Federal Budget: President Obama's FY 2013 budget released this week may not move through the federal budget process, but hospitals still have much to be concerned with as various hospital cuts within that budget may continue to linger on. (Read more)

ICD-10 Delay: HHS Secretary Sebelius Announced February 16 HHS will initiate the rulemaking process to postpone the date by which certain health care entities have to comply with ICD-10 standards. (Read more)

Medicaid Waiver: In the latest round of negotiations with CMS on the Medicaid maintenance of effort waiver, CMS sent a letter to the state's Medicaid Director outlining the current status of the Wisconsin requests to streamline eligibility and enrollment. (Read more)

President Obama Piles on - Budget Takes Multiple Whacks at Hospital Piñata

Steve Brenton, WHA President

Last week's column described hospitals as the Medicare piñata--seemingly the featured "go to" for funding offsets needed to fix payment problems and reduce the budget deficit. The Obama Budget presents a "more of the same" approach to cutting providers (especially hospitals) Medicare payments. The initiative, unveiled February 13, is a carbon copy of proposals offered up last summer. It is an unserious political document that would reduce Medicare/Medicaid spending by over $300 billion during the next decade by expanding onerous price controls on the nation's hospitals.

(Read more)

Guest Column

WHA Releases Workforce Report

By Judy Warmuth, WHA V.P., Workforce Development

Since joining WHA in 2003, I have researched and produced eight WHA health care workforce reports. Over that length of time, the reports have had a similar message: There is a shortage of workers in health care. (Read more)

The WHA Job Bulletin provides member hospitals a venue where they can post vacancies on-line as a no cost benefit of membership.