CMS Proposes Sweeping Cuts to Home Health Payment System

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) look to eliminate nearly 200 payment codes from the current Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS).  The proposed rule would remove 170 codes from the HH PPS Grouper when it takes effect January 1, 2014, as part of the federal agency’s work to transition from the […]

CMS Delays DME Face-to-Face Rule

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that it will be delaying the face-to-face rule regarding its durable medical equipment (DME) reimbursement program effective July 1, reports HomeCare Mag.  The three-month extension moves the deadline to October 1, and according to the American Association for Homecare, the delay will allow DME providers […]

CMS Updates Provider Guidance In Advance of New July 1 DME Rules

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today released updated guidance on its durable medical equipment Medicare reimbursement program, which faces new requirements to go into effect on July 1.  In advance of the new rule, which instructs DME MACs to implement requirements for detailed written orders for face-to-face encounters conducted by the physician, PA, NP or CNS for […]

CMS Revokes 14,000 Medicare Licenses Under ACA, To Date

In just two years after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the number of Medicare license revocations more than doubled compared to preceding years, according to data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Since March 2011, CMS has revoked 14,663 providers’ and suppliers’ ability to bill in the Medicare program. […]

Florida Projects Steep Margin Decline for Medicare Home Health

Provisions within the proposed payment rule looks to negatively impact margins for Florida’s home health sector, according to analysis by the Home Care Association of Florida (HCAF) and the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare.   Using the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) methodology to calculate margins, Florida’s medicare home health margin will fall to 5.2% […]

Competitive Bidding Round 2 Draws DME Non-Compliance

On the heels of an announcement last week that Tennessee providers of durable medical equipment (DME) are skirting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Competitive Bidding rules, such non-compliance appears to be a nationally widespread issue. Medicare mandates that DME providers who have submitted bids for Round 2 of the bid program are […]

CMS Warns Beneficiaries of DME Provider Change

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began sending emails last week to notify patients of the impending Round 2 of its Competitive Bidding program. CMS also sent emails to providers of home medical equipment (HME), notifying them that the agency would also be reaching out to patients, HME Business reports. The messages describe […]

New VA Rule Adjusts Home Health and Hospice Provider Payments

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a final rule that amends its payment regulation for non-VA providers to include providers of home health and hospice services.  Effective November 15, 2013, non-Va home health and hospice providers that do not have a negotiated contract with the VA will be paid the lowest Medicare rate […]

CMS Proposes $180 Million Payment Boost to Hospices Nationwide

Hospices would receive a payment increase of $180 million for fiscal year 2014 under a new proposed rule issued Monday. The payment boost would translate into a 1.1% increase in federal Medicare payments from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), as a result of a 0.7% reduction in wage index changes and a 1.8% […]

CMS Delays PECOS Edit, Cites “Technical Issues”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that home health claims that list an attending physician without a PECOS enrollment record will not be denied for the time being, reports Decision Health (DH).  The announcement from CMS arrived via an email message to Medicare providers April 25.  CMS had planned to implement an […]