CMS to publicly release Medicare physician payment data The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced yesterday that it would soon begin publishing individual Medicare physician billing data, despite objections from the American Medical Association (AMA) and other provider groups. CMS intends to publicly post the data as early as April 9. The release will cover some $77 billion worth of Medicare Part B payments made to physicians in 2012 and will include physicians’ provider IDs, their charges, their patient volumes and what they received in reimbursements from Medicare. Individual patient level data will not be released. ... April 9, 2014 Medicare CMS, Medicare, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA surveys health plans on implementation plans for CMS 1500 claim form The California Medical Association (CMA) surveyed the major payors in California to find out which of them will follow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s (CMS) lead and require submission of paper claims on the new CMS 1500 form (version 02/12 OMB control number 0938-1197). CMS will no longer accept claims on the old forms effective April 1. CMA’s survey found that some health plans will require the new 1500 version on April 1, others will allow for continued submission of the previous version. To view a detailed breakdown ... March 27, 2014 Medi-Cal, Medicare ICD-10, Practice Resources, CMS, Insurance/Reimbursement 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMS wants your input on practice transformation Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is asking physicians to respond to a questionnaire about the resources physicians will need to make the transition to value-based models of care that can better serve their patients. Comments are due April 8. “We understand you’re trying to run a practice and do a lot of other things, and you’re going to need a lot of support,” CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said last week when she announced the request for information during the American Medical Association’s (AMA) National Advocacy Conference in Washington, ... March 12, 2014 General CMS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMS updates EFT authorization agreement The Office of Management and Budget recently approved changes to the CMS 588, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization Agreement. The revised EFT agreement is available on the CMS Forms List. As of January 1, 2014, new EFT authorization agreements submitted must be on the new form. Submissions on the old forms will be returned to the applicant. February 5, 2014 General CMS 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMS warns of fraudulent DME suppliers The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent a letter this week to physicians asking them to pay attention to solicitations they receive from durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers and report any suspicious activity to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General (OIG). According to CMS, most fraudulent solicitations are obvious in their wording or their attempts to get physicians to approve unnecessary medical equipment and supplies. These marketing schemes by DME suppliers can include: •Unsolicited orders for medical equipment or supplies, often with wording ... January 31, 2014 General Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, Fraud and Abuse, Quality of Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMS to conduct ICD-10 testing in March On October 1, 2014, the ICD-9 code sets used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures will be replaced by ICD-10 code sets. To help physicians prepare for this transition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a limited national testing week for current direct submitters (providers and clearinghouses) from March 3 - 7, 2014. This testing week will give trading partners access to the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and Common Electronic Data Interchange (CEDI) for testing with real-time help desk support. While participants will not be able ... January 27, 2014 General CMS, ICD-10, Insurance/Reimbursement 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMS launches new online ICD-10 implementation guide The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently launched an online ICD-10 implementation guide to help practices of all sizes successfully make the switch to the new ICD-10 coding system, which is used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures. Physicians and payors must begin using the new code sets by October 1, 2014. ICD-10 (The International Classification of Disease tenth revision) is a system of coding created in 1992 as the successor to the previous ICD-9 system. ICD-10 will include new procedures and diagnoses, which the U.S. Department ... September 20, 2013 General CMS, ICD-10, Practice Management 0 0 Comment Read More »
Attestation for Medi-Cal primary care rate increase to begin in July The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released regulations in early November 2012 implementing rate increases for primary care physicians who treat Medicaid patients. The goal of the increase is to recruit more physicians to treat low-income patients who will be newly eligible for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under the ACA, primary care physicians will see their reimbursement rates raised to Medicare levels in 2013 and 2014. According to CMS, states must also incorporate the increased payment rates into their contracts with managed care ... July 9, 2013 Medi-Cal ACA, Affordable Care Act, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
