Articles and Blogs

On September 14, 2012, CMS published a Survey and Certification letter addressing “Hand in Hand: A Training Series for Nursing Homes.” This training is in response to Section 6121 of the Affordable Care Act, which requires that CMS ensure that nurse aides receive regular training on caring for residents with dementia and prevention of... READ MORE

On May 30, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced the Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes (Partnership) in order to transform the current focus of treatments and services provided to nursing home residents suffering from dementia and dementia-related illnesses. More specifically, this initiative promotes two goals: (1) resident-centered... READ MORE

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has announced that registration is now open to all suppliers interested in participating in the Round 1 Recompete of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (“DMEPOS”) Competitive Bidding Program. In order to submit a bid for the Round 1 Recompete, suppliers will need to first... READ MORE

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented changes to Internet-based PECOS to allow providers easier access to information. The following enhancements are now available: READ MORE

The 2% across-the-board cut in reimbursement for Medicare providers, the result of last summer’s “Super Committee” failure, is scheduled to take place January 1, 2013.  The President recently signed legislation requiring a report detailing how the sequestration process will affect Medicare providers.  Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have already seen significant cuts to reimbursement; an... READ MORE

As part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ongoing program to reduce the rate of anti-psychotic use in nursing facilities, the recent changes to the Nursing Home Compare (NHC) website included reports of the usage rates of anti-psychotics in a facility’s score.  However, there is a discrepancy between the methodologies utilized... READ MORE

Need a quick reference to find specific contacts at Medicare organizations that service your state? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published an interactive Provider Compliance Group Map. Should you have any questions, please contact: Todd Selby at 317.977.1440 or tselby@wp.hallrender.com; Brian Jent at 317.977.1402 or bjent@wp.hallrender.com; or David Bufford at 502.568.9368 or dbufford@wp.hallrender.com, or your regular... READ MORE

Data collected and analyzed by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) since 2010, indicate that home health agencies (HHAs) are predisposed to commit Medicare fraud, waste and abuse. In 2010, Medicare inappropriately paid $5 million for erroneous claims submitted by HHAs. With one in four claims being suspect, the OIG established six (6) criteria... READ MORE

The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care (AQNHC) released the results of a study conducted concerning the future of skilled nursing facility (SNF) reimbursement.  While SNF providers have recently seen their reimbursement rates improve, the study report projects SNF providers are facing $65 billion in reimbursement cuts over the next ten years. The reimbursement... READ MORE

In the near future, Regional Home Health Intermediaries (RHHIs) and Parts A and B Medicare Administrative Contractors (A/B MACs) will be contacting home health agencies (HHAs) that have previously submitted claims for ordered or referred services using a group name and national provider identifier (NPI).  HHAs will be informed they should begin submitting such... READ MORE