Howlett:

"Just returned from 2 days in Albany at the HTNYS Board Meeting and the HANYS/HTNYS Advocacy day...extremely interesting days and very informative.

During the HTNYS Board meeting, a Board member mentioned the state's more than confusing audit and inspection of how hospitals get rid of unused pharmaceuticals. There is some contradiction - the State’s Attorney General’s Office says no “flushing,” but the manufacturers encourage folks to “flush.” It is wise to check with your hospital administration to see how this issue is being handled.

Wednesday Morning started the day in History...The Governor called an Executive meeting at 10 a.m. and Speaker Sheldon Silver called for a meeting of the Assembly at noon. Our legislative appointments were totally in flux - no one knew what the Governor was going to do and no one was sure what Sheldon Silver wanted, including the Republicans. As the day moved on it was very apparent that it was truly a day in History – We have a Governor . . . We don't have a Governor. The big question - Who is going to negotiate the budget?

One thing for sure the State has a deficit of about $9 billion. Hospital and other health care CEOs and trustees tried to explain the health care issues of all the cuts in 2009 and why we have already more than done our fair share and shouldn’t take additional cuts. It’s like a sinking ship where everyone is looking for a replacement person or issue so we worry about the World Series tickets while the ship is sinking and we have bigger issues to solve."

Trustees Emerge on Albany to Oppose State Budget Cuts

2010-03-03T16:57:00.002-05:00

Today, trustee leaders and trustees joined health care executives in Albany to meet with legislators to oppose health care cuts and taxes. During HANYS and HTNYS Advocacy Luncheon, HTNYS Board Chair, Sarah Schermerhorn told the health care crowd that "Hospitals, trustees, and legislators share a common goal: to protect and improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Trustees are well-prepared to convey to their legislators the importance of hospitals and nursing homes to their communities." Ms. Schermorhorn also encouraged hospital boards to pass Board Resolutions that urge opposition to health care cuts and taxes.

Trustee Awards

2010-03-01T12:10:00.005-05:00

Modern Healthcare recently announced its 2010 Trustee of the Year award recipients. It provides a nice glimpse into what some of the most noteworthy trustees across the country are doing to lead their organizations.

You'll have your own chance to vie for statewide recognition soon--HTNYS will be sending our call for nominations for the 2010 Trustee Leadership and Trustee Advocacy Awards in the coming weeks. If there is someone on your board who has been an exemplary leader or advocate, don't pass up the opportunity to nominate him or her. Details will be coming soon.

Family Health Care Decisions Act Passes NYS Legislature

2010-02-25T13:05:00.003-05:00

It took 17 years to pass the Family Health Care Decisions Act in Albany, but it has been done. Both the New York State Senate and Assembly have passed this important bill, which would enable a patients family member to make health care decisions when the patient is not able to do so. The bill is now being sent to Governor Paterson, who is expected to sign this bill into law. This legislation will be extremely helpful to family's who face difficult "care" situations.

Obama Releases Health Plan for Reform

2010-02-23T15:50:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, President Obama released his own health reform proposal which is primarily based on the Senate-passed reform bill. Hospital and health system provisions include cuts to disproportionate share payments and Medicare update factors. HANYS and HTNYS members can access a summary of the Senate bill provisions at www.hanys.org. The Obama Administration hopes this plan is a starting point for discussions that will occur on Feb 25 during the televised Health Summit. More to come after the Summit.

On the Verge of Nuclear Renaissance

2010-02-19T10:24:00.002-05:00

It's Friday, so I thought I would talk about a topic that is somewhat related to health care but one that affects all of us personally - clean energy. Say you were to give Bill Gates a really great present - like the ability to cure crippling diseases or to pick all U.S. Presidents for the next 50 years. I bet Gates would like those gifts, but you would not have granted his one true wish. The Microsoft-founder-turned-philanthropist said at a recent speech that more than new vaccines for AIDS or malaria or presidential power, what he really wants is clean energy at half its current cost.

Gates- the father of the personal computer and quite the tech powerhouse - said one of the brightest hopes for clean, cheap power is a new form of nuclear power plant that reuses waste uranium from existing nuclear reactors. It's like radioactive recycling - pretty interesting.

Some nuclear scientists and critics say Gates is misguided; however, others say Gates is helping put the world on the verge of a "Nuclear Renaissance" that could provide cheap power for everyone in the world.

I applaud Gates for taking on such a big problem like climate change with such optimism. This reminds me of the challenges we face in health care - many hospitals and health systems tackle things to make life better for their patients and community - although hospitals often get little recognition for their efforts - unlike Bill Gates.

Obama Sets Feb 25 Reform Summit Agenda

2010-02-16T11:39:00.003-05:00

Above is an article that appeared in the New York Post on Saturday, Feb. 13 that further discusses President Obama's plans for his Feb 25 Health Summit. I know it is tough to read, but wanted to use it as a reference because of its interesting view on Obama's plans for the meeting. Last week, the President released additional details about his Feb 25 BiPartisan Health Reform Summit which will be televised at 10 a.m. ET and will feature discussion by the President and Congressional Leaders on the following topics: insurance reforms, cost containment, expanding coverage, and economic impact. Will the invited Republicans show-up for the meeting?

Commentary From Howard

2010-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Let me get this straight...
1. We're going to pass a health care plan
2. Written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it,
3. Passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it,
4. Signed by a President that also hasn't read it, and who smokes,
5. With funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, and
6. Financed by a country that's nearly broke.
What could possibly go wrong?

Think About the Future Today

2010-02-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

My name is Jen Carter, and I'm a staff member at Healthcare Trustees of New York State; I'll be posting occasionally on this blog along with Sue Ellen. I'm very excited about using this blog as another way to share valuable information with our members!

I was recently reading one of my favorite blogs, Jump the Curve, by Jack Uldrich, and I came across a post that immediately made me think of trustees. (Some of you may recall Jack from last year's Annual Trustee Conference. He is a terrific speaker on future technologies and how various industries need to position themselves to prepare.) Jack recently posted something about how in order to prepare for the future, we must ask ourselves questions today. Isn't this really the key job of trustees? Read his post and ask yourselves these questions as you think about the future of your organizations.

Kids XBox 360 To Revolutionize Electronic Medical Records

2010-02-12T11:06:00.001-05:00

Its Friday, so I thought I would write something a bit on the "lighter" side. For those of you that have younger children or grandchildren, you are very familiar with the ever popular kids XBOX 360 game. It is incredible how these games are being used to help the industry create a more user-friendly electronic medical record.

For those of you unfamiliar with Microsoft's push to enter the health care field, take a look at http://www.healthvault.com, a set of patient-friendly applications which allow families to organize and store their personal health information online. The goal is to make health information easy to collect, easy to share, and easy to update. You can make a list of your medications or even track your calorie intake.

It is amazing where technology is heading and how integrated it has become in our daily lives. I often wonder what type of technology will be available to us in the next 10-15 years and the impact it will have on our lives.

Snowy, quiet day in the Northeast

2010-02-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

Today the Northeast is pretty much seeing lots of snow, so things are pretty quiet. However, with the New York State health care budget cuts and taxes still "on the table", hospitals and health systems should be gearing up their advocacy initiatives. I am hoping hospitals are engaging their trustees, auxiliaries and communities to write letters opposing the health care cuts and taxes. I also hope Hospital Boards will consider approving a Resolution that Healthcare Trustees drafted to show their opposition to the cuts and taxes. The Resolution is available at www.htnys.org click on "Advocacy" and the Resolution is under Tools.

I hope everyone is able to shovel out of all this snow. And for all of you that are skiers, have fun.

Gov Paterson Issues 21-Day Amendments

2010-02-09T16:31:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, Governor Paterson issued his 21-day state budget amendments. Most of the health care cuts and taxes remain. The Indirect Medical Education proposal was eliminated. Cuts and taxes remain - trustee advocacy is still needed. For additional information, visit www.htnys.org and click on "Advocacy".

President Still Wants Health Reform

2010-02-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

The latest news on health reform in Washington is that President Obama will hold a meeting of Democrats and Republicans on February 25 to discuss health care reform. The meeting will be televised. Is this just a good photo-opportunity for the President or can the Democrats and Republicans actually work something out that will bring us closer to some type of health reform?

Hard Marketing Is Now In Health Care

2010-02-08T10:20:00.000-05:00

Another interesting piece forwarded to me from Howard. This piece is reflective of Hard Marketing in Health Care - Howard says, "What will be next- A rebate?"

The link highlights 24/7 refills available via the phone from www.CallMD.com
The site is clearly marketing to people without insurance that have medical needs. Add a $35 fee for each doctor consultation which is non-refundable?

Not sure how "legit" this site is. But I am sure it is attractive to folks.

News From Howard

2010-02-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, Howard Howlett forwarded me something interesting - - Remember Lee Iacocca - the man who rescued Chrystler Corporation from its death throes? He is now 82 years old and has a new book, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" The book discusses Iacocca's outrage with our political leaders and his anger with the national deficit and what is happening to our nation.

This book is just "one man's" opinion.

NYS In More Debt

2010-02-03T15:17:00.000-05:00

Today, Governor Paterson announced that NYS must now address an additional $750 million projected deficit in the 2010-2011 budget. New Yorkers will not be pleased with this and what does this mean for the Governor's 21-Day Amendments to his Executive Budget that are due out next week? Time will only tell.

Is Health Reform Still Alive?

2010-02-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

President Obama is still trying to keep health reform alive, but no formal plan exists in Congress. Word on the street is that the House will pass a small health insurer anti-trust exemption bill next week. At this point, uncertainty still reigns.

State Budget Is Out

2010-02-02T15:19:00.001-05:00

On January 19, Governor Paterson released his 2010/2011 proposed state budget which includes $1 billion in health care cuts and taxes. These cuts are in addition to significant cuts that providers have had to withstand six times over the past two years.

Trustee Advocacy is Needed
Trustees must once again rise to the occasion of helping their hospitals in demonstrating that these cuts and taxes will severely impact their hospital and community. There could be significant job losses or eliminations to needed services.

HTNYS Web Site is a Great Advocacy Resource
Visit HTNYS Web site - www.htnys.org and click on Advocacy to get the latest tools and resources to assist you in making your voices heard. Oppose health care cuts and taxes.

www.helpyourhospital.org has also been developed to assist trustees in sending letters directly to their state representatives to oppose health care cuts and taxes. I encourage you to go to the web site and send your advocacy messages today.

Why HTNYS Blog?

2010-02-02T15:10:00.001-05:00

I am Sue Ellen Wagner, Executive Director, Healthcare Trustees of New York State. The HTNYS Blog is designed to inform trustees about the latest developments and information on state and federal issues, and provide some resources on governance and leadership issues.

Comments are welcome.

One of HTNYS Board members, Howard Howlett, Trustee, Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc., in WNY will be joining me in adding information to this Blog. Howard is in-tune to what is happening in Albany and D.C. and always has a perspective to share regarding key issues. Howard also was the winner of HTNYS 2009 Advocacy award. Advocacy is not only integral to Howard's activities, but his passion for supporting health care.

Welcome to HTNYS Blog

2010-01-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Healthcare Trustees of New York State blog. We hope to bring trustees the most relevant information on state and federal health care issues.