The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposed rules to update the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) prospective payment rates and quality incentive program (QIP) and ambulance fee schedules, as well as proposed changes to the definition of Durable Medical Equipment (DME). CMS projects payment rates for dialysis treatments will increase by 1.8 percent, representing a projected inflation (or ESRD market basket) increase of 3 percent, less a projected productivity adjustment of 1.2 percent as required by statute, effective for dialysis treatments furnished for calendar year 2012.
Have you received notification from your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) to revalidate your Medicare enrollment information? If not, be prepared for it. Section 6401(a) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires all enrolled providers and suppliers to revalidate their enrollment information under new enrollment screening criteria.
On July 29, 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule for federal fiscal year 2012 to update payment rates under the prospective payment system (PPS) for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The following are highlights of the final rule
On July 19, 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Calendar Year 2012 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule. While the proposed rule includes significant changes, it does not address changing the methodology in place for updating the PFS conversion factor.
The debt limit crisis was resolved with the enactment of the Budget Control Act of 2011 . The good news for Medicare providers is there are no immediate cuts to provider payment. In a best-case scenario, there may not be any in the longer term, either, but the bad news is such cuts are more likely than not to occur.
Recently issued IRS Notice 2011-52 addresses community health needs assessment (CHNA) requirements added to the Internal Revenue Code by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). While CHNA requirements are not effective until tax years beginning after March 23, 2012, the IRS is issuing guidance for hospital organizations wishing to start the process now. Guidelines in the notice refer to any CHNA made widely available to the public and any implementation strategy adopted on or before a date six months after the IRS issues further guidance
Two significant updates to Medicare Part A claims for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and hospital swing-bed providers will occur with dates of service beginning August 1, 2011. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is making the following changes through Change Request 7339 : Any Part A claim reporting an End of Therapy Other Medicare Required Assessment (OMRA) must include Occurrence Code 16 and the date of the last therapy service