Home Health & Hospice Week

The newest ZPIC's start date has rolled around. Cahaba Safeguard Administrators, the Zone Program Integrity Contractor for Zone 3, announced its April 24 start date earlier this year (see Eli's HCW, Vol. XXI, No. 9, p. 71).

The ZPIC will "defend healthcare dollars for CMS" in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, it says on its website. Cahaba Safeguard is working with the current Program Safeguard Contractors (PSCs) to transition Benefit Integrity responsibilities for Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, Durable Medical Equipment, and Home Health and Hospice.

Once Cahaba Safeguard is fully transitioned, you can expect to see the ZPIC engage in investigations, law enforcement referrals, data analysis, and medical review in support of investigations, it says.

For a list of the nation's other ZPICs, see CMS's MLN Matters article on ZPICs at www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNMattersArticles/down loads//SE1204.pdf. CMS revised the article in February to include newly assigned or reassigned states and territories.

The Zone 6 ZPIC contract still is under pro-test, but the remaining six zones are now assigned. "The J14 AB MAC jurisdiction is currently covered by a PSC," HHH MAC NHIC noted in a March 7 Ask the Contractor Teleconference. "Until then, the PSC will continue Fraud and Abuse activities."