IHA Daily Briefing: September 30

IHA H.R. 1 Webinar Oct. 6 - HFS to Discuss Key Changes Ahead

Adults who gained Medicaid coverage through the Affordable Care Act expansion will soon face losing that coverage if they fail to meet fast-approaching federal community engagement requirements part of H.R. 1. With significant impacts on individuals and the hospitals serving them, IHA is offering a complimentary webinar next Tuesday, Oct. 6, on what to expect ahead of key compliance deadlines and how to mitigate the impact.

Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services' (HFS) Special Assistant for Eligibility Initiatives, Carrie Chapman, JD, will lead the webinar, "Illinois HFS Medicaid H.R. 1 Implementation Update," from 1-2 p.m. CT. The presentation is exclusively for IHA-member hospitals and health systems. Chapman will address H.R. 1 implementation updates impacting hospitals and health systems, including:

• Compliance considerations with the new Medicaid community engagement requirements, also known as work requirements;
• Medicaid redeterminations;
• Medical frailty exemption implementation; and
• Hospital-based Medicaid application agents.

The session-which will include time for Q&A-will also cover key program design decisions; beneficiary outreach strategies; and operational and policy changes underway as HFS prepares for Jan. 1, 2027 compliance. The webinar is designed for hospital and health system CEOs, CFOs, CNOs, Government Relations leaders, Patient Financial Services and Revenue Cycle staff, and other leaders involved in Medicaid operations or H.R. 1 implementation.

There is no fee for IHA members to attend the webinar. Register today.

Staff contacts: Jordan Powell, Jennifer Koehler

Reminder: Non-Citizen Medicaid Eligibility Changes Begin Oct. 1

Beginning tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 1, Medicaid eligibility will be eliminated for many lawfully present immigrants, including refugees, asylees and victims of trafficking, among others. Hospitals may continue to assist in applying for emergency Medicaid coverage for this population. Eligibility for Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS), coverage for kidney/renal disease, survivors of domestic violence, and Asylum Applicants and Torture Victims (AATV), will not change. The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) requests providers encourage individuals to update their status if the patient has had a recent change in noncitizen status (e.g., they become a legal permanent resident), so that they avoid losing coverage. For more information on changes to Medicaid for noncitizens, please review an HFS provider notice from early September, as well as an HFS webinar recording, slide deck, communications toolkit and flyer on these changes.

Registration Open: Chicago Disease Control & Antimicrobial Stewardship Conference

Registration is now open for the Chicago Dept. of Public Health's joint Antimicrobial Stewardship and 28^th Annual Disease Control Conference on Nov. 18. This free, one-day continuing education program will feature state and local public health leaders, along with subject matter experts in disease control and antimicrobial stewardship, who will address pressing topics of both local and national significance. Participants will explore strategies to enhance their organization's capacity to effectively combat antimicrobial resistance, with insights from healthcare experts. Conference attendees will learn about current disease control measures and best practices aimed at safeguarding public health. Click hereto register and access information on the conference speakers and agenda.

Report: Healthcare Workforce Gap Projected to Double by 2040

Without action, the Covista Healthcare Workforce Index released this week estimates that the healthcare worker shortage is on track to nearly double by 2040. The Index draws on more than 60 academic, industry and government data sets, as well as interviews with health system leaders.

Closing the healthcare workforce gap could translate into longer, healthier lives, Covista noted, saying the nursing shortage alone could save nearly 100,000 lives cumulatively by 2040. Closing the physician gap could add more than six months to average life expectancy and cut specialist wait times by 20%.

The firm also underscored the economic impact of the workforce gap, saying the unfilled healthcare positions cost the average family about $430 a year today, and if left unaddressed could reach $1,250 a year by 2040-with rural and underserved communities bearing the heaviest toll.

Covista said a full portfolio approach that pairs attracting, developing and retaining talent with care delivery innovation could close 92% of the projected gap. However, the firm cautioned that external trends, such as retirement, general career entry rates, and fewer international nurses and physicians entering the U.S. workforce, could make the shortage materially larger in 2040. Click here for more information.

Illinois Respiratory Disease Surveillance Data

The Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) provides the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data. IDPH also tracks COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information through the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System dashboard.

Briefly Noted

GLP-1 medications have become popular for both diabetes treatment and weight loss. Unfortunately, the Better Business Bureau has received many reports of scammers taking advantage of their demand and limited availability and are tricking people with fake offers and fraudulent websites. Click here with more information.

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