Have you ever sat back and really looked at what is going on around you? In this case, I am referring to the work setting and things like policies and procedures or processes that folks have been doing and when
Author: Sheila Capitosti
Balancing Cost and Quality
On July 9th, CMS proposed The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement payment model to hold hospitals accountable for the quality of care they deliver to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries for hip and knee replacements from surgery through recovery. These bundled payments
Skilled Nursing Facility Reporting Program
The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act, enacted on Oct. 6, 2014, directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “specify quality measures on which Post-Acute Care (PAC) providers are required under the applicable reporting provisions to submit
Proposed Fiscal Year 2016
Overview On April 15, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule [CMS-1622-P] outlining proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Medicare payment rates for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The FY 2016 proposals and other issues discussed
Permanent Solution To Sustainable Growth Rate
Finally, the Senate sent a permanent Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) solution to the president’s desk on a vote of 92 to 8. The bill, H.R. 2, will eliminate the perennial threat of providers paying for a “Doc Fix” and inject
MANUAL MEDICAL REVIEW IS BACK!!
All four current RAs received approval on January 16, 2015, to begin issuing ADRs to providers for manual medical review of 2014 therapy claims on a post payment basis. The CMS procedures apply to claims made by outpatient therapy facilities,
And the Doc-Fix Debate Begins—Again!!
There’s only one outstanding issue left to resolve before Congress can pass a permanent “doc fix,” how to cover the roughly $140 billion price tag. Last year, Congress kicked the can down the road again and failed to permanently do
All’s Quiet On The Home Front—Or Is It Really?
It is hard to believe but 2014 is coming to a close soon. Compared to other Decembers this seems like a relatively quiet time. I remember 1999 and wondering if the world was going to crash because of Y2K. And
OMG—The OIG!!!
The OIG Work Plan for FY 2015 was posted on October 31, 2014 and summarizes new and ongoing reviews and activities that OIG plans to pursue with respect to HHS programs and operations during the current fiscal year and beyond.
President Obama Signs IMPACT Act
The IMPACT Act of 2014 is being likened to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 related to the impact (no pun intended) of this piece of legislation on post-acute care providers as it sets the stage for overhauling the