Advisory
On May 7, CMS published the long-awaited final 75% Rule, which sets conditions an inpatient rehabilitation facility \(IRF\) must meet to qualify for reimbursement as an IRF under Medicare. The rule maintains nine of the original ")HCFA 10") qualifying diagnoses and replaces the old polyarthritis…
CMS published in the May 18 Federal Register a proposed rule with changes to the fiscal year \(FY\) 2005 hospital inpatient prospective payment system \(PPS\). This rule is one of the most complicated and lengthy ever released by the agency.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services \(CMS\) on March 26 issued an interim final rule on physician self-referrals under Medicare and Medicaid. This rule marks Phase II of the regulations for what has become known as the ")Stark II") law. Phase I was published in January 2001. Taken…
On March 8, CMS released the proposed fiscal year \(FY\) 2005 occupational mix public use file \(PUF\), which contains survey data submitted from acute care hospitals on the occupational mix of their employees. Since this data will be used to adjust Medicare hospital payments across geographic…
In December 2003, the AHA sent you a Member Advisory that included two documents designed to help hospitals assist their patients of limited means. The first, ")Hospital Billing and Collections Practices - Statement of Principles and Guidelines by the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital…
As required under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act, the Department of Homeland Security \(DHS\) in July 2003 issued a final rule implementing a new certification requirement for all non-immigrant alien health care workers - aliens who are in the U.S. on temporary…
Provisions of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act Impacting Outpatient
In the January 6 Federal Register, CMS issued an interim final rule with a comment period, implementing provisions of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 \(MMA\) that change policies and payment rates for the 2004 hospital outpatient prospective payment system…
Americas hospitals and their communities have a longstanding bond, and part of that bond is an inherent promise to be there doors open, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, caring for all who walk through your doors, regardless of ability to pay. That bond is threatened by the difficulties and…