2011 News
December, 5, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the bidding timeline for the Round 2 and national mail-order competitions of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. To view the timeline, visit the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) web site at www.dmecompetitivebid.com .
November, 21, 2011
In 2010, the President announced three goals for cutting improper payments by 2012: reducing overall payment errors by $50 billion, cutting the Medicare fee-for-service error rate in half, and recovering $2 billion in improper payments.
November, 7, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reevaluated the revalidation requirement in the Affordable Care Act, and believe it affords the flexibility to extend the revalidation period for another 2 years. This will allow for a smoother process for provider and contractors.
October, 27, 2011
The July 2011 version of the CMS-855A application contains various new data elements in sections 5 and 6. This message notifies providers that they need not complete the following data elements on either the paper or Internet-Based PECOS versions of the CMS-855A application
October, 26, 2011
CMS will host its twentieth National Education Call regarding Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) implementation of HIPAA Version 5010 and D.0 transaction standards.
October, 26, 2011
UPDATE: Due to large registration, there will not be enough time for CMS to answer all provider questions live on the call. CMS will answer questions submitted frequently during registration, then allow limited time for audience questions.
October, 20, 2011
2011 Version of Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage Must Be Used Beginning Sun Jan 1, 2012. In May 2011, CMS released an updated version of the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) (form CMS-R-131), which will replace the 2008 version of this form. The 2011 version contains no substantive changes from the 2008 version of the notice and was approved by the Office of Management and Budget. The 2008 and 2011 ABN notices are identical except that the release date of "3/11" is printed in the lower left hand corner of the new version. The ABN is used by all providers, practitioners, and suppliers paid under Medicare Part B, as well as hospice providers and religious non-medical healthcare institutions (RNHCIs) paid exclusively under Part A.
October, 20, 2011
People with Medicare will be able to benefit from a new program designed to encourage primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, and other healthcare providers to coordinate their care under a final regulation issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Created by the Affordable Care Act, these final rules on Accountable Care Organizations add to the menu of options for providers looking to better coordinate care for patients and will make it easier for providers to deliver high quality care and use healthcare dollars more wisely.
October, 17, 2011
Join Gwen Franzgrote, CHAP Director of Education, in the Partners in Care Webinar - Navigating Elder Care. This fall, Partners in Care is hosting a series of free online seminars focused on helping you make difficult elder care decisions.
October, 11, 2011
CHAP has been an approved “deeming authority” by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for home health since 1992. The initial approval and subsequent renewals of the CHAP deeming authority, most recently in 2007, resulted in the approval CHAP accreditation processes and related policies and procedures.
October, 7, 2011
The Public Comment period for CHAP Proposed 2012 Standards will open October 10, 2011 and close November 10, 2011 at 5pm EST. CHAP is pleased to announce and invite CHAP accredited organizations and the general public to participate in our public comment period to review the Proposed 2012 CHAP Standards of Excellence for CORE and six service lines.
October, 6, 2011
The Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program Round 2 and national mail-order competitions are coming soon! If you plan to bid, take action now to make sure you have all required licensures for the competitive bidding areas and product categories for which you plan to bid. You must have current versions of all required licenses on file with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) at the time of bidding or we can reject your bid.
August, 23, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the next steps for the expansion of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program to include the Round 2 and the national mail-order competitions.
August, 19, 2011
All providers and suppliers who enrolled in the Medicare program prior to Friday, March 25, 2011, will be required to submit their enrollment information so they can be revalidated under new risk screening criteria required by the Affordable Care Act (section 6401a). Providers/suppliers who enrolled on or after Friday, March 25, 2011 have already been subject to this screening, and need not revalidate at this time.
August, 10, 2011
All providers and suppliers who enrolled in the Medicare program prior to Friday, March 25, 2011, will be required to revalidate their enrollment under new risk screening criteria required by the Affordable Care Act (section 6401a). (Providers/suppliers who enrolled on or after Friday, March 25, 2011 have already been subject to this screening, and need not revalidate at this time.)