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TO:
Chief Executive Officers, All Texas Hospitals and Health Systems
Chief Financial Officers
THA Emergency Contacts
SUBJECT: Sept. 18 conference call to focus on reimbursement issues
BACKGROUND:
At the invitation of the Texas Hospital Association, staff from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission have agreed to participate in a conference call regarding reimbursement issues related to Hurricane Ike.
The call is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. (Central) on Thursday, Sept. 18. To participate in the call:
- Dial the toll-free conference access number: 866/551-3680
- Enter your participant PIN code followed by the # sign: 2207920#
- At the prompt, state your full name and organization
The call will be recorded and posted on THA's Web site for playback as soon as possible after the call.
Participants will have an opportunity to identify issues, raise concerns and pose questions related to reimbursement for care provided to Hurricane Ike victims and/or evacuees. While there are more questions than answers at this point, the call will allow hospitals to have a common understanding of current payment policies and what may happen next.
THHSC already has posted claims processing information for providers who may be caring for Hurricane Ike-affected patients in the Medicaid Primary Care Case Management and Fee-for-Service programs.
Other updates for today include:
- The Texas Department of State Health Services received assurances from officials at Camp Mabry that medical personnel serving in guard units would not be called to active duty as a result of Hurricane Ike. This should be a relief for hospitals that were concerned about possible staffing shortages if essential personnel were called away.
- The Disaster Medical Assistance Team is setting up on the Rice University campus and should be operational sometime this afternoon. The unit can serve up to 250 low-acuity patients per day who arrive via ambulance. Patients will be screened and evaluated; those requiring more complex care will be sent to area hospitals or the George R. Brown Convention Center for transfer to out-of-area facilities. DMAT officials will coordinate with the Houston Catastrophic Medical Operations Center to ensure that patient transfers are handled smoothly.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers infection control advice for hospitals reopening after wind and/or water damage. THA has requested additional resources from TDSHS and The Joint Commission, and will share those with hospitals when available.
- Hospitals are reminded to update their status each day through the local community management information system (EMSystems), following instructions provided by their Regional Advisory Council and/or Emergency Operations Center. THA posts updated status lists on its Web site, potentially reducing the number of telephone calls being made to individual facilities.
An updated evacuation status list for Houston hospitals was posted today to THA's Web site; a status list for East Texas facilities also has been posted.
According to Texas Government Code 305.027, portions of this material may be considered “legislative advertising.” Authorization for its publication is made by John Hawkins, Texas Hospital Association, P.O. Box 679010, Austin, TX 78768-9010.
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