The debate over whether Recovery Audit Contractor audits are an incentive-laced system of provider harassment or a necessary tool to redistribute misspent Medicare funds continues. Neither side appears...
Editor’s desk: Stars losing their luster for ‘punished’ providers
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 06, 2015
One gets the feeling that federal regulators, no matter how proper the official talk went, took a bit of pleasure in sending a message to providers when recently rebasing their star ratings.
Custom chair cushions might aid spinal cord injury patients
By
Amy Novotney
Apr 06, 2015
Wheelchair cushions designed to adjust to a person’s size and form can help redistribute pressure and provide support for activities of daily living for patients with spinal cord injuries, report...
Medicare payment group changes name
By
John O'Connor
Apr 06, 2015
A Medicare payment watchdog group saddled with huge case backlogs and heavily criticized for causing delays in resolving reimbursement issues has changed its name and location on the web.
FDA approves ‘breakthrough’ therapy for diabetic eye disorder
By
John Hall
Mar 26, 2015
The FDA announced Wednesday that it has granted “breakthrough therapy designation” to the drug Eylea, and expanded its approved use for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy in patients with...
Nursing home groups support ‘doc fix’ bill
By
Elizabeth Newman
Mar 24, 2015
Leaders of the nation’s two largest long-term care associations spoke favorably Monday about a bill that would improve Medicare physician pay rates while moderately restricting LTC pay. In fact,...
Inspector General blasts agency for ignoring ZPIC scrutiny
By
John Hall
Mar 19, 2015
Ignoring a four-year-old warning to more thoroughly evaluate Medicare auditing contractors is among the pile of unheeded advice that could have saved the Medicare program billions of dollars in recent...
Medicare auditors exaggerating predictions of insolvency, providers say
By
John Hall
Mar 12, 2015
Recovery audit contractors continue to bemoan an audit moratorium and are now saying it is contributing to dire predictions about Medicare program solvency. A RAC group says that General Accountability...
SNF cuts could be averted under latest ‘doc fix’ proposal
By
John Hall
Mar 12, 2015
Nursing home leaders and operators are crossing their fingers that a new proposal will give them a four- to six-month reprieve from having to possibly finance a plan via reimbursement reductions to avert...
New EHR bills would improve interoperability
By
John Hall
Mar 11, 2015
On the heels of a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services pledge to ease electronic health record implementation reporting rules several weeks ago, newly introduced legislation would facilitate greater...