Articles and Blogs

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) just issued a final rule that will require most private employers, including those that are long-term care providers, to post a Notice of Employee Rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  The notices must be posted by November 14, 2011.  The text of the notice is available in the…Read More

The US Office of Management and Budget has approved the revised Medicare Provider-Supplier Enrollment Applications, the CMS-855 forms.  These updates to the 2008 versions include multiple changes to comply with enhanced disclosure requirements. Such changes include:  

The proposed agenda for today’s Home Health, Hospice & DME/Quality Open Door Forum is as follows: Hospice wage index final rule published; Hospice CR 7518 with FY 2012 updated rates and cap amount issued; Timeline for Hospice CAP changes; HHCAHPS Updates.  This is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17, 2011 from 2:00pm-3:00pm EST. Resistration for this Open…Read More

On July 29, 2011, CMS issued the following guidance for the use of video cameras in ICFs/MR: To ensure that clients’ rights are protected, the use of video cameras in the ICF/MR must be reviewed, approved and monitored by the Specially Constituted Committee (SCC) of the facility as constituted per 42 CFR 483.440(f)(3)(i-iii).  If approved…Read More

Earlier this week, we highlighted the implementation by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of enrollment revalidations and screening categories, and which categories CMS places certain long-term care providers. It is important for providers and suppliers to understand what each screening category (limited, moderate, or high) entails and be aware of any events which…Read More

As an update to the previous post on the revalidation enrollment procedures it is important for hospices, home health agencies, and DMEPOS to know what level of screening they will receive from the Medicare Administrative Contractor (“MAC”).  In some instances these providers and suppliers will be screened at either a “high” or “moderate” level of…Read More

In an effort to reduce fraud, waste and abuse of the Medicare program, the Affordable Care Act (section 6401A) implemented new risk screening criteria that require revalidation of enrollment by providers and suppliers who enrolled in the Medicare program prior to Friday, March 25, 2011.  Under the new screening criteria, newly-enrolling and revalidating providers and…Read More

As of March 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented new screening criteria in the Medicare provider/supplier enrollment process.  Newly enrolling and revalidating providers and suppliers are placed in one of three categories – limited, moderate, or high – each representing the level of risk to the Medicare program for that provider’s/supplier’s…Read More

As stated in the Health Law News article, for certain types of non-IPPS hospitals the statutory payment window is only one (1) day preceding the patient’s admission.  To clarify, those non-IPPS hospitals are psychiatric hospitals and units, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units, long-term care hospitals, children’s hospitals and cancer hospitals.  Critical access hospitals are not…Read More