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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…
CMS published in the November 7 Federal Register the final rule for the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system \(OPPS\) for calendar year \(CY\) 2004. In addition to statutory changes for 2004, the rule contains considerable policy changes, such as revisions to the Ambulatory…
NEW MEDICARE COST REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: Hospitals must report information about uncompensated care
Important changes to the Medicare cost report will require every hospital to report information on the uncompensated care they provide. These changes already are in effect and apply to cost report periods ending on or after April 30, 2003. Because most hospitals file cost reports later in the…