CMS Mum on Release of Quality Standards

BALTIMORE–Industry stakeholders awaiting the release of HME
supplier quality standards still have no word from CMS.

At an agency Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum
Tuesday, Eric Sokol, director of the Power Mobility Coalition,
pointed out that CMS had previously said the final quality
standards would be out by the end of June, and asked for an
indication of when they would be released.

There were no officials at the Open Door to respond, but CMS
said that someone from the agency would contact him with the
answer. As of Friday, Sokol said he had not heard from CMS.

Others also were left without answers at the forum, which
included 431 phone participants.

Ann Howard, director of federal policy for AAHomecare, noted
that few public comments on the proposed competitive bidding rule
are posted online, and asked if it were possible to view additional
comments. The comment period ended June 30.

Her question also was left unanswered during the session.

Several additional items, however, were addressed:

• CMS announced that parental and enteral nutrition pumps will
  not be subject to the capped rental payment changes for HME items
  enacted in the Deficit Reduction Act. They are covered under the
  prosthetic device benefit and not under the home medical equipment
  benefit, the agency explained.
• CMS provided an update of the home health independence
  demonstration, mandated by the Medicare Modernization Act to
  clarify the definition of “homebound.” CMS said the demonstration
  was implemented on Oct. 4, 2004, in Massachusetts, Colorado and
  Missouri and includes 51 enrolled beneficiaries to date. Twenty-six
  providers–six from Colorado, four from Massachusetts and 16 from
  Missouri–have participated in the demonstration, and there have
  been 178 “unique episodes of care,” according to the agency.
• One home health care provider asked if there would be a
  crosslink between Medicare Unique Physician Identification Numbers
  and the new National Provider Identifiers. CMS said that was still
  under development and that a notice would be issued later this
  year. The agency said it would consider holding a special Open Door
  Forum on the issue.

The next CMS Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum is
scheduled for Aug. 15 at 2 p.m. EDT.