On Feb. 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) extended by one month the deadline for eligible professionals to attest to meaningful use for the 2013 Medicare EHR Incentive Program year. The deadline was extended from 11:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 28,...
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Stay informed with Medbill’s blog, where we share expert guidance, practical tips, and industry updates to help DME providers navigate the industry’s complexities.
Regulations
HME News: OIG outlines work plan
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has several new HME-related projects in the works for 2014, including a review of the reasonableness of the Medicare fee schedule. In its recently released 2014 Work Plan, the OIG says it will review the reasonableness of the...
PECOS Ordering Referring Physician Data Problem Fixed
On January 15, CGS notified providers of an issue related to the ordering/referring physician data in the DME MAC claim system. CMS provided a corrected file to the DME MACs in order to resolve the issue and that file has been loaded into CGS’ system. With the...
HME News: Audits take their toll on finances, according to poll
If you use accounts receivable (A/R) to paint a picture of the financial health of HME providers, what you see doesn’t look very good, according to the results of the latest HME Newspoll. A majority of the 46 respondents to the poll—55%—said the portion of their A/R...
Congress Includes Audit Reform in Appropriations Bill
Last week, a $1.1 trillion appropriations bill was passed by Congress. The bill included language that will urge the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to address concerns that the recovery audit contractors (RACs) are incentivized to be overly aggressive....
Novartis sued over alleged kickback scheme
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. paid kickbacks to a specialty pharmacy in exchange for recommending refills of a blood transfusion drug it produces, according to an amended complaint filed Wednesday in a civil case brought by state and federal prosecutors in New York....
OIG targeting Medicare ambulance trips
Ambulance trips for dialysis treatment rose 269 percent for Medicare recipients between 2002 and 2011, while the number of covered trips overall rose 69 percent, the Office of Inspector General found in a new report. Although dialysis clinics are approved as a...
CMS Announces Extension of Non-enforcement of Face-to-face Rule
Cites Need for Additional Time to Establish Protocols Due to continued concerns that some providers and suppliers may need additional time to establish operational protocols necessary to comply with face-to-face encounter requirements mandated by the Affordable Care...
New Hampshire chipping away at health care costs
Health care spending has increased faster and reached higher levels in New Hampshire than in most other states, but hospitals, insurers and others have been trying to tackle the problem long before the Affordable Care Act. The New Hampshire Citizens Health Initiative,...
Health exchange options may expand
The board of the state's health exchange on Wednesday launched an effort to increase the number of insurance plans available for purchase on the state-based online marketplace. The Washington Health Benefit Exchange board was scheduled to certify the 31 plans approved...
OIG to Investigate Bidding Program
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has announced plans to investigate the controversial Medicare bidding program to "determine whether CMS selected DMEPOS suppliers and computed the single payment amounts in accordance...
Ohio Releases Names of Insurance Companies and the Rates
The Ohio Department of Insurance says health insurance rates will go up next year for Ohioans who buy insurance from the Marketplace. Individuals will pay an average of 41% more and businesses will pay an average of 18% more in health insurance premiums when the...