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Senate Finance Committee Hosts Roundtable Discussion on Hospital Value Based Purchasing 2008-03-05 20:45:16 The Senate
Finance Committee
recently announced in a Press Release that it will hold a roundtable discussion at 2:00 p.m. on March 6, 2008 to discuss ideas for implementing a Medicare value-based purchasing program for hospital care. According to the Press Release, 22 health care organizations will take part in the roundtable discussion. During the discussion, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will present an overview of its... Read more:Purchasing
, Value
, Discussion
, Roundtable
, Hosts
CMS Extends Timeline for Publishing Claim Appeal Procedures Final Rule 2008-03-05 14:53:01 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a Notice in the Federal Register extending the time line for publishing the final rule for Medicare claims appeal procedures until March 1, 2009. According to the Notice, the extended time line for publishing the final rule means that the March 8, 2005 interim final rule will remain in effect through March 1, 2009 (unless the final rule is published... Read more:Final
, Procedures
, Appeal
, Publishing
, Timeline
MedPAC Releases Medicare Payment Policy Report for 2009 2008-03-04 15:59:34 On February 29, 2008, the Medicare Payment
Advisory Commission (MedPAC) issued a News Release announcing the release of its Report to Congress: Medicare Payment Policy
for 2009 (Report). In the Report, MedPAC makes updates and policy recommendations for certain Medicare fee-for-service payment systems for 2009. In brief, MedPAC recommends the following updates: Hospital Inpatient & Outpatient Services. MedPAC recommends that Congress increase payment rates in 2009 by the projected rate...
OIG Recommends Further Strengthening DMEPOS Supplier Enrollment Process 2008-03-03 12:31:28 On March 3, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a Press Release announcing the release of a Report entitled Los Angeles County Supplier
s' Compliance With Medicare Standards: Results From Unannounced Visits (Report). According to the Report, Los Angeles is a high-risk area for fraudulent activity involving suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS). Further
, the Report indicates that in... Read more:Process
CMS Requests Quality Measure Suggestions for Physician Quality Reporting Initiative 2008-02-29 23:51:30 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it is accepting quality measure suggestions for possible inclusion in the proposed set of quality measures to be published in the 2009 Medicare Physician
Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule for the Physician QualityReporting
Initiative (PQRI). CMS expects to publish the 2009 MPFS Proposed Rule no later than August 15, 2008. According to CMS, individuals and organizations interested in... Read more:Measure
, Requests
Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors Identify $371.5 Million in Improper Payments 2008-02-28 15:10:40 On February 28, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare recovery audit contractor (RAC) status document and a related Press Release for fiscal year (FY) 2007. In the status document, CMS reports on the results of the RAC demonstration project for FY 2007. Since March 2005, the RAC demonstration project has operated in the states of California, New York and Florida to determine whether RACs... Read more:Contractors
, Audit
, Recovery
CMS to Host Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum 2008-02-26 21:33:41 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that the next Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health
Professionals Open Door Forum
will take place at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on March 11, 2008. There are 2 ways to participate in the Open Door Forum. To participate by telephone, one must dial 1-800-837-1935 and reference conference ID 33257655. To participate in person, one must RSVP to CMS PHYSICIANODF-L@cms.hhs.gov by 2:00 p.m....
CMS Releases National Health Expenditure Projections 2008-02-26 10:01:45 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has prepared an analysis of projected national health care expenditures through 2017, which has been published in the journal Health
Affairs. According to CMS, the growth in U.S. health care spending is projected to be 6.7 percent in 2007 and reach $2.2 trillion. As a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), CMS projects that health care spending will increase to 16.3 percent... Read more:Projections
, National
CMS Publishes Final Rule on Prior Determinations of Coverage 2008-02-26 09:01:34 On February 22, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Final
Rule establishing a process for Medicare contractors to provide physicians and beneficiaries with a determination of coverage (related to medical necessity) before physicians' services are furnished. In the Final Rule, CMS establishes limits on the physicians' services for which a prior determination of coverage may be requested. In fact, the Final Rule outlines the services... Read more:Coverage
, Prior
OIG Issues Advisory Opinion on Disease Screening Kiosks in Physicians Offices 2008-02-24 17:03:44 On February 22, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG) posted OIG Advisory
Opinion No. 08-05 (Advisory Opinion). In the Advisory Opinion, a company that develops, manufacturers and markets pharmaceuticals (Company) for a number of diseases and conditions, including 4 disease states (Disease States), inquired about a proposal to place electronic kiosks, which offer patients free Disease State screening questionnaires, in physicians' offices (Proposed... Read more:Offices
, Kiosks
, Screening
, Issues
CMS to Host Hospital/Hospital Quality Open Door Forum 2008-03-09 17:38:06 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold the next Hospital/Hospital Quality
Open Door Forum
(Forum) at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on March 13, 2008. There are 2 ways to participate in the Forum. To participate by telephone, one must dial 1-800-837-1935 and reference conference ID 33267865. To participate in person, one must RSVP to CMS HOSPITALODF-L@cms.hhs.gov by 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on March 11, 2008, and include "Hospital/Hospital Quality"...
Subcommittee on Health to Hold Hearing on MedPACs March 2008 Report to Congress 2008-03-07 14:47:12 On March
11, 2008, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health
will hold a hearing on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2008 Report to Congress
: Medicare Payment Policy. MedPAC is required to submit its recommendations on Medicare payment policies to Congress by March 1 of each year. The hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. and include the testimony of MedPAC Chairman Glenn M. Hackbarth. The Subcommittee... Read more:Hearing
CMS Announces Accreditation Dates for DMEPOS Competitive Bidding 2008-03-14 23:05:31 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced 2 important dates associated with bidding in the second round of the Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program. According to CMS, DMEPOS suppliers must be accredited or have applied for accreditation by May 14, 2008 to submit a bid for the second round of DMEPOS competitive bidding and will need to be accredited to... Read more:Accreditation
, Competitive
CMS Releases Decision Memo on Cardiac CT Scans 2008-03-13 00:03:47 On March 12, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final decision memorandum indicating that no national coverage determination on the use of cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) for coronary artery disease is appropriate at this time. According to the final decision memorandum, coverage should continue to be determined by local Medicare contractors through the local coverage determination process or case-by-case adjudication. On July 13, 2007,...
CMS Releases Coverage Policy for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy and Sleep Apnea 2008-03-17 09:35:09 On March 13, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in a Press Release that it has expanded Medicare coverage for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices to include beneficiaries who have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). According to the Press Release, the expansion of coverage is the result of a March 13, 2008 final Decision Memo, which adds coverage for CPAP following a positive... Read more:Coverage
, Policy
, Positive
, Pressure
, Therapy
, Sleep
, Apnea
CMS Announces Single Payment Amounts for DMEPOS Competitive Bidding 2008-03-20 23:38:33 On March 20, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in a Press Release that it completed the bid evaluation process and announced the single payment amounts for the 1st round of the Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program. According to CMS, the amounts that Medicare will pay for the 10 product categories in the 1st round of DMEPOS competitive bidding... Read more:Payment
, Competitive
CMS to Host Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum 2008-03-19 21:49:06 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold the next Home Health
, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum
at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on April 2, 2008. There are 2 ways to participate in the Open Door Forum. To participate by telephone, one must dial 1-800-837-1935 and reference conference ID 37587040. To participate in person, one must RSVP by 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on March 31, 2008 to HOMEHEALTH_HOSPICE_DMEODF-L@cms.hhs.gov, and...
Medicare Trustees Issue 2008 Annual Report and Medicare Funding Warning 2008-03-25 17:03:25 On March 25, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Press Release announcing the release of the 2008 Annual
Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds (Report). In the Report, the Board of Trustees (Trustees) indicate that the financial outlook for the Medicare program continues to raise serious concerns. According to the Report, Medicare expenditures were... Read more:Funding
Subcommittee on Health to Hold Hearing on Medicare Trustees' 2008 Annual Report 2008-03-27 11:05:35 The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health
recently released a Hearing
Advisory announcing that it will hold a hearing on the 2008 Annual
Report of the Medicare Board of Trustees (Trustees). The hearing is scheduled to take place at 10:00 a.m. on April 1, 2008. The 2008 Annual Report was released on March 25, 2008. In the 2008 Annual Report, the Trustees indicate that the financial outlook for the...
OIG Publishes Interim Final Rule on Advisory Opinion Process 2008-03-26 21:52:25 On March 26, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG) published an interim final rule (with comment period) in the Federal Register revising the process for submitting payments for advisory opinion costs. According to the interim final rule, the OIG will no longer require that requestors submit an initial deposit payment of $250 for each advisory opinion request. Instead, the OIG will require that... Read more:Interim
, Final
, Advisory
, Process
CMS Enhances Hospital Compare Website 2008-03-29 08:59:09 On March 28, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Press Release announcing that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted new survey information on the Hospital Compare
website. According to the Press Release, the patient experience of care information that CMS added to the Hospital Compare site is part of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Hospital Survey (HCAHPS). HCAHPS...
Senators Baucus and Grassley Announce Health Reform Summit 2008-05-23 12:57:25 On May 23, 2008, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Charles Grassley
issued a Press Release announcing the Prepare for Launch: HealthReformSummit
2008 (Summit) for Senators and Representatives to discuss options for health care reform in 2009. The Summit will be held at the Library of Congress on June 16, 2008 and be part of a year long series of Senate Finance Commi
CMS to Host Provider Education Call on DMEPOS Competitive Bidding 2008-05-22 17:29:24 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it will host a second national conference call on the implementation of the Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program, which is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2008. The national conference call will take place from 1:00 p.m.- 2:30 p.m. (EDT) on May 27, 20 Read more:Provider
, Education
, Competitive
Senator Baucus Comments on Medicare Physician Payment Legislation 2008-05-21 22:09:35 On May 21, 2008, Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Max Baucus, issued a News Release following a meeting with the bipartisan membership of the Senate Finance Committee to discuss upcoming Medicare legislation. In the News Release, Chairman Baucus states the following: "In an effort to reach consensus on Medicare legislation before the Memorial Day recess, I've met repeatedly in recent days w Read more:Senator
, Comments
, Physician
, Payment
, Legislation
HHS Launches Advertising Campaign on Hospital Quality 2008-05-21 10:31:32 On May 20, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in a Press Release that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a national print advertising campaign focusing on the quality of care in U.S. hospitals. According to the Press Release, the ads were placed in the May 21, 2008 edition of 58 major daily newspapers and promote the Hospital Com Read more:Advertising
, Campaign
, Quality
CMS Announces Acute Care Episode Demonstration Teleconference 2008-05-20 22:27:46 On May 20, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that there will be an informational telephone conference for applicants and other interested parties on the Acute Care Episode
(ACE) demonstration project. The telephone conference is scheduled to take place from 3:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. (EST) on June 4, 2008. The telephone conference will be an opportunity for participa Read more:Demonstration
CMS Updates Hospital Acquired Conditions and Present on Admission Webpages 2008-05-19 17:48:16 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently updated the web pages associated with the Hospital Acquired Conditions and Present
on Admission
Indicator section of the CMS website to describe the changes published in the hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule for fiscal year 2009. Read more:Webpages
CMS Announces Winning Suppliers in First Round of DMEPOS Competitive Bidding 2008-05-19 15:59:05 On May 19, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the names of the 325 suppliers of Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) that signed contracts to provide medical equipment and supplies to beneficiaries in the first round of the DMEPOS competitive bidding program. According to a Press Release and Fact Sheet, the bids in the Read more:Competitive
, Winning
, Suppliers
, First
DOJ Reports on Second Phase of Medicare Fraud Strike Force 2008-05-19 10:43:09 On May 8, 2008, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a Press Release that the second phase of a Medicare fraud strike force began operations in Los Angeles, California on March 1, 2008. In the Press Release, the DOJ reports that the second phase has already resulted in 11 indictments involving almost $13 million in Medicare claims. In the Press Release, the DOJ reports that the Medicare fr Read more:Second
, Force
Subcommittee on Health Hears Testimony on DMEPOS Competitive Bidding 2008-05-18 15:33:40 On May 6, 2008, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health
held a hearing on the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program. During the hearing, the Subcommittee on Health entertained testimony from a number of witnesses, including Kerry Weems, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator and Tom Read more:Competitive
, Testimony
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