Medicine & Health articles from August 2008

Medicine & Health archives from August 2008

New bill sets sights on more home care spending: but long-term care would get the short end of the stick.(Capitol Hill News)
August 8, 2008... Home health agencies and long-term care facilities may soon see some turf wars if a new bill in Congress builds steam. Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), introduced the Empowered at Home Act. (S. 3327) in the Senate on July 24,...

CMS never events list gets even longer: agency moves aggressively to encourage greater patient safety.(Medicare & Medicaid News)
August 8, 2008... Hospitals just getting a handle on managing Medicare "no-pay" conditions have even more on their plates now. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is taking several actions to improve the quality of care in hospitals and reduce the...

Federal agencies working at cross-purposes on routine HIV screening: CDC recommendation gets the back burner.(Federal Govt. News)
August 8, 2008... A difference in priority between The Centers for Disease Control and two federal health care plans has some advocates up in arms over HIV screenings. One federal agency has recommended routine HIV screening of people of ages 13 to 64--but...

Hospice cut likely to sink small providers: Medicare wage index reduction strips more than $2 billion from hospice spending.(Hospice)
August 8, 2008... Hospices that had been hoping for the best got the worst in Medicare's final rule on hospice wage index released July 31. In the rule, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalizes a hospice payment cut based on a wage index change...

CDC reveals higher number of new HIV infections: updated estimates present a grim picture.(CDC News)
August 8, 2008... More accurate results are in for HIV infections in the United States, and the numbers are higher than experts expected. An estimated 56,300 HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006, according to a press release from the Centers...

Undercover sting operation shows Medicare supplier enrollment flaws: CMS and NSC not diligent enough in screening new suppliers, GAO says.(Enrollment)
August 8, 2008... Suppliers frustrated by getting a bad rap from scam artists Medicare lets into the program are finally receiving some support from a federal watchdog agency. In a newly released report, the Government Accountability Office says procedures...

CMS gets tough about cost reporting.
August 8, 2008... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is not happy with providers slacking off on their cost report duties because no reimbursement is directly tied to the document. "In reviewing the [Medicare Cost Report] data submitted by providers,...

Miami DME supplier rings up high-dollar fraud bill.
August 8, 2008... A Miami durable medical equipment supplier has been taken into custody on charges that she defrauded the Florida Medicaid program of $447,000, says the Florida Attorney General. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit began investigating Maria...

Majority of Americans dissatisfied with existing healthcare system: are Presidential candidates McCain and Obama listening?(Surveys)
August 15, 2008... It's a no-brainer that many citizens are at odds with the U.S. healthcare system. A recent survey puts into sharp focus how widespread the dissatisfaction is with the present scheme of things. An overwhelming 82 percent think the U.S....

Medicare blazes a new trail for health records: beneficiaries get choices for maintaining their own persona/health records.(Pilot Programs)
August 15, 2008... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is taking steps to let individuals have a say in how their personal health records are maintained. CMS announced a pilot program on Aug. 8, for beneficiaries with Original Medicare to maintain...

CMS looks to the future with e-prescribing incentive program: agency solicits stakeholders' ideas for upcoming e-prescribing conference.(Incentives)(Conference news)
August 15, 2008... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is launching a major promotional campaign with a live conference to encourage more electronic prescribing. CMS recently announced a conference to educate physicians and other stakeholders about...

CMS charges full speed ahead rewarding quality performance: PQRI bonus tops $36 million from 2007 claims.(Performance Incentives)
August 15, 2008... CMS isn't wasting any time rewarding quality performance of healthcare professionals. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced on July 15 more than $36 million in bonus payments to 56,700+ health professionals who...

HHS, DHS reveal big plans for pandemic vaccination allocation: agencies hope to minimize the impact of a pandemic on public health.(Prevention)
August 15, 2008... The Federal government is one step closer to tackling the next pandemic influenza. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security released guidance July 23 on allocating and targeting a pandemic influenza vaccine....

New York expands healthcare coverage: program targets uninsured residents who don't qualify for Medicaid.(States)
August 15, 2008... New York continues to take steps in the direction of providing universal health care to all its residents. With this ultimate goal in mind, New York recently expanded its Child and Family Health Plus programs, according to a...

AMA suggests 4-stage approach for fighting obesity in kids: experts note sudden increase in type 2 diabetes among overweight children.(Clinical News)
August 15, 2008... The alarming rise in childhood obesity--and with it record levels of "adult" diseases such as type 2 diabetes-has been a prime topic of national concern, and the American Medical Association has officially offered its 2 cents on the problem....

Industry players brace for ICD-10, new electronic transaction standards: are healthcare professionals ready for the transition?(ICD- 10)
August 22, 2008... The road map towards the adoption of the next generation ICD- 10 codes has become a little bit clearer now, but coders may not be too keen on the timeline. On Aug. 15, the Department of Health and Human Services announced proposed...

U-M saves big money ... and not at a cost to quality care: CMS's first P4P project dubbed a success.(Study)
August 22, 2008... Better treatment needn't necessarily come at a steeper price. This seems to be the hopeful find from a report by the University of Michigan's Faculty Group Practice. The report, based on the facility's participation in the Medicare Physician...

AHIP on a mission to help reform healthcare coverage: organization embarks on campaign across America to hear the people's opinions.(Insurance)
August 22, 2008... America's Health Insurance Plans is on a trek across America looking for solutions to the challenges of affordable healthcare, and it wants to hear from the masses. Detroit families and community leaders shared their healthcare stories and...

Kill 2 birds with 1 stone by reducing hospital readmissions: Medicare could lower long-term care costs and avoid physician fee cuts.(Opinion Piece)
August 22, 2008... High hospital readmission rates point to loopholes in the reimbursement mechanism--so say two authors in a Boston Globe opinion piece. Reduction in hospital readmissions by Medicare beneficiaries could play a large role in reducing program...

E-prescribing continues to see industry praise, despite initial cost: docs foresee a bonus, Medicare projects $156 million in savings over 5 years.(Incentives)
August 22, 2008... While CMS continues to gear up for its live conference on electronic prescribing, experts weigh in on the ups and downs of the program. The good news: There seems to be a lot more ups than downs. Biggest perk: Electronic prescribing can...

Working-age adults show chilling increase in major chronic illnesses: cost of prescription drugs still a huge problem.(Health)
August 22, 2008... The number of working-age adults who have major chronic conditions drastically grew between 1997 and 2006--and those without health coverage in this group experienced substantial depletion in access to healthcare, according to a new study by...

Time to step up preparations for baby boomers in long-term care: LTC must plan change now before boomers' needs outpace providers' abilities.(Older Americans)
August 22, 2008... Experts to long-term care: All hands on deck--the baby boomers are coming! 2011 marks the start of a drastic increase in the population of older Americans. That's the year boomers start to turn 65. And between 2005 and 2030, the number of older...

CMS/HHS pumps up consumer data on hospital care: hospital compare web site reveals more about mortality rates and other key info.(Outcomes)
August 22, 2008... Healthcare consumers today have a lot more information at their disposal to choose high-quality medical providers--and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is stepping up the consumer's ability to compare local hospitals.. The...

CMS 'cooked the books' and reported inaccurate error rate: new OIG report will tell all.
August 22, 2008... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may have boasted that it slashed inappropriate spending in 2006, but the agency allegedly overlooked nearly $2.8 billion in improper Medicare spending, according to a late-breaking new report. ...

Firestorm erupts when CMS lowballs DME error rate: suppliers are caught in the crossfire between CMS, OIG and politicians.(Fraud & Abuse)
August 29, 2008... Suppliers can expect even more scrutiny from Medicare thanks to a new scandal about CMS' CERT program. In a new report, the HHS Office of Inspector General chastises the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and its Comprehensive Error...

These OIG recommendations make suppliers lives harder: CMS will toughen up scrutiny for diabetic test strips, oxygen and wheelchairs.(Medical Review)
August 29, 2008... After being called out on artificially lowering the DME payment error rate, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has agreed to implement most of these recommendations from the HHS Office of Inspector General: 1. Require the...

CMS boasts lower-than-projected Medicare Part D costs in 2009: monthly premiums to increase by 12 percent to $28.(Part D)
August 29, 2008... The Medicare Part D prescription drug plan is now in its fourth year--and celebrating its success. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services claimed that "beneficiary satisfaction rates remain high" and "program costs remain lower than...

CMS pays incentives to physician group practices: PGP demonstration shows the way to a new and improved physician payment system.(Value-Based Purchasing)
August 29, 2008... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is gaining momentum on its mission to link physician payments to quality and efficiency rather than patient volume. And providers in the CMS pay-for-performance demonstration project are responding...

California butts heads with latest SCHIP policy directive: state law holds the playing cards in this face-off.(States)(state children's health insurance program )
August 29, 2008... As states continue to seek ways to provide the best possible healthcare to their residents, California finds itself at loggerheads with federal healthcare policy directives. More specifically, it has decided not to comply with the federal...

Millions of Part D enrollees get caught in the doughnut hole: beneficiaries adjust accordingly with their drug usage.(Part D)
August 29, 2008... The number of Medicare Part D enrollees in 2007 who reached a gap in their prescription drug coverage may be higher than industry stakeholders expected. A Kaiser Family Foundation study published Aug. 21 found that 1 in 4 (26 percent) Part...

Part B QICs missed 58 percent of appeals deadlines, OIG says: and 54 percent of both Part A and Part B QIC appeals included wrong information.(Reimbursement)
August 29, 2008... If providers have been relying on the Medicare Qualified Independent Contractor (QIC) program to take care of their appeals in a timely fashion, the OIG has bad news. Two years ago, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services changed the...

OIG puts brakes on leasing space to other physicians: providers should be mindful of anti-kickback rules when leasing space.(Compliance)
August 29, 2008... Suppose a physician owns a cancer center where her patients can get their radiation and chemotherapy in one central location, so why not lease space to a urology group so the patients can easily stop by and accomplish their follow-up visits?...

New York City ground zero of U.S. aids epidemic, study says: city health department shows disturbing reality with the most precise data yet.(Clinical News)
August 29, 2008... The New York City Health Department released data on Aug. 27 which paints a grim picture about HIV infection rates in the City. This follows on the heels of a similar report from the Centers of Disease Control & Prevention released Aug. 3 about...