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 Drops a Third of Tenn. DME Providers After Licensing Issues

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) dropped nearly a third of durable home equipment (DME) suppliers from participating in Round 2 of its competitive bidding program, leaving even fewer providers for Tennessee beneficiaries, according to an article from The Tennessean. The 30 out-of-state contracts were voided because the DME providers that had won […]

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. […]

Tavenner Gets Official Senate Nod to Head CMS

The United States Senate confirmed Marilyn Tavenner as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, announced Wednesday. “Marilyn brings with her a breadth of experience and expertise from virtually all angles of health care policy and delivery, having served as a […]

CMS Seeks Input on Proposed 2014 Hospice Wage Index

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking input from hospice providers on the fiscal year 2014 Hospice Wage Index Update regarding the burden it may have on providers. CMS’s proposed rule updates the hospice payment rates and wage index for 2014 and also continues the phase-out of the wage index budget neutrality adjustment […]

CMS Deadline Approaches for Grandfathering DME Suppliers

Durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers without a contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have until May 20, 2013 to send notifications to the Medicare beneficiaries they serve regarding their decision to be a grandfathered supplier for clients who live in a competitive bidding area and are currently renting competitively-bid DME. “Non-contract […]

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% […]

House Bill Looks to Axe Round 2 of CMS Bid Program

Last night, the efforts of two Congressmen introduced a bill that will prevent the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing Round 2 of its competitive bidding program. H.R. 1717, the Medicare DMEPOS Market Pricing Program Act of 2013, will stop the bidding program, forcing CMS to adopt a market-based approach to determine prices […]

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 […]

Research Shows CMS Program Helps Seniors Transition to Home Care

In CMS’ effort to help nursing home residents move back into their homes and communities, 38% of successful transitions made from July 1 to Dec. 21, 2011 were patients over age 65, according to a Mathematica Policy Research progress report on the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program.  The program was first implemented in 2008 and allows […]