iqtsupport, Author at DeBrunner & Associates

OIG Cites Medicare, Medicaid Among Top Unimplemented Recommendations

CMS has failed to implement many of the policy changes recommended to it by HHS’s Office of the Inspector General, according to a new OIG report. Every year the Department of Health and Human Services’ OIG offers recommendations for policy changes designed to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in HHS programs. This week, the OIG published “OIG’s Top Unimplemented Recommendations: Solutions to Reduce Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in HHS Programs.” Among the top 25 unimplemented recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are 14 involving Medicare and Medicaid. Its top 10 unimplemented Medicare recommendations are: CMS should take [...]

iqtsupport2020-08-11T10:33:28-04:00August 11, 2020|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Coronavirus Update for Friday, August 7

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, August 7. White House: Executive Order The White House issued an executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to extend permanently some of the Medicare telehealth waivers initiated during the COVID-19 public health emergency; to simplify Medicare billing codes and propose a payment model to improve health care in rural areas; and to encourage the Department of Agriculture and Federal Communications Commission to invest in technology that enhances access to telehealth services. The administration’s plans for following through on this [...]

iqtsupport2020-08-10T06:00:06-04:00August 10, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Feds Propose Changing Medicare DSH Calculation

Medicare DSH payments would reflect hospitals’ Medicare Advantage inpatient days under a new regulation proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Under the newly proposed rule, the formula for calculating Medicare disproportionate share payments would incorporate hospitals’ Medicare Advantage inpatient days and not just their fee-for-service inpatient days. Medicare DSH payments are made to hospitals that serve especially high proportions of low-income and uninsured patients and are intended to help them with the cost of providing those services. Go here to see the proposed regulation.

iqtsupport2020-08-07T06:00:49-04:00August 7, 2020|Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy|

CMS Proposes New Medicare Payments for 2021

Medicare will change its provider payments for two types of Medicare-covered services in 2021 and has proposed changes in payments for three other Medicare-covered services in a flurry of activity over the past week. Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized new 2021 Medicare payment rates for: skilled nursing facilities hospice services inpatient psychiatric facilities In addition, this week CMS proposed new 2021 Medicare rates for: physician services outpatient and ambulatory surgical services The proposed changes in Medicare provider payments for physician services and outpatient and ambulatory surgical services are subject to a public comment period before [...]

iqtsupport2020-08-06T06:00:39-04:00August 6, 2020|Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, post-acute care|

Loan Repayment Looms for Hospitals

Unless Congress intervenes, hospitals will soon begin repaying massive federal loans they received to help them cope with the COVID-19 public health emergency. The loans, authorized by the federal CARES Act, were made through the Accelerated and Advance Loan Program, and in all, Medicare made nearly $100 billion in such loans to providers. Under the legislation, Medicare was to begin recouping the loans 120 days after hospitals received them, with recoupment coming by Medicare ceasing to pay hospitals’ Medicare claims until the full amount of the loan was repaid. Now the loans are coming due but hospitals are saying they [...]

iqtsupport2020-08-05T13:00:56-04:00August 5, 2020|Medicare|

Court Supports HHS on 340B Cut

The federal government may institute a nearly 30 percent cut in payments to some hospitals for prescription drugs, a federal court has ruled. The cut, to the 340B program, was first proposed in 2017 the Department of Health and Human Services but has been blocked by the courts ever since. Last week, though, a federal appeals court paved the way for the reduction. Hospitals that serve especially large numbers of low-income patients participate in the federal 340B prescription drug discount program, which gives them discounts on prescriptions they distribute to low-income outpatients. Under the program, participating hospitals are then supposed [...]

iqtsupport2020-08-05T06:00:09-04:00August 5, 2020|340b|

Coronavirus Update for Monday, August 3

The following is the latest information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, August 3. Department of Health and Human Services HHS has issued a news alert titled “HHS Extends Application Deadline for Medicaid Providers and Plans to Reopen Portal to Certain Medicare Providers.” This means some providers will have new opportunities to pursue grants from the CARES Act’s Provider Relief Fund. The major subjects of this news release are: HHS is extending the deadline for applying for the phase 2 general distribution to Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, CHIP, and dental providers to August 28. The web [...]

iqtsupport2020-08-04T06:00:14-04:00August 4, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Thursday, July 30

The following is the latest information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 30. Department of Health and Human Services HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has published three new resources for providers: “COVID-19 and Urgent Care Centers: Lessons Learned for the Future” information on clinical presentation, disease progression, and related information from clinicians in the field treating COVID-19 patients a presentation on the use of telemedicine in alternative care settings HHS’s Office of the Inspector General has updated its FAQs on its administrative authorities on arrangements directly connected to the [...]

iqtsupport2020-07-31T06:00:13-04:00July 31, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Tuesday, July 28

The following is the latest information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28. Senate “HEALS” Act Yesterday, Senate Republicans introduced the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools Act (“HEALS”), their proposed COVID-19/stimulus bill. Health care highlights include: Increasing the time providers will have before CMS begins recoupment of loans made through the Accelerated and Advance Payment Program and an extension of the time before providers will need to pay interest on those loans. $25 billion to be added to the CARES Act’s Provider Relief Fund. Extension of the current Medicare telehealth waivers through 2021 [...]

iqtsupport2020-07-29T06:00:17-04:00July 29, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Thursday, July 23

The following is the latest information from the federal government as of 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 23. Department of Health and Human Services/CARES Act Provider Relief Fund HHS has posted information about the financial reporting that will be required of providers that received funding through the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. Those terms and conditions require providers to submit data documenting their use of the funds and compliance with the terms and conditions. The HHS post lays out some of the parameters of the reporting and notes HHS will release instructions for [...]

iqtsupport2020-07-24T06:00:26-04:00July 24, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

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