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Save the Date
May 8-9, 2008
The Symposium on Regulatory Issues for Management in Long-Term Care is the only conference to provide details regarding new federal regulations that will directly impact the delivery of services in long-term care. Special emphasis includes reimbursement strategies to maximize profits, as well as insights into new initiatives by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
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ECPN Online Poll
Which of the following topics are not being sufficiently covered at long-term care meetings?
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Need to Know News:
2008 Medicare Part D Plan Premiums Show Effect of Strong Competition
Due in part to strong competitive bidding by health and prescription drug plans (PDPs) and the choices of beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) anticipates that the actual average premium paid by beneficiaries for standard Part D coverage in 2008 will be roughly $25. This is nearly 40% lower than originally projected when the benefit was established in 2003 and lower than projected earlier this year.
"Competition and smart choices have been two important factors in holding down the cost of the Medicare drug benefit," says CMS Acting Deputy Administrator Herb B. Kuhn. "Medicare drug benefit bids continue to be well below projections because of slower than expected growth in prescription drug costs generally, in part because of increased generic usage, effective plan negotiation, and strong competition."
The estimated actual average premium for 2008 of roughly $25 for basic coverage is far below the original estimate for 2008 of $41, and it is even below the most recent estimate of $27 from the 2008 Mid-Session Review.
Approximately 87% of beneficiaries enrolled in a stand-alone PDP will have access to Medicare drug plans that cost them the same or less than their coverage in 2007. Thus, the majority of beneficiaries could avoid any premium increase in 2008 by enrolling in a lower-cost stand-alone PDP in their region. Moreover, many beneficiaries have access to a Medicare Advantage plan with lower prescription drug premiums. It will be important for beneficiaries to compare their coverage options for 2008 based on overall cost, coverage, and convenience in order to select the plan that best meets their needs.
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In the Current Issue of ECPN:
The Quality Indicator Survey
Jo Walters, RNC
Although the guidance and regulations have not changed, the new Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) process changes the methods by which outcomes are measured and data collected.
Read Article
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New Products:
FDA Clears Honey-Based Wound Care Product
Derma Sciences, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of advanced wound care products, has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market and sell its API-MED™ Active Manuka Honey Absorbent Dressing. This represents the first FDA clearance of a honey-based product for the management of wounds and burns.
Honey-based products have been available throughout Europe, where they compete against silver-based dressings. Noted for their lack of toxicity as well as their ability to be used in all phases of wound healing, their role as a key component in wound bed preparation regimens, and their ease of use, honey-based dressings have in only two years captured a significant portion of that market.
Due to the success of honey-based products in Europe, significant data and evidence are being published about Active Manuka Honey (Leptospermum scoparium). In the fall of 2007, one significant publication will be that of a large-scale (108-patient), randomized, controlled multi-center study, the results of which were presented at the European Wound Management Association conference in Scotland in May 2007. The study looked at recalcitrant venous leg ulcers that had failed to heal with standard compression therapy and included only wounds that had a significant amount of slough. The two arms both used standard compression therapy, but with the addition of hydrogel in one arm and Active Manuka Honey in the other arm. Key endpoints were met, and the Active Manuka Honey arm significantly outperformed the hydrogel arm.
Visit www.dermasciences.com for more information.
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Silver Nanotechnology for Medical Devices Fights Bacteria
 AcryMed, Inc., announces clearance from the FDA for the use of SilvaGard™, the company’s breakthrough silver nanotechnology that can render existing medical devices impervious to infection-causing bacteria. Unlike any other infection control technology available today, SilvaGard can be used to treat virtually any medical device, and its use does not alter the device’s original properties. Due to these and other unique attributes, SilvaGard is expected to have a significant impact on the battle against hospital-related infections.
The initial FDA clearance was given to I-Flow Corporation for marketing the company’s ON-Q SilverSoaker™ regional anesthesia-delivery catheters. ON-Q SilverSoaker catheters are treated with AcryMed’s SilvaGard, a silver nanoparticle antimicrobial coating that protects against the formation of infection-causing biofilm.
Visit www.acrymed.com for more information.
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Coming in the October Issue of ECPN:
- The Quality Indicator Survey, Part 2
- Envisioning a World Without Pressure Ulcers
- Ongoing Physician Credentialing and Monitoring
- What the Administrator Needs from the Director of Nursing
....and much more!
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