FHA News

FHA Healthcare Reform Webpage
The FHA has established a healthcare reform webpage with links to the Congressional healthcare reform plans under consideration, the President’s proposals and FHA position papers and talking points.

CIO Council meeting - July 24, 2009 in Orlando -- 06/26/2009
Join hospital & health system Chief Information Officers from around Florida at the organizational meeting of the CIO Council. FHA has created the council to facilitate the requests from CIOs to meet on a regular basis with peers from across the state.

FHA Workforce Staffing Survey Due June 30 -- 06/19/2009
The 2009 Workforce Staffing Survey, which examines vacancy and turnover rates, this year includes nursing and allied health professional positions is due June 30, 2009.

HMO Income Down for FY2008 -- 06/19/2009
According to the latest data from the Office of Insurance Regulation, profitability for Florida HMOs is down 22% for 2008. Florida HMOs reported net income totaling $499.6 million for fiscal year 2008, compared to $640.8 million for 2007.

Scam Alert: CMS has become aware of a scam targeting physician offices -- 06/19/2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has become aware of a scam where perpetrators are sending faxes to physician offices posing as the Medicare carrier or Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). The fax instructs physician staff to respond to a questionnaire to provide an account information update within 48 hours in order to prevent a gap in Medicare payments.

Surgeries at Freestanding Centers Exceed Volume in Hospital Outpatient Surgicenters -- 06/12/2009
Of the 2.936,000 outpatient surgeries performed in Florida through June 30, 2008, 52 percent are performed in freestanding, non-hospital based surgery centers based on a new report available from FHA. FHA Eye on the Market: Outpatient Surgery provides a comprehensive, market by market look at outpatient surgery performed at hospital based and freestanding outpatient surgery centers.

Low Income Pool Appropriations Spreadsheets Released
Low Income Pool (LIP) spreadsheets showing the appropriations actions of the 2009 Legislature have been released and are now available under the Advocacy Section. These documents show the revised Fiscal Year 2008-09 distributions, the Fiscal 2009-10 distributions, and a schedule for Fiscal Year 2009-10 showing an additional distribution available if Florida gets approval of an amendment to the Medicaid Reform waiver for the LIP Program.