Texas Attorney General: Charitable Hospital Summit

For those interested in charity care and community benefits in Texas, the Texas Attorney General is hosting a "summit" on Tuesday, September 16, in Austin. The schedule looks pretty good, if a little basic, but it's the Attorney General's office, for crying out loud, and they do have enforcement authority for Health and Safety Code chapter 311 (though it would be nice to know whether the speakers include OAG personnel or members of the private bar):

8:30 AM - Charity Care and the Patient Panel Discussion
Correctly identifying and communicating with charity care patients and formulating effective charity care policies and procedures will maximize the effectiveness of nonprofit hospital charity care programs. This panel will offer options to better communicate with this patient population while educating hospitals on common pitfalls in charity care compliance, suggesting policies to improve documentation and exploring alternatives to help hospitals care for those in greatest need.

9:30 AM - Governance Best Practices
What is your governance strategy? As a board member do you routinely demand and receive specific documents? Do you have a financial management plan? This speaker will capsulize best practices for hospitals; discuss the leading governance trends with a focus on executive compensation; and offer guidance for implementing best practices to be a h5er [sic], healthier organization.

10:15 AM - Break

10:30 AM - Two Concurrent Breakout Sessions

1. What is The True "Cost" of Health Care?
The excessive cost of health care is a topic of considerable focus in America today. This presentation will explore the method of defining the actual "cost" of care through a review of variables used to account for specific costs while offering suggestions as to which of these variables should and should not be included in charity care cost determination.

2. Joint Ventures – Doctor-owned Hospitals Panel Discussion
Hospital-physician joint ventures are a major strategic focus of many nonprofit hospitals. Regardless of the configuration, such ventures can present legal and business risks while providing a healthy choice for both the patients and the hospital. This panel explores the pros and cons of these alternative joint ventures.

11:30 AM - Break

11:45 AM - Keynote Luncheon
The Honorable Greg Abbott, Attorney General of Texas

12:45 PM - Break

1:00 PM - Community Benefits Panel Discussion
In Texas, all nonprofit hospitals are required to prepare community benefit plans based on community needs. The plans must state how the identified community needs will be addressed. Frequently, hospitals do so without an adequate assessment of community needs, clear goals or a defined plan of action. This panel will provide solid "how to" steps to develop and implement a plan of action to enhance the benefits your organization provides within your communities.

1:45 PM - Break

2:00 PM - Health Insurance and its Role in Health Care Delivery and Charitable Hospitals Panel Discussion
Although the American health care system has been said to provide the best quality health care to the majority of our citizens, there is a growing disparity in access to health care because of soaring medical costs, rising insurance premiums, and long term health care insurance spirals. This is particularly true in Texas. This panel will discuss these issues and provide some innovative solutions to these critical concerns.

2:45 pm - Health Care Delivery Trends Panel Discussion
Health care delivery can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. This panel will address recent health care trends, such as retail clinics, and the effect these trends have on more traditional health care models. Are the new models providing a service that was missing in the health care arena? Are these models providing patients with convenient, transparent, affordable access to health care? Or is the retail clinic patient in jeopardy due to the lack of consistency that is offered in the family practice model? This panel will also address the structure, failures and successes of select international delivery models.

3:45 PM - Break

4:00 PM - New Federal Reforms for Charitable Hospitals
The IRS recently completed the largest overhaul of the Organization Exempt Form Income Tax Form 990 tax return in over 25 years providing additional requirements for nonprofit hospitals. Both the IRS and Congress are actively examining how nonprofit hospitals fulfill their public purpose warranting tax-exempt status. Commissioner Miller will give us an overview of how these changes will affect charitable hospitals in Texas.