Mid-Atlantic Health Law TOPICS

Maryland Regulatory News

1. Maryland Health Care Commission (HCC) regulations state that the HCC may award non-primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) research waivers to a maximum of 6 hospitals statewide. Hospitals granted a waiver will participate in the C-Port E study that will assess the safety and effectiveness of elective angioplasty procedures in hospitals without cardiac surgery back-up. In September, the HCC approved non-primary PCI waivers for Anne Arundel Medical Center, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Southern Maryland Hospital Center and St. Agnes Hospital, while taking no action on the waiver applications submitted by Baltimore Washington Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and Holy Cross Hospital. The HCC also voted to hold two waivers in abeyance pending the completion of its review of the Western Maryland non-primary PCI waiver applications. If the remaining two waivers are not awarded to Western Maryland hospitals, the HCC will again review the waiver applications from Baltimore Washington, Bayview and Holy Cross hospitals.

2. In October, the HCC approved regulations, effective November 17, 2008, that enable the HCC to collect additional data from Maryland health care practitioners regarding care to low-income patients, including the compensation received for that care, the nature and extent of practitioners’ use of information technology in the diagnosis of patients, and whether practitioners accept or treat Maryland Medical Assistance or Medicare patients.

3. In September, the Health Services Cost Review Commission released its FY 2007 Disclosure of Hospital and Statistical Data Report. The average amount paid for a hospital admission rose 6.3% in FY 2007 to $10,038 from $9,440 in FY 2006. The increase is above the estimated national average increase of 5.3% for the same time period. Operating profits from both regulated and unregulated hospital activities increased to $328M in FY 2007 (3% of total net operating revenue) from the previous year’s $273M (2.7% of total net operating revenue). Regulated hospital admissions increased from 676,527 in FY 2006 to 687,320 in FY 2007, or 1.6%, while emergency room and clinic visits increased 5.1%. The report noted that outpatient gross revenue was $3.4 billion, which represented a 9.1% increase compared to a 12.7% increase in FY 2006. As a percentage of total revenue, outpatient revenue increased to 29.8% in FY 2007, compared to 28.7% in FY 2006.