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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has granted Texas hospitals affected by recent hurricanes a waiver from submitting their inpatient clinical quality data and HCAHPS data and for data validation for one calendar quarter. A similar waiver has been announced for outpatient quality measure data.
The waivers from submitting inpatient quality data automatically are granted only for hospitals in counties designated by FEMA as directly affected by the storms; however, hospitals in other areas are authorized to submit requests for a data submission waiver to TMF Health Quality Institute or to the CMS Regional Division of Quality Improvement office, based on individual circumstances.
The waivers from submitting outpatient quality data are granted only for hospitals in counties designated by FEMA, and those hospitals need to submit a Disaster Waiver form. Hospitals in other areas can submit a request for a data submission waiver to the Hospital Outpatient Data Reporting Program Support Contractor.
Hospitals may contact the QualityNet Help Desk (e-mail or call 866/288-8912) or TMF Health Quality Institute at 866/439-0863 for additional assistance with inpatient waivers. For assistance with outpatient waivers, hospitals may contact the Hospital Outpatient Data Reporting Program Support Contractor via e-mail at hopqdrp@fmqai.com or via telephone at 866/800-8756.
In other news:
- The Texas Department of State Health Services encourages hospital discharge planners working with Galveston evacuees to inform them that health care facilities on the island are limited and housing is dangerous. Discharged patients should be encouraged to find housing in places other than Galveston, where their medical needs can be met.
- The Texas Department of State Health Services has released general instructions for the repatriation of medical special-needs patients who were evacuated due to Hurricane Ike.
- A recording of the Sept. 25 conference call with Joint Commission Resources regarding reopening of hospitals damaged during Hurricane Ike is available.
- A recording of the Sept. 18 conference call with THHSC regarding reimbursement issues re: Hurricane Ike is available.
- See reimbursement resources and related FAQ's.
- The Texas Department of Insurance issued an amendment to its Sept. 14 Commissioner's Bulletin extending filing deadlines and waiving penalties for out-of-network health-related claims. Five counties have been added to those listed in TDI’s original bulletin: Grimes, Houston, Madison, Rusk and Washington. TDI's bulletin also states that health insurance companies and health maintenance organizations should not deny payment for necessary emergency and non-emergency health and dental services that are obtained out-of-network as a result of the threat of imminent disaster through the duration of the governor's disaster proclamation.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers infection control advice for hospitals reopening after wind and/or water damage. The Joint Commission has given THA permission to use its Sample Checklist for Hospitals Planning to Open. The checklist includes items to address following closure due to hurricane and flooding. TDSHS also has issued a guidance for hospitals regarding the salvaging and disoposal of food, drugs and medical devices that may have damaged during the hurricane.
Hospitals may want to notify patients being discharged of the following resource:
FEMA will make direct payments for lodging in hotels and motels for eligible evacuees. A listing of participating hotels is available online at www.FEMAEvacHotels.com. The assistance period is from Sept. 14 forward. Applicants are responsible for meals and lodging above the authorized allowances. For non-participating hotels, hold your receipts and FEMA will assist. To ensure reimbursement, first apply for FEMA assistance through www.fema.gov or 800/621-FEMA (TTY is 800/462-7585).
TDSHS Establishes Toll-Free Number to Locate
Medical Special Needs Evacuees
The Texas Department of State Health Services has established a toll-free number that people can call to locate those with special medical needs who were evacuated because of Hurricane Ike. People may call toll-free, 888/777-5320, beginning at noon Saturday, Sept. 13. Phones will be answered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and callers may leave a message at other times. Callers need to provide information such as the name, address, date of birth, gender, last known location and specific medical special need of the evacuee. Callers will be notified once the evacuee is located, but will not be given the specific location or health information of the evacuee. The evacuee will be given the contact information of the caller.
Another resource that hospitals may find useful:
The American Medical Association, in cooperation with the Texas Medical Association, has made available to physicians caring for evacuees a system to view the medication history for patients evacuated from their homes. Physicians are invited to register with ICERx.org, a private, secure online resource to access important patient history. While the number of general population evacuees is smaller than during Hurricane Rita, more than 1 million Texans are expected to leave their homes. ICERx may provide a valuable asset to physicians treating evacuees. Information about physician registration and system use is found at http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=7072. See http://www.icerx.org to view this resource. U.S.-licensed physicians can register by calling 888/423-7950 and following the appropriate prompts. Physicians in shelter counties are encouraged to register.
| THA will continue to monitor Hurricane Ike and its related developments. Hospitals with questions or concerns may contact THA’s Ernie Schmid at eschmid@tha.org. Hospitals also are encouraged to report any issues they have observed during Ike and other recent hurricanes. |
Resources
See information and resources related to Hurricane Gustav.
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