Health Information Management

The week in Medicare updates

APCs Insider, September 12, 2014

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CMS revises coverage of cardiac rehabilitation programs
On August 29, CMS rescinded and replaced the transmittals related to coverage of chronic heart failure for cardiac rehabilitation to make various changes, including to clarify that the new coverage for chronic heart failure is for cardiac rehabilitation only. 
Effective date: February 18, 2014
Implementation date: August 18, 2014 
View Transmittal R539PI. 
View Transmittal R3058CP. 
View Transmittal R193BP. 
View MLN Matters® article MM8758.
 
Annual Clotting Factor Furnishing Fee update 2015 
On August 29, CMS released an annual Recurring Update Notification (RUN) change request announcing the update to the Clotting Factor Furnishing Fee. The information related to this RUN is found in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 17, section 80.4.1. 
Effective date: January 1, 2015
Implementation date: January 5, 2015 
View Transmittal R3055CP. 
View MLN Matters article MM8891.
 
Ventricular assist devices for bridge-to-transplant and destination therapy 
On August 29, CMS released a change request specifying criteria for facility requirements for ventricular assist devices (VADs). The change request also deleted the artificial heart section of the inpatient hospital claims manual and replaced it with a new multi-part section in Chapter 32 “Billing Requirements for Special Services”.  
Effective date: October 30, 2013
Implementation date: September 30, 2014 
View Transmittal R3054CP. 
View Transmittal R172NCD. 
View MLN Matters article MM8803.
 
CMS finalizes modifications to EHR Incentive Program for 2014
A final rule, posted in the Federal Register September 4, changes the meaningful use stage timeline and the definition of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) to allow options in the use of CEHRT for the EHR reporting period in 2014.
It sets the requirements for reporting meaningful use objectives and measures, as well as clinical quality measure (CQM) reporting in 2014 for providers who use one of the CEHRT options finalized for EHR reporting in 2014.
The rule also finalizes revisions to the EHR Incentive Programs to adopt an alternate measure for a Stage 2 meaningful use objective for ambulatory providers; to correct the regulation text for the measures associated with and objective for hospitals to provide patients the information about a hospital admission; and to set a case number threshold exemption for CQM reporting applicable for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals. It is effective October 1, 2014. 
View the notice in the Federal Register.



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