Medicare has been reaching out about the Medicare Advantage change. Hospices affected by the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model need to understand their claims submission duties under the new program. So says the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and its contractors in recent messages to providers. Medicare Advantage Organizations that are participating in the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model that includes hospice care were supposed to “communicate with hospice providers in the service area of their participating plans,” CMS said in Nov. 13 CR 12045. They were required send hard copy notifications in December. Double duty: “Hospice providers must submit claims and notices to participating MA plans to receive payment when their enrollees elect to receive hospice care,” the transmittal instructs. “Hospice providers must submit claims and notices to their Medicare contractor for informational purposes” as well, CMS adds. In addition to the MAOs mailing letters directly, MAOs and Medicare Administrative Contractors also are supposed to post the information on their websites, CMS says in the transmittal at www.cms.gov/files/document/r10458otn.pdf.
HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor Palmetto GBA says it “mailed a letter and checklist to impacted hospice providers regarding participating plans, billing and claims processing information,” the MAC says in a post to its website. Palmetto has posted that state-by-state information on its website as well at www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/ls/JM Home Health and Hospice~BVHQ8R4218. The documents offer information, such as which plans and affected areas are participating in the project, as well as instructions. Affected states and territories include California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Utah, and Virginia. Meanwhile, planning for the second year is already underway. CMS has released the Calendar Year 2022 Request for Applications (RFA) for the VBID Model, and the applications are due April 16. CMS will hold a 2022 VBID Model and Hospice Benefit Component Overview Webinar Jan. 14 and office hours on Feb. 11. More information is at https://innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/vbid