Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
IMPROPER PSYCH TRANSFERS PROMPT INVESTIGATION
ED docs fired as health department probes EMTALA problems. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act's provisions apply to psychiatric patients, and California officials say Simi Valley Hospital hasn't been complying with that law. After conducting an investigation on behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the state's Department of Health Services contends the hospital's emergency department did not perform screening exams on psychiatric patients before transferring them, transferred patients even though there was space available in the hospital's psych unit, transferred several patients because they didn't have insurance and failed to stabilize suicidal patients before transferring them. A day before the state's 32-page report became public, the hospital fired nine ED physicians, terminating the facility's contract with Equality Emergency Medical Care Group. Additionally, the hospital is reviewing its policies and procedures for compliance with applicable state and federal laws, and has submitted a plan of correction to the state, the Ventura County Star reported Sept. 27. Lesson Learned: Hospitals and ED practices should ensure their compliance programs address EMTALA issues for psych patients.
Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
- Medicare Reform:
LEGISLATORS STILL DISAGREE ON ROLE OF PRIVATE PLANS
Past the initial deadline for a final bill, experts say process could go until December. As [...] - Hospitals:
TURF BATTLE OVER SPECIALTY HOSPITALS CONTINUES
GAO weighs in on the debate. The growing popularity of specialty hospitals has general hospitals [...] - Home Health:
COPAY THREAT PERSISTS AS HOME CARE INDUSTRY STRIKES BACK
Medicare home care funding is more vulnerable to cuts than ever as negotiations continue over [...] - Labs:
CLIA SURVEYORS AWAIT GREEN LIGHT FROM FEDS
Find out how surveyors intend to handle deficiencies in the meantime. CLIA inspectors may be [...] - Long-Term Care:
SENIORS' HOME EQUITY EYED AS KEY TO PAYING LTC BILLS
Well-off seniors benefitting from Medicaid while state budgets languish, Scully says. Seniors have $1.5 trillion [...] - Rehab:
REHAB PROVIDERS LAUNCH NEW SALVO AGAINST 75-PERCENT RULE
IRFs will shut down unless CMS acts, rehab hospitals argue. Inpatient rehabilitation facilities are in [...] - Business Arrangements:
OIG SHINES LIGHT ON ADVISORY OPINIONS
What to expect if you want an OIG stamp of approval on your business needs. The anti-kickback [...] - Pharmaceuticals:
DRUGMAKER RECORDKEEPING RULE SPARKS GRASSLEY'S IRE
False Claims Act architect says Medicaid rebate rule will foil whistleblowers. Drugmakers who thought the [...] - Medicaid:
CMS TO HIRE 100 MEDICAID-MAXIMIZATION COPS
The White House Office of Management and Budget has approved hiring 100 new federal employees [...] - Hospitals:
IS MANDATORY QUALITY REPORTING ON THE HORIZON FOR HOSPITALS?
CMS chief Tom Scully isn't happy about early results on voluntary reporting. Last December's agreement [...] - EMTALA:
IMPROPER PSYCH TRANSFERS PROMPT INVESTIGATION
ED docs fired as health department probes EMTALA problems. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active [...] - BILL WATCH
Bills introduced in the House: HR 3299. A bill to provide for prescription drugs at [...] - MANUAL UPDATE ROUNDUP
A common working file edit flagging too many immunosuppressive drug claims should soon get fixed [...]
