Newsletter
The North Dakota Hospital Association
Taking an active leadership role in major healthcare issues
Washington Update by John Flink
We may be in a new year, but the congressional plate is full of leftovers from the last one. Government funding, COVID and the Build Back Better Act continue to dominate the agenda in Washington – and are likely to do so through the first part of 2022.
The government is funded through February 18; appropriators are working on a package that would fund the government through September 30, the end of the current fiscal year.
The government funding bill is the most likely vehicle for our top priority – additional COVID relief. We support the AHA’s recommendation that remaining funds in the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) be distributed ASAP. We also support extending the deadline for spending the funds and appropriating an additional $25 billion to the PRF for providers to offset lost revenue and added costs due to the delta and omicron variants.
In addition, we support extending the moratorium on Medicare sequester relief until the end of the public health emergency or December 31, 2022, whichever is later. And we also have asked that Congress delay repayments for Medicare accelerated payments. Finally, we support legislation that would ensure that 340B hospitals not lose their eligibility due to changes in their utilization that occurred during the pandemic.
As in previous years, we support increased funding for workforce development and rural grant programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration.
The fate of the Build Back Better Act is a complete mystery. Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) announcement just before the holidays that he could not support the current version completely upended the prospects for action on the second part of President Biden’s infrastructure plan.
Democratic leaders have been meeting to discuss next steps since before the holidays, but so far there is no clear path forward.
It's almost certain whatever emerges from these talks will be much smaller than what had been previously envisioned. At issue still is whether it will be considered as a package or broken up into “chunks” as President Biden suggested last week.
We continue to advocate for provisions that would expand GME, especially for underserved areas, and the expanded subsidies for persons purchasing health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges.
Finally, this is an election year, so I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on politics. Sen. Hoeven and Rep. Armstrong are up this year – both are viewed as sure winners.
The DC punditocracy predicts a Republican takeover of the House and possibly the Senate. That has motivated the Democrats to get as much done as possible this year, and motivated Republicans to be as obstructionist as possible. This will certainly factor into how the year plays out. However, I would not count on serious legislating getting done after Easter or Memorial Day.
Stay tuned.
OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is withdrawing the vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued on Nov. 5, 2021, for large employers with one hundred or more employees. The withdrawal is effective January 26, 2022.
Although OSHA is withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency is not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule. The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard.
NDHA Member Hospitals: The 2022 North Dakota Regional Healthcare Compensation and Benefits Survey is Open for Participation!
The North Dakota Hospital Association and Gallagher Surveys invite you to participate in the 2022 North Dakota Regional Healthcare Compensation and Benefits Survey. The survey is the premier source of compensation and benefits data for healthcare organizations in the state and across the region. Your organization's participation will grant you access to an indispensable planning tool while also helping build a resource used by your peers from across the region.
The reporting process for 2022 consists of two easy steps. The first step is to complete the compensation data spreadsheet and upload a copy to Gallagher’s secure server. The second step involves going online and completing the benefits section of the survey.
Effective Date:??January 1, 2022?
Submission Due Date:???Compensation - Feb. 11, 2022??|??Benefits – Feb. 18, 2022
?To participate:?
North Dakota Hospital Association
Important: If you are reporting for multiple hospitals/locations, you may include all of them on one compensation submission and only need to complete the online benefits section once for the whole system.
?The survey staff at Gallagher Surveys will be available to respond to any questions. Please contact Thomas Cummins or Dillon Kenny with any questions or concerns.
Dillon Kenny, Survey Analyst, Gallagher Surveys
Phone: 617-531-7768?|?Email: [email protected]
Thomas Cummins, CCP, Managing Director, Gallagher Surveys
Phone: 617-531-7758?|?Email: [email protected]
NDHA Education Calendar
All times listed are Central.
February 2022
The Intersection of DEA, Opioids & Hospital Risk
Date:?2/22/22?|?From: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.?
Honoring Choices? North Dakota – Advance Care Planning Facilitator Training
This training is designed to help participants learn the skills needed to facilitate advance care planning discussions with any adult across the lifespan and disease trajectory.
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