Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) news from FierceHealthcare
News
Grassley: CMS ignored repeated Medicare fraud warnings
Senator Chuck Grassley is a bit upset with CMS, and he's managed to make sure the press knows it, too. His office has released data suggesting that CMS received at least 30 warnings from inspectors... Read more...
Payers setting own rules for sharing health information
Right now, payers and providers that want to share information between them have some big problems on their hands. One of the toughest is that payers and providers may not have compatible networks or... Read more...
National study names 75 hospitals as 'best value'
A group of 75 hospitals have been named by research firm Data Advantage as offering the highest quality of care in the U.S. These 75 facilities came out on the top of the firm's 2009-2010 Hospital... Read more...
Medical imaging societies ask CMS to cover more PET scans
A group of seven medical imaging societies have come together to protest a limit CMS imposes on PET scanning for initial patient treatment evaluations. The groups would like to see CMS expand... Read more...
SPOTLIGHT: OIG may tighten Medicare, Medicaid auditing programs
Providers are just beginning to get adjusted to the idea that they're facing far more auditing scrutiny, most notably from the RACs. Now, it's possible things will get a bit tougher yet, with the HHS... Read more...
New physician self-referral rules could change hospital deals
About a year ago, CMS approved major changes to existing anti-self referral arrangements by changing the rules for the Medicare hospital inpatient PPS system. Now, as of October 1, the rules will... Read more...
CMS investigates Humana letter to beneficiaries on health reform
CMS has launched an investigation of Humana after questions were raised over letters it sent to its beneficiaries on the subject of health reform. Officials are looking into the issue of whether... Read more...
Feds: Lousiana owes $362M for overpayments to its public hospitals
CMS has formally given the state of Louisiana a pretty nasty fiscal demand: The agency has told state officials that during the mid-1990s, it overpaid state-run charity hospitals for care provided to... Read more...
OIG: CMS anti-fraud efforts failing for lack of prompt claims analysis
Since 1999, states have been required to use the Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS) to report fee-for-service Medicaid claims. The MSIS reporting program was designed to help both... Read more...
Reform bills may extend Medicare coverage for kidney transplant drugs
Since 1973, Medicare has covered treatment for any American citizen with end-stage renal disease, and 80 percent the bill for costly immunosuppressive medications. However, CMS will only pay the bill... Read more...
