CMS is inviting physician practices to apply to participate in its new “Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Model," which will test whether encouraging physician practices to calculate risk for eligible Medicare beneficiaries will prevent the occurrence of first-time heart attacks and strokes. CMS intends to operate the model for five years, and seeks
Physicians
GAO Criticizes Medicare Physician Payment Ratesetting Process
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report pointing out potential shortcomings in the data and process used by CMS to establish the relative values (and consequently the reimbursement levels) for Medicare physician services. In particular, the GAO expresses concern that the American Medical Association/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) process for…
OIG Flags Overpayments Due to Incorrect Physician Place-of-Service Coding
According to a recent OIG report, "Incorrect Place-of-Service Coding Resulted in Potential Medicare Overpayments Costing Millions,” physicians did not always correctly code the place of service on Part B claims. This resulted in potential overpayments of approximately $33.4 million for services provided from January 2010 through September 2012. The OIG explains that physicians performed…
CMS Reschedules Call on Home Health Clinical Templates (May 20)
On May 20, 2015, CMS is hosting its final call to discuss paper and clinical templates intended to assist physicians and practitioners in documenting patient eligibility for Medicare home health benefits.
CMS Publishes Corrections to 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule
CMS has published corrections to its final 2015 Medicare physician fee schedule rule. Among other things, the rule reflects a previously-announced correction to the conversion factor for the first quarter of 2015 ($35.7547), revises the April 1 – December 31, 2015 conversion factor to $28.1872 (assuming that Congress does not take action to avert…
MedPAC Report to Congress on Medicare Policy
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has released its annual recommendations to Congress on Medicare policies, including Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) payment updates and a status report on the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D programs. The following are highlights of the recommendations for 2016 (many of which were recommended previously):
Continue Reading MedPAC Report to Congress on Medicare Policy
CMS Posts Initial Results for Physician Value-based Payment Modifier
Under the ACA, the Physician Value-Based Modifier (Value Modifier) policy rewards physicians and groups of physicians who provide high quality and cost effective care, while penalizing those who did not meet objectives. Physicians in group practices of 100 or more eligible professionals who submit claims to Medicare under a single tax identification number are subject…
CMS Made Payments to Providers with Delinquent Medicare Debts
The OIG has issued a report on its findings that Medicare in some cases continued to make payments to physicians who have delinquent Medicare debts that have been referred to Treasury for collection. For instance, CMS paid a total of $10.7 million to 23 individual physicians who collectively owed CMS a total of $8.84 million.
OIG Report: Medicare Payments for Power Mobility Device Claims that Did Not Meet Physician Face-To-Face Exam Rules
As a condition of Medicare coverage for power mobility devices (PMDs), a physician must conduct and document a face-to-face examination of the beneficiary and write a prescription for the PMD. CMS established an optional Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code, G0372, for a physician to report the need for a PMD. Based on a review…
CMS Adopts Changes to Open Payments/Physician Payment Sunshine Act Regulations
As part of the final 2015 Medicare physician fee schedule rule, CMS is adopting – with certain refinements – its proposed changes to the regulations implementing the Physician Payment Sunshine Act. By way of background, the Sunshine Act requires pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to submit to CMS certain…
CMS Call on Changes to Physician Quality Reporting Programs for 2015 (Dec. 2)
On December 2, 2014, CMS is hosting a provider call to discuss changes to the Medicare physician quality reporting programs in the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule. Among other things, the call will cover changes impacting the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), Value-based Payment Modifier, Physician Compare, Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program,…
Final CY 2015 Medicare Payment Rules in the Pipeline
CMS is expected to publish several major final Medicare payment rules for 2015 in the coming days. The agency has already submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for regulatory clearance the final 2015 rules updating Medicare payments for outpatient hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, home health agencies, and end-stage renal disease…
CMS Call on 2013 Physician Quality and Resource Use Reports (Oct. 23)
On October 23, 2014, CMS is hosting a call on 2013 Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) for physician group practices and physician solo practitioners. The 2013 QRURs contain quality and cost performance data that will be used in determining the applicable Value-Based Payment Modifier for 2015.
More Changes to Sunshine Act “Open Payments” Timeline
Open Payments, Physician Payment Sunshine Act, Physicians, Sunshine Act…
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CMS Revises Sunshine Act “Open Payments” System Review/Dispute Deadlines Amid Concerns about Data Accuracy
CMS has reopened the Open Payments system after it was taken offline temporarily to “resolve a data integrity issue.” According to a CMS press release, applicable manufacturers and group purchasing organizations (GPOs) had submitted intermingled data (e.g., wrong state license number or national provider identifier) for doctors with the same last and first names…
CMS Issues Proposed CY 2015 Medicare OPPS/ASC Rule
On July 14, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its proposed rule to update the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System rates and policies for calendar year (CY) 2015. The following are highlights of this major rulemaking:Continue Reading CMS Issues Proposed CY 2015 Medicare OPPS/ASC Rule
CMS Publishes Proposed MPFS Rule for 2015
On July 11, 2014, CMS published its proposed rule to update the Medicare physician fee schedule for CY 2015. The proposed rule reflects enactment of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) of 2014, which provides for a 0% update to the conversion factor (CF) for MPFS services furnished between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2015. In the Proposed Rule, CMS estimates that with the application of a budget neutrality adjustment, the CF for the first quarter of 2015 would be $35.7977 (compared to $35.8228 in 2014). Under PAMA, the CF will be adjusted on April 1, 2015 according to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula unless Congress takes additional legislative action. CMS does not speculate on the CF that will be applicable April 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015, but CMS previously estimated that the SGR would result in about a 20.9% cut in MPFS payments for 2015 if Congress does not again intervene. There is an expectation that Congress eventually will override this payment cut, but the timing and extent of any such relief cannot be assured at this time. Other key provision in the proposed rule include the following:Continue Reading CMS Publishes Proposed MPFS Rule for 2015
Sunshine Act Open Payments System Review/Dispute Process Underway
CMS has made a series of announcements related to the Sunshine Act Open Payments system, including information about the Open Payments review, dispute and correction process that runs from July 14 through August 27, 2014. This period allows physicians and teaching hospitals to review and initiate any disputes they may have regarding the data reported…
CMS Proposes Changes to Sunshine Act “Open Payments” Regulations in 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rule
Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an advance copy of the CY 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule, which includes certain changes to the regulations implementing the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, also known as the Open Payments program. These proposed changes come just three days after the inaugural…
OIG Issues Special Fraud Alert on Lab Payments to Referring Physicians
Today the HHS OIG issued a Special Fraud Alert highlighting its concerns regarding two trends involving transfers of value from laboratories to physicians that the OIG believes “present a substantial risk of fraud and abuse under the anti-kickback statute.” Specifically, the OIG details risks involved with certain compensation paid by laboratories to referring physicians and…