From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— SSM Health is appealing the NLRB decision to certify a June 11 union election for nurses at its St. Mary’s Hospital location, raising “concerns about the election process” and seeking further review.
In a statement today on the appeal, a spokesperson for the health system said SSM Health had objected to “conduct that we believe affected the election environment” and disrupted the hospital’s operations.
“We do not believe these concerns were adequately investigated before regional NLRB staff dismissed the objections and certified the election,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Federal labor law provides the opportunity to seek review of regional decisions, and we are exercising that right by asking a higher level of the NLRB to consider our appeal.”
The spokesperson said the employer respects its employees’ rights to make decisions about joining a union.
“We greatly value our nurses and the important contributions they make every day,” the spokesperson said. “Our focus remains on supporting them and continuing to provide exceptional care for our patients and the communities we serve.”
The union, SEIU Wisconsin, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The National Labor Relations Board’s regional office last month officially certified the election, in which nurses voted by an 89% margin in favor of unionizing. Of the 853 eligible voters in the June 11 election, a total of 574 ballots were counted, and 511 nurses voted in favor of unionizing.
— Attorney General Josh Kaul is part of a coalition suing U.S. health agencies to block a new federal rule that states say will make health insurance more expensive.
That lawsuit, filed Friday in the Northern District of California, takes aim at a new rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the U.S. Department of Health and iHuman Services governing health care plans available on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces next year.
The states say the suit will expand eligibility for “barebones ‘catastrophic’ plans” beyond the ACA’s eligibility limits and increase limits on out-of-pocket cost-sharing for those and other plans.
It also reimposes several provisions proposed by the health agencies last year that were vacated by a federal court after several states, including Wisconsin, sued.
“These changes are contrary to the text and purpose of the ACA and will inexorably lead to higher costs and lower enrollment for consumers, higher uncompensated care costs for providers and state agencies, and substantial compliance costs for state-based exchanges,” the lawsuit reads.
— The Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network is launching a new version of its platform called WISHIN 2.0, boasting a “streamlined” interface and greater technical capabilities for users.
The group is unveiling its updated platform and plans to roll it out to users throughout this month. The announcement touts a number of improvements, including an expanded patient search function, historical timelines, improved “patient matching logic” for identifying records between various organizations, a personalized patient list and more.
The existing WISHIN network has functioned as the state’s designated entity for facilitating health information exchange since 2010, with more than 2,000 participants currently in the network. That covers major health systems in Wisconsin, individual hospitals and clinics, pharmacies, public health agencies and others.
CEO Steve Rottman says the system has a “proven track record” for providing secure and accurate patient details.
“We are excited to take our trusted and secure interoperability products to the next level, delivering even greater value to the organizations and communities we serve, and empowering better patient care for all Wisconsinites,” he said in a statement.
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