Health Information Management

The week in Medicare updates

HIM-HIPAA Insider, April 6, 2015

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Gary Cantrell, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, testifies before Subcommittee on Oversight

On March 24, OIG posted a transcript of the testimony of Gary Cantrell, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations for the OIG regarding OIG’s efforts to combat Medicare fraud.
 
View the transcript.
 
Ann Maxwell, Assistant Inspector General for Evaluation and Inspections, testifies before Subcommittee on Health
On March 24, OIG posted a transcript of the testimony of Ann Maxwell, Assistant Inspector General for Evaluation and Inspections the OIG regarding the integrity of the 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B program).
 
View the transcript.
 
OIG posts Advisory Opinion on  choosing preferred laboratories
On March 25, OIG posted a response to a request for an advisory opinion regarding a laboratory’s proposal to enter into agreements with physician practices to provide all laboratory services for the practices’ patients and waive all fees for those practices’ patients who are enrolled in certain insurance plans requiring the patients to use a different laboratory.
 
View the Advisory Opinion No. 15-04.
 
CMS posts update to Hospital Appeals Settlement
On March 26, CMS updated its Inpatient Hospital website with new information about the Hospital Appeals Settlement. CMS wrote it “is in the process of completing Round 1 of the settlement process. Round 2 validations have begun.” Participants are encouraged to review the revised "Critical Steps for Providers in the Appeals Settlement Process" found in the Downloads section below for additional instructions.
 
View the website.
View the “Critical Steps for Providers in the Appeals Settlement Process" document.
 
House passes Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015
On March 26, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. The bill addresses the Sustainable Growth Rate fix, prohibits elimination of the global period, extends the 2-midnight probe and educate audits through September 30, 2015, and extends several payment provisions, including the therapy caps and exception processes, through October 1, 2017.  A similar bill is pending a vote in the Senate for when it returns from a scheduled break April 13.
 
View updates and the text of the bill.



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