CMS news from FierceHealthFinance
News
HFMA ANI 2009: News and advice from the RAC front
It's not enough that Medicare's Recovery Audit Contractor program is going into full swing--CMS is also making some changes as it steams into its national rollout. Here's an update on some of the... Read more...
HFMA ANI 2009: Tenet's experiences with RACs
Audit, audit, audit -- and while you're at it, document, document and document some more. Those are the mantras that have helped one Tenet hospital survive an initial audit by the dreaded Recovery... Read more...
Preparing for the 'big RAC attack'
No, Recovery Audit Contractors aren't a joke--though one wag recently dubbed their coming the "big RAC attack"--and making sure your institution survives their scrutiny unscathed is a serious... Read more...
CMS wants to cut $390M in Medicare nursing
CMS is proposing a plan that's not likely to make nursing home administrators happy: The agency would like to cut 2010 payment rates for Medicare skilled nursing facilities by $390 million, or 1.2... Read more...
HCA makes more than $75M with ED coding procedure
Coding is one of those dismal sciences that makes a big impact, but isn't exactly the sexiest part of a hospital's operations. This time around, however, the coding geeks had their day. Hospital... Read more...
FTC clears way for clinical integration at physician-hospital group; Should Citigroup be allowed to fail?;
> The FTC has ruled it won't challenge a planned integration program by TriState Health Partners, a physician-hospital organization in Maryland. Article > Here's a question that's scary even... Read more...
San Diego health system challenges RAC procedures in court
A San Diego health system has filed a complaint in federal court challenging everyone's favorite CMS activity, the Recovery Audit Contractor program. The suit, which was filed by Palomar Pomerado... Read more...
SPOTLIGHT: CMS continues to advance permanent RAC process
CMS has continued this month to advance its efforts to finalize the Recovery Audit Contractor Program, offering a series of classes known as "Open Door Forum" calls for Medicare Part B providers... Read more...
Battle to define community benefits, minimum charity levels continues
While it hasn't gotten a lot of publicity in recent weeks--overshadowed by the birth of the stimulus package, no doubt--the battle to crack down on community benefit measures and minimum spending... Read more...
Federal bill would link Medicare hospital pay to quality
Now here's a bill that would scare me a bit if I were a hospital administrator--even if it was inevitable (and it is) that such a measure would be written. Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Chuck Grassley... Read more...
