CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Application From the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF) for Continued Approval of its Ambulatory Surgical Center Accreditation Program Federal Register
Jun 22, 2018 - Proposed notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledging the receipt of an application from American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF) for continued recognition as a national accrediting organization for Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Comments on whether AAAASF's requirements meet or exceed the Medicare conditions for coverage for ASCs must be submitted by July 23, 2018.
Source: Federal Register
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CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application by The Compliance Team for Continued CMS Approval of Its Rural Health Clinic Accreditation Program Federal Register
Jun 22, 2018 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid of the continued approval of The Compliance Team (TCT) as a national accrediting organization for Rural Health Clinics participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs, effective through July 18, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
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CMS Seeks Public Input on Reducing the Regulatory Burdens of the Stark Law
Jun 20, 2018 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking recommendations from the public on how to address any undue impact and burden of the physician self-referral law, also known as the Stark Law, with a focus on how the law may impede care coordination. This is part of an ongoing effort by the administration to reduce regulatory burdens. Comments are due by August 24, 2018.
Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Proposed Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2019 Rates; Proposed Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Proposed Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs (Promoting Interoperability Programs) Requirements for Eligible Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Eligible Professionals; Medicare Cost Reporting Requirements; and Physician Certification and Recertification of Claims; Correction Federal Register
Jun 20, 2018 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services making technical and typographical corrections to the May 7, 2018 proposed rule with the same title. Official publication of this notice is scheduled for June 20, 2018.
Source: Federal Register
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Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Releases Report on Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System
Jun 18, 2018 - The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has released its June 2018 Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System. Included in it is a recommendation to establish an outpatient-only hospital option for rural communities, thus allowing them to maintain access to emergency department services.
Source: MedPAC
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CMS: Medicare Program; Contract Year 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-for-Service, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs, and the PACE Program; Correction Federal Register
Jun 15, 2018 - Correction of technical and typographical errors in a final rule published on April 16, 2018. The original rule revised the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) regulations and Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D) to implement provisions designed to reduce beneficiary misuse or overdose of opioids as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). It included information on changes to improve program integrity policies related to payments in MA, Medicare cost plan, Part D, and PACE programs, among other things. It also included CMS's response to comments submitted on the final rule, including its effect on small and rural providers. The rule, and these corrections, are effective June 15, 2018.
Source: Federal Register
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MACPAC Makes Recommendations to Strengthen Medicaid Drug Rebate Program; Address Opioid Epidemic
Jun 15, 2018 - The Medicaid and CHIP Payment Access Commission (MACPAC) released its June 2018 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, with recommendations to change statutory provisions that prevent state Medicaid programs from paying the lowest price for certain drugs and clarify regulations on protecting the privacy of patients with substance use disorder (SUD) to support integration of care.
Source: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program Has Succeeded for Beneficiaries and the Medicare Program
Jun 15, 2018 - Blog post from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) on the chapter in their June 15th report to the Congress that assessed the effects of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). Congress mandated MedPAC to study whether reductions in readmission rates under the HRRP caused increased utilization of outpatient and emergency services.
Source: The MedPAC Blog
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Global Hospital Budgets in Maryland: When Economics and Altruism Align
Jun 14, 2018 - Blog post highlighting Maryland's all-payer global budgeting system. Includes some early evaluations as well as anecdotal comments from hospital CEOs and officials made during a panel discussion at a day-long policy academy organized by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-sponsored by the Milbank Memorial Fund.
Source: Milbank Memorial Fund Blog: The View From Here
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U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Rule to Update Payment Of Medical Benefits Under Black Lung Benefits Act
Jun 13, 2018 - The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) published a final rule under the Black Lung Benefits Act, which provides compensation and payment for medical services to miners who are totally disabled due to pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease. The new regulations adopt industry-standard payment formulas, codify the black lung program's current payment practice for prescription drug payments, and its bill-processing procedures.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor
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