Archive for April 2019
CMS Issues Proposed Rules for Rehab and Skilled Nursing Facilities
On April 17, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule that would update Medicare payment policies for Medicare Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF). Two days later, on April 19, CMS issued another proposed rule, this one updates the Medicare payment rates and the quality programs for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Let’s start…
Read MoreApril OIG Work Plan Focuses on Oversight of State, Federal Funding
Each month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) releases updates to its Work Plan, which outline the various projects it intends to focus on in the coming months. The April Work Plan addressed a number of items that should be of interest to a variety of…
Read MoreAHCA Postpones BA Therapy Cuts
Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has decided to postpone planned cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates for behavioral health therapists, many of whom work with children on the autism spectrum. In March, AHCA proposed payment reductions for a variety of services as outlined below: Payments for Behavior Analysis Assessment to decrease from $385.19 to…
Read MoreClinical Lab Industry Ripe for Fraud and Abuse
A former account rep for a toxicology testing company in Texas is the latest to be sentenced for his role in a Medicare fraud scheme that has become more common in recent years. Last month, Ivar Cantu was handed a 56-month sentence, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to…
Read MoreChanges to Nursing Home Star Ratings Are Here
Beginning this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) is changing its star ratings on Nursing Home Compare and its Five-Star Quality Rating System, which allows consumers to compare quality between nursing homes. CMS says the updates “reflect more transparent and meaningful information about the quality of care that each nursing home is giving…
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