REGISTER: Prepare for MA Cost Report Requirements – IHA Webinar Oct. 7
A new federal mandate requires hospitals to report median Medicare Advantage (MA) payor-specific negotiated charges (PSNCs) by Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group. A complimentary IHA webinar on Oct. 7 will walk hospital and health system finance leaders through the complexities of this change, which applies to cost reporting periods ending on or after Jan. 1, 2026.
Hospitals must report their charges on a new worksheet: worksheet S-12. The median negotiated rates should come from their most recent hospital price transparency machine-readable file (MRF) data, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plans to use to set MS-DRG weights beginning in fiscal year 2029, replacing cost-based weights. From 11 a.m.-noon CT, Forvis Mazars healthcare expert Alicia Faust will lead the webinar focusing on:
- MA negotiated rate data elements required for cost report submission and how to determine your hospital’s reporting scope;
- End-to-end workflow to calculate the discharge-weighted median PSNCs, including sourcing, validating, and cross-walking data; and
- Cross-functional processes needed to support accurate MRF maintenance, internal controls, and prompt preparation for the 2026 reporting requirement.
There is no fee to attend. The webinar will be recorded and made available to all registrants following the program. Register today.
Staff contact: Cassie Yarbrough
Opportunity for Health Systems to Expand CGM Use in Primary Care
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is inviting health systems with at least 10 primary care sites to participate in an initiative focused on integrating continuous glucose monitors (CGM) into routine primary care. The Primary Care Readiness and Implementation for Monitoring Equitable (PRIME) CGM Initiative is designed to help participating health systems and primary care practices incorporate CGM into everyday clinical workflows and expand appropriate access to CGM for people with diabetes. The initiative will provide participating health systems with financial support, resources and guidance to help advance this work. Click here to learn more about PRIME-CGM.
ADA is hosting an interactive one-hour virtual session on Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. CT that will focus on integrating diabetes technology into primary care practice and provide more information about the grant-funded opportunity for interested primary care health systems.
Questions can be directed to Mikki Hollinger at mhollinger@diabetes.org.
Campaign Launched to Connect Parents with Baby Safe Haven Law Information
The Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation today announced the launch of a new campaign designed to immediately connect the public to lifesaving information about the Illinois Newborn Infant Protection Act, commonly referred to as the Baby Safe Haven Law. Illinois DCFS said it is mailing weatherproof stickers to every safe haven in the state with instructions to place them onto their building’s safe haven sign. The stickers feature a universal QR code that provides quick, discreet access to information and confidential support for expectant or new parents in crisis through the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation’s website. In Illinois, in addition to hospitals, safe havens are emergency medical care facilities, police stations, firehouses, college and university police stations, and Illinois State Police district headquarters.
Data Brief: Suicide Deaths Among Females in Illinois
A newly released data brief, “Suicide Deaths Among Females in Illinois, 2018-2023,” examines trends and circumstances surrounding suicide deaths among women in Illinois and identifies opportunities for prevention. Click here to view the data brief, which found that while female suicide rates dropped to a low of 273 deaths in 2020, they rose steadily over the next three years to a peak of 344 deaths in 2023. This is an increase of 24.2% between 2018 and 2023. Key findings from the study include:
- Just over half of decedents (52%) had a documented mental health problem;
- More than 82% of female suicide decedents resided in urban areas, with Cook County (35%) accounting for the largest number of female suicide deaths followed by DuPage (6.9%);
- Annual rates per 100,000 female population were highest in Peoria (6.46), McLean (6.46) and Madison (5.76), higher than Cook (4.04) and DuPage (4.54), illustrating how population-adjusted rates may differ from total counts;
- Adults aged 45-54 years (19.4%) accounted for the largest proportion of suicide deaths among females (358), followed by adults aged 25-34 years (321, 17.4%) and adults aged 55-64 years (315, 17.1%); and
- More than 76.2% of female suicide decedents were White (1,406) followed by Black females (186, 10.1%).
These findings provide context for understanding the characteristics and circumstances associated with female suicide deaths in Illinois, and the findings underscore the importance of earlier intervention, increased access to behavioral health care, early identification of suicide risk, and the expansion of prevention efforts across healthcare, public health, and community settings.
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
A recent Illinois Auditor General report found the Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has made progress implementing Ta’Naja’s Law, but remains out of compliance nearly six years after the law took effect. The follow-up audit, covering 2023 and 2024, found DCFS could provide only 70 of 399 required home safety checklists in a sample of 50 cases, or an 82% deficiency rate. However, this is an improvement from the 2022 audit, when the agency produced just 2% of required checklists.
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