West Virginia Health Care Authority Revises Fee Schedule for Certificate of Need Program

On July 15, 2009, the West Virginia Health Care Authority filed with the West Virginia Secretary of State proposed amendments to the its procedural rule regarding the schedule of fees for the filing of certificate of need applications and exemption requests under the West Virginia Certificate of Need Program.

The amendment revises the fee schedule pursuant to Senate Bill 321 passed during the 2009 Legislative Session. The amendment required the fee schedule contain a maximum amount or cap for certificate of need application fees.

The proposed rule, Fee Schedule for Certificate of Need Matters, CSR 65-10 (redline version showing amendments) has been filed with the West Virginia Secretary of State. Written comments to the proposed rule may be submitted to the Authority before August 14, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.

AHLA Annual Meeting 2009: PHRs, Health 2.0 and the Impact of Social Media on Health Care

Today I am giving a presentation with Jud DeLoss on the topic of "PHRs, Health 2.0 and the Impact of Social Media on Health Care" at the American Health Lawyers Association 2009 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

As a part of the presentation we are sharing the slides from the presentation with the attendees via SlideShare. Below is a copy of the slide deck from the presentation.

PHRs, Health 2.0 and the Impact of Social Media on Health Care

View more documents from Bob Coffield.

Blog World New Media Expo 2009: Medical and Health Care Bloggers

Today I received the speaker list for the MedBlogger Conference associated with Blog World New Media Expo 2009 from Kim McCallister of Emergiblog, co-organizer of the event along with Dr. Val of Better Health.

Blog World New Media Expo 2009 will be held October 15-17 in Las Vegas. The MedBlogger Sessions will be held on October 15. A special thanks to Johnson & Johnson and MedPage Today who are sponsors of the MedBlogger Sessions. More information along with how to register for the conference will be available on the Blog World website in the coming weeks.

I was honored to be invited to be a part of the event and look forward to participating in a great discussion at the conference. Below are the panels and speakers confirmed for the MedBlogger Sessions.

Panel #1 The State of the Health Blogosphere: We've Come A Long Way, Baby
Moderator: Kim McAllister, Emergiblog
Panelist: Kevin Pho, Kevin MD
Panelist: Nick Genes, Blogborygmi
Panelist: Kerri Sparling, SixUntilMe

Panel #2 Staying On The Good Side of HIPAA: Safe and Ethical Blogging Practices
Moderator: Mike Sevilla, Doctor Anonymous
Panelist: Rob Lamberts, Musings of a Distractible Mind
Panelist: Debra Farber, IBM
Panelist: Bob Coffield, Health Care Law Blog

Panel #3 Blogging For Change: How To Influence Healthcare Through Blogging
Moderator: Val Jones, Better Health
Panelist: Gary Schwitzer, Schwitzer Health News Blog
Panelist: Terri Polick, Nurse Ratched's Place
Panelist: Gene Ostrovsky, Medgadget

Panel #4 The Value of Blogs To Hospitals, Industry, and News Organizations
Moderator: Gary Schwitzer, Health News Review
Panelist: Marc Monseau, Johnson & Johnson 's JNJBTW Blog
Panelist: Bob Stern, MedPage Today
Panelist: Paul Levy, Running A Hospital

Health 2.0 Boston: Tweet Stream Analysis

Chris Hogg does a great job of capturing the metrics of the Twitter discussion that occurred during the recent Health 2.0 Boston conference. Check out his slide show analysis of the Tweet Stream from the conference.

Health 2.0 Tweet Stream Analysis

View more presentations from Chris Hogg.

As someone who tweets at conferences that I attend I found the analysis very interesting. Some of what interested me the most from the slides:

• There were over 3,000 tweets from 344 people attending the conference. Don't know what the total attendance of the conference -- but I suspect the 344 number is a relatively large percentage of the total attending.
• Loved the use of the Wordle clouds to visually represent the discussion that occurred via Twitter.
• Great to see the word "patient" as the second most tweeted word.
• Slide 10 shows a mapping of those in the Health 2.0 network. Would love to see a blown up version of this slide to see the connections in more detail.

2009 Legislative Changes to WV Certificate of Need Law

On April 9, 2009, the West Virginia Legislature sent Senate Bill 321 to Governor Manchin for signature (see strikethru/underline Committee Substitute version). Senate Bill 321 makes substantive changes to the current certificate of need law in West Virginia overseen by the West Virginia Health Care Authority.

The certificate of need law requires health care providers, including hospital, physicians, long term care facilities, hospice providers, home health agencies and other health care providers to first seek approval prior to expanding health services, incurring capital expenditures above a particular threshold, purchasing certain medical equipment and developing or acquiring new health facilities or services.

Below is a summary of the major changes to the law that will go into effect 90 days from passage on April 3, 2009:

• The bill raises the capital expenditure threshold and major medical equipment threshold from $2,000,000 to $2,700,000.
• Eliminates lithotripsy from certificate of review.
  
• Amends the fee structure of the Health Care Authority for certificate of need reviews.
• Provides that in specified instances nonhealth-related projects are not subject to certificate of need review.
  
• Provides that in specified instances certain ambulatory health care facilities are not subject to certificate of review.
• Eliminates from certificate of review acquisition of any health care facility outside of West Virginia by a West Virginia health care facility.

Obama Signs Executive Order Officially Creating White House Office of Health Reform

Yesterday, April 8, 2009, President Obama signed an executive order formally creating a new White House Office of Health Reform.

The Washington Post provide additional information, including the complete text of the Executive Order and that former Clinton administration official, Nancy-Ann DeParle (White House bio) will oversee the office.

The full text of the Executive Order:

EXECUTIVE ORDER
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF HEALTH REFORM

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in the interest of providing all Americans access to affordable and high-quality health care, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy.

Reforming the health care system is a key goal of my Administration. The health care system suffers from serious and pervasive problems; access to health care is constrained by high and rising costs; and the quality of care is not consistent and must be improved, in order to improve the health of our citizens and our economic security.

Sec. 2. Establishment.

(a) There is established a White House Office of Health Reform (Health Reform Office) within the Executive Office of the President that will provide leadership to the executive branch in establishing policies, priorities, and objectives for the Federal Government's comprehensive effort to improve access to health care, the quality of such care, and the sustainability of the health care system.
(b) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the extent permitted by law, shall establish within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Health Reform, which shall coordinate closely with the White House Office of Health Reform.

Sec. 3. Functions. The principal functions of the Health Reform Office, to the extent permitted by law, are to:

(a) provide leadership for and to coordinate the development of the Administration's policy agenda across executive departments and agencies concerning the provision of high-quality, affordable, and accessible health care and to slow the growth of health costs; this shall include coordinating policy development with the Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, Council of Economic Advisers, Office of Management and Budget, HHS, Office of Personnel Management, and such other executive departments and agencies as the Director of the Health Reform Office may deem appropriate;
(b) work with executive departments and agencies to ensure that Federal Government policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President's stated goals with respect to health reform;
(c) integrate the President's policy agenda concerning health reform across the Federal Government;
(d) coordinate public outreach activities conducted by executive departments and agencies designed to gather input from the public, from demonstration and pilot projects, and from public-private partnerships on the problems and priorities for policy measures designed to meet the President's goals for improvement of the health care system;
(e) bring to the President's attention concerns, ideas, and policy options for strengthening, increasing the efficiency, and improving the quality of the health care system;
(f) work with State, local, and community policymakers and public officials to expand coverage, improve quality and efficiency, and slow the growth of health costs;
(g) develop and implement strategic initiatives under the President's agenda to strengthen the public agencies and private organizations that can improve the performance of the health care system;
(h) work with the Congress and executive departments and agencies to eliminate unnecessary legislative, regulatory, and other bureaucratic barriers that impede effective delivery of efficient and high-quality health care;
(i) monitor implementation of the President's agenda on health reform; and
(j) help ensure that policymakers across the executive branch work toward the President's health care agenda.

Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The Health Reform Office may work with established or ad hoc committees, task forces, or interagency groups.

(b) The Health Reform Office shall have a staff headed by the Director of the Health Reform Office (Director). The Health Reform Office shall have such staff and other assistance as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this order.
(c) As requested by the Director, each executive department and agency shall designate a liaison to work with the Health Reform Office on improving access to health care, the quality of health care, and the sustainability of the health care system.
(d) All executive departments and agencies shall cooperate with the Health Reform Office and provide such information, support, and assistance to the Health Reform Office as it may request, to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 8, 2009.