HHA 2010 Medicare payment update has a 2.0 inflation update, but 2.75% reduction for ‘unwarranted’ case mix increase, and changes in outlier payments (10% cap per agency). The Federal Register shows an increase of the base rate for 60-day episodes from $2271.92 to $2312.94 (1.8% increase).
It can be found in the Federal Register by clicking here
Updated November 9, 2009:
For CY 2010, CMS will cap home health outlier payments at 10 percent per HHA and target total aggregate outlier payments at 2.5 percent of all HH PPS payments.
Effective November 16, 2009, CMS is prohibited from recouping Medicare overpayments from a provider or supplier that seeks reconsideration from a Qualified Independent Contractor, until the date the decision on the reconsideration has been rendered. Interest paid to a provider or supplier whose overpayment is reversed at subsequent levels of appeal will now accrue from the date of the original determination.
More information can be found here.
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Posted by rvaks
CMS recently ammended the verification of Status for all Hospitals Qualifying for Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments under 42 CFR Section 412.106(c)(2), also known as the “Pickle Amendment”
More information can be found in this transmittal.
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Posted by rvaks
The flu vaccine payment allowance has been updated for the current year. More information can be found here.
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Posted by rvaks
CMS has established payment rules for medical errors. More information can be found here.
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Posted by rvaks
Presented here are the RUG rates separated by the labor and non-labor component. For the Medicare cost report, the labor portion is adjusted by the wage index that is based on the CBSA of the facility location. Med-Calc has a tool within the Medicare cost report software package that allows the user to calculate the rate based on the wage index provided. For questions regarding the RUG rates, please contact us at 800 447-2540.
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Posted by rvaks
Fall has definitely arrived! The weather is getting cooler and leaves are changing colors. The kids are back in school and are busy learning. We here at Progressive Provider Services have also been busy with our ‘Back to School’ Fall Medicare Cost Report Seminars.
Solomon Melamed hosted Understanding the Medicare Cost Report for Hospitals. This seminar was well attended and gave the participants an in-depth analysis of all of the detailed components necessary to complete a Cost Report for a hospital.
Blimi Schwartz hosted Medicare Cost Reporting 101 for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF). This webinar clarified and clearly explained the Cost Report and participants left this informative webinar with a confidence of the various aspects of the Cost Report.
Rachel Vaks was the host for Understanding the Medicare Cost Report for Home Health Agencies (HHA). Participants were given a background to Medicare and an overview of the Cost Report process. Then, participants were walked through the actual Cost Report together with the PS&R and given a clear understanding of the many components of the Cost Report.
Cost Report season is approaching quickly and make sure that you’re prepared! Contact Blimi Schwartz at blimi@ppsassistant.com for more information regarding upcoming Cost Report Seminars.
We are also avaiable to take the Cost Report off of your hands and complete it so that you could focus on the more important aspects of your business. Please contact Blimi for more information.
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Posted by rvaks
Reports by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Association of Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) both revealed that more than 20% of Home Health Agencies nationally are submitting erroneous Medicare cost report data. These cost reports have been used to influence payment decisions for all HHAs.
This is a critical issue for the industry as the cost report is the only source of cost, charge, profit, and visit information that government agencies have available for the home health industry. In addition, the cost report not only influences payment rates, it can be a source of valuable industry benchmarking data when properly prepared.
The NAHC and the Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association (HHFMA) have launched a campaign and established a task force that will identify areas in the cost reporting process that need improvement and recommend changes that will help the industry in preparing accurate cost reports.
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Posted by rvaks
The hospice payments effective 10/1/2009 incorporate a 2.1% increase in the base payment, new wage indices, and a new cap for the average payments per beneficiary. (However, the wage index also incorporates a Budget Neutral penalty, reducing the increase to 1.4%)
Your area’s wage index may have changed, so the new net payment may go up or down. Take the labor portion of the rate at the MLN link below and multiply it by your locale’s wage index (found at the August 6 Federal Register), and then add the non-labor portion – to arrive at the new rate for your locale.
The hospice changes may be accessed at the following link.
The August 6 Federal Register can be found here.
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Posted by rvaks
