WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 5, 2014)—Upon initial review, the final rule just released by CMS, 1614-F, “Medicare Program: End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System, Quality Incentive Program, and Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies,” has four main points that you need to know about right now.
AffloVest
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 29, 2014)—The Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) held a hearing on the overwhelming administrative law judge (ALJ) appeal backlog.
WASHINGTON (Oct. 8, 2014)—AAHomecare met with Laurence Wilson and other key staff of CMS to discuss the ESRD proposed rule and its impact on the home care sector. Specifically, AAHomecare discussed concerns with CMS’s proposals to apply competitive bidding rates to non-competitive bidding areas and bundling payments on a limited basis in the next round of bidding.
These concerns were detailed in the Association’s comments, which were submitted on Sept. 2.
WASHINGTON (Oct.
WASHINGTON (Sept. 22, 2014)—Inovalon, Inc., a technology company that provides advanced cloud-based data analytics and data-driven intervention platforms to the healthcare industry, hosted decision-makers and experts from across the healthcare industry during its 2014 Client Congress.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Sept. 3, 2014)—On Sept. 1, DMEevalumate.com unveiled its General DME program to complement its power mobility device (PMD) and respiratory face-to-face documentation tool for physicians.
WASHINGTON (Sept. 3, 2014)—On Sept.
SPRING HOUSE, Penn. (July 18, 2014)—The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services, announced earlier today in a statement published in the Federal Register (FR Doc.
WASHINGTON (July 15, 2014)—On July 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans to recompete the supplier contracts awarded in Round 2 of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. CMS is required by law to recompete contracts under the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program at least once every three years.
WASHINGTON (Dec. 31, 2013)—As families nationwide prepare for the New Year, home health leaders are strongly urging the Obama Administration to address unprecedented cuts to home health care, which were made in the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HHPPS) Final Rule, released the Friday before Thanksgiving.
BALTIMORE (Dec. 18, 2013)—The CMS plans to award a contract early next year to a company that will conduct fingerprint-based background checks for thousands of Medicare providers and suppliers each year.
WASHINGTON (Nov. 11, 2013)—Two weeks ago, CMS announced that full implementation of PECOS Phase II edits on ordering/referring HME providers in Medicare Part B will be in place effective Jan. 6, 2014. AAHomecare worked closely with CMS on the original delay of Phase II seven months ago, which was because of a lack of guidance on the operational effects of the edits.
WASHINGTON (Nov. 15, 2013)—Congressional briefings on the bidding program will take place on Monday, Nov. 18. All Senate members and House Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce members have been invited. Because the briefings are not open to the public, AAHomecare staff and members will be unable to attend.
AUBURN, Mich. (Oct. 31, 2013)—A Medicare bidding program is jeopardizing the health of Michigan senior citizens and people living with disabilities who are unable to obtain critical home medical equipment prescribed by their physicians. More than 100 Michigan Medicare patients have sought assistance from a consumer hotline, despite claims from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that there have been few problems.
BALTIMORE (Oct. 28, 2013)—CMS recently announced a 0.5 percent decrease in the interest rate on Medicare overpayments and underpayments to 10.125 percent. Except for April 17 to July 16 of this year, this is the lowest rate since 2001.
Interest on overpayments and underpayments accrues from the date of the initial request for refund and is assessed for each 30-day period, or portion thereof, that payment is delayed after the initial refund request.
WASHINGTON (Oct. 24, 2013)—Only a few Medicare patients have reported problems related to the bidding program for home medical equipment that rolled out in 91 new areas on July 1, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Yet, more than 2,000 patients have called an organization, People for Quality Care, desperately seeking assistance for situations jeopardizing their health and quality of life.
CMS recently announced that StrategicHealthSolutions has become a supplemental medical review/specialty contractor (SMRC) to “perform and/or provide support for a variety of tasks aimed at lowering the improper payment rates and increasing efficiencies of the medical review functions of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 10, 2013)—Who are the new DME payers, and how can you get paid by them? According to Mary Ellen Conway, president of the Capital Healthcare Group, Bethesda, Md., there are ways to provide products to Medicare beneficiaries even if you did not win a competitive bidding contract.
On October 1, CMS announced the single payment amounts for the Round 1 Re-compete of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program and began offering contracts to successful bidders.
The MAC Satisfaction Indicator (MSI) is a tool the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will use to measure your satisfaction with the Medicare claims administration contractor(s) that serve you.The contractors and CMS will use the results of the MSI to improve the level of service offered to all Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) providers.
WASHINGTON (Sept. 26, 2013)—The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare—a coalition of home health providers dedicated to improving the program integrity, quality and efficiency of home health care for our nation's seniors—applauded 142 Members of the U.S.