Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
'Under Arrangement' Clarification Could Aid SNFs
September ODF promises relief from confusion for nursing homes.
Don't look now, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has fine-tuned yet again its message about "under arrangement" services provided in skilled nursing facilities to Part A stay residents.
The good news: The shift could save nursing homes costly legal fees.
"It was never our intent to mandate a specific contractual arrangement," said Sheila Lambowitz, speaking at the SNF/Long-Term Care Open Door Forum held Sept. 28. Lambowitz was addressing providers' persistent concerns about how to tie up loose ends with suppliers providing PPS covered services.
Seeming weary from months of discussion on the topic, Lambowitz went on to simplify matters even more, characterizing the needed "arrangement" between SNFs and Part A suppliers as simply "having an understanding." Confused about all the "guidance" on the topic? You're not alone. Look for an important revision to Transmittal 183 by the middle of the month, advised Lambowitz.
Other ODF highlights:
"A provider that's coming out of serious power outage isn't ready to have nine surveyors enter the building," notes LuMarie Polivka-West, the Florida Health Care Association representative who has coordinated storm-related communications between providers and CMS.
The future on the matter doesn't look bright: "We're standing by our existing policy [of noncoverage]," stated Lambowitz. "We have no plans to change it."
Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
- Ambulatory:
New Changes On Tap For OPPS In '05
Observation guidelines and drugs receive federal scrutiny.
Be prepared: The Medicare Modernization Act is now in [...] - Long-Term Care:
'Under Arrangement' Clarification Could Aid SNFs
September ODF promises relief from confusion for nursing homes.
Don't look now, but the Centers for [...] - Hospitals:
ER Admissions Staff Won't Have To Double As INS
CMS finally agrees: Immigration and emergency care don't mix
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [...] - Rehab:
IRFs Can Keep In The Clear With These Strategies
Putting skill in skilled service notes is the best audit protection.
If inpatient rehab facility managers [...] - Long-Term Care:
Fix Certification Errors With These Three Easy Steps
Nursing homes don't need to repeat the same mistakes.
If long-term care providers aren't certain their [...] - Home Care:
HHAs Get Ready For Revamped Appeals Process
New 'QIC' step could bring quicker objective review.
Medicare is again tinkering with its appeals processes, [...] - Enforcement Watch:
Operation Wheeler Dealer Rolls Over Houston Doc
Providers should make sure their paperwork can stand up to increased scrutiny.
The Texas fraud indictments [...] - Hospitals:
How To Bulletproof A Hospital's Staffing Compliance
2 crucial compliance steps you can't do without.
Even if a hospital has buckled down on [...] - Program Transmittal Roundup
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in an Aug. 27 transmittal (CR 3418) [...] - Bill Watch
Bills introduced in the House: HR 5157. A bill to amend title II of the [...]
