The traditional Medicare program pays individual health care providers for the specific services and care they provide to beneficiaries and guarantees that patients have “freedom of choice”[1] to select their Medicare providers. A … [Read more...] about Bundling Payments for Post-Acute Care
Acute Hospital Care
Observation Status: Hospitals May Begin Rebilling Medicare Patients Who Were Hospitalized After October 1, 2013
Medicare patients need to be aware that if they were hospitalized after October 1, 2013, hospitals may be contacting them about their bills.Final rules that were published in August 2013 and became effective October 1, 2013 created a new … [Read more...] about Observation Status: Hospitals May Begin Rebilling Medicare Patients Who Were Hospitalized After October 1, 2013
Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities and Skilled Nursing facilities: Vive La Difference!
A study assessing the outcomes of patients who were treated in inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) with clinically and demographically similar patients who received their post-acute rehabilitation in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) finds … [Read more...] about Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities and Skilled Nursing facilities: Vive La Difference!
Harm from Medicare’s Hospital Observation Status Debated In Congressional Hearing – Center for Medicare Advocacy Presents Beneficiary Perspective
May 21, 2014The May 20, 2014 hearing on "Current Hospital Issues in the Medicare Program," held by the Health Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means, was the first Congressional hearing to consider the impact of … [Read more...] about Harm from Medicare’s Hospital Observation Status Debated In Congressional Hearing – Center for Medicare Advocacy Presents Beneficiary Perspective
New CMS Rules Do NOT Change Requirement for 3-Day Qualifying Inpatient Hospital Stay
The Center for Medicare Advocacy has heard that some Medicare beneficiaries believe that new federal rules authorize Medicare to pay for their nursing home care if they are inpatients in a hospital for two midnights. This belief is NOT … [Read more...] about New CMS Rules Do NOT Change Requirement for 3-Day Qualifying Inpatient Hospital Stay
Observation Status: New Final Rules from CMS Do Not Help Medicare Beneficiaries
Effective October 1, 2013, new rules for inpatient hospital reimbursement under the Medicare program[1] make final two sets of proposed rules that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the Spring 2013 – the … [Read more...] about Observation Status: New Final Rules from CMS Do Not Help Medicare Beneficiaries
CMS Updates Guidance for Hospital Discharge Planning
On May 17, 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an update of Appendix A of the State Operations Manual (SOM) revising its interpretive guidelines for hospital Discharge Planning.[1] Medicare discharge planning … [Read more...] about CMS Updates Guidance for Hospital Discharge Planning
CMS Addresses Observation Status Again… And Again, No Help for Beneficiaries
As part of the annual update to inpatient hospital reimbursement under the Medicare program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is again considering observation status. This time CMS is proposing "a time-based … [Read more...] about CMS Addresses Observation Status Again… And Again, No Help for Beneficiaries
Déjà Vu All Over Again: CMS Decides (Again) Not to Decide About Observation Status
On July 30, 2012, as part of proposed rulemaking on the outpatient prospective payment system, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) asked for public comment on potential policy options related to "observation … [Read more...] about Déjà Vu All Over Again: CMS Decides (Again) Not to Decide About Observation Status
CMS Invites Public Comment on Observation Status
August 9, 2012 Note to Alert readers: This Posted version contains additional information beyond that in the emailed version.As part of a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on July 30, 2012, the Centers for Medicare … [Read more...] about CMS Invites Public Comment on Observation Status