Reimbursement

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DC Circuit Rejects HHS Rule Barring Hospital Medicare Appeals Challenging Longstanding Erroneous "Predicate Facts"

On June 29, 2018, the DC Circuit ruled that HHS could not apply in PRRB appeals a 2013 “reopening” regulation, which purports to bar the adjudication of “predicate facts” beyond 3 years after the facts had been determined. St. Francis Medical Center v. Azar (D.C. Cir. June 29, 2018). The court held that the agency’s … Continue Reading

Texas Hospital Loses Bid to Keep Secret its Reimbursement Rates

The Texas Supreme Court recently held that North Cypress Medical Center Operating Co., Ltd. cannot keep secret its private insurance and public payer reimbursement rates in litigation brought by an uninsured patient who alleges that she was overcharged for treatment. In re North Cypress Medical Center Operating Co., Ltd., No. 16-0851 (Tex. 2018) (majority opinion … Continue Reading

The New Federal Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices

On Friday, May 11, 2018, President Trump vowed to fix “the injustice of high drug prices” by announcing the “Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices” (the Blueprint) to address the following challenges: Excessively high drug prices Seniors and government programs overpaying for drugs High out-of-pocket costs for consumers Lack of transparency in drug pricing Free-riding by … Continue Reading

CMS is Accepting Proposals for New Measures for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program until June 29

CMS is Accepting Proposals for New Measures for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program until June 29 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking the submittal of measure proposals for the Annual Call for Measures for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability (PI) Program (formally known as … Continue Reading

CMS Announces New Bundled Payment Model

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the launch of a new voluntary bundled payment model called Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced). Under the new BPCI Advanced model, participants can earn additional payment if all expenditures for a beneficiary’s episode of care are under a spending target that factors … Continue Reading

Reduced 340B Reimbursements? Nonprofit Institutions Act May Provide New Possibilities

A recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule reduces some Medicare reimbursements to hospitals in 2018, paying 28 percent less for certain “specified covered outpatient drugs” (SCODs) purchased at a discount through the 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B). Although hospitals recently lost a challenge to the lower CMS rates in American Hospital Association … Continue Reading

Recent Federal District Court Ruling Considers Who May Bring EMTALA Claims

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia recently granted several defending healthcare insurers’ motions to compel arbitration and (in part) to dismiss claims alleging improper reimbursement practices brought under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (“EMTALA”), Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), COBRA, and various Georgia state law theories.  The order, styled … Continue Reading

CMS Republishes the 2018 OPPS Final Rule

On December 14, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid republished the final rule with comment period for the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2018 (“Final Rule”). The republication included an editorial note stating that the Final Rule was originally published in … Continue Reading

CMS to Reduce 340B Drug Payments to Hospitals by $1.6 Billion

On November 13, CMS published the final rule revising the Medicare hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System for 2018.  Among a number of changes, the final rule dramatically reduces Medicare Part B payments to hospitals for separately payable drugs purchased through the 340B Program.  Currently, Medicare pays hospitals the Average Sales Price (ASP) plus 6% for … Continue Reading

2018 Proposed Changes to the Physician Fee Schedule

On July 21, 2017, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule that addresses Part B Medicare payments and policies for calendar year (CY) 2018. The major proposed rule is one of several Medicare payment rules for CY 2018 reflecting a broader strategy to relieve regulatory burdens for providers; support the … Continue Reading

Can DOJ Impose False Claims Act on States?

The immense power wielded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the False Claims Act (FCA) has limits according to United States District Judge Anna J. Brown in the District of Oregon. This month the court decided DOJ cannot force the Act to apply to an “arm of the state” simply by intervening in the suit. Although … Continue Reading

HHS OIG Issues Another Regulation On Eve of Inauguration

On January 11, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a final rule explaining new policies for excluding individuals and entities from participation in federal health care programs.  The final rule reflects amendments to the agency’s exclusion authorities made by the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and … Continue Reading

Court Rejects HHS’s Plea to Rescind Order to End Medicare Appeals Backlog

As reported last month, the US District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order in American Hospital Association v. Burwell for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to clear the enormous backlog of Medicare appeals at the administrative law judge (ALJ) level. US District Court Judge James E. Boasberg gave … Continue Reading

President Obama Signs 21st Century Cures Act Into Law

On December 13, 2016, President Barack Obama signed H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act (the Act), into law. This sweeping healthcare law addresses the discovery, development and delivery of new drugs and medical treatments; it also includes substantial mental health reforms and assorted Medicare- and Medicaid-related provisions. The law is a product of the … Continue Reading

CMS Releases Final Rule Implementing Site Neutral Payment Rule for Hospital Outpatient Departments

On November 1, CMS released final rules implementing Section 603 of the Bipartisan Balanced Budget Act of 2015 (the Final Rule).  Section 603 effectively reduces Medicare compensation paid to certain off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) beginning January 1, 2017 by eliminating their eligibility for compensation under Medicare’s Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS).  The Final … Continue Reading

CMS Publishes Final Rule Implementing MACRA

On Friday, October 14, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its Final Rule with Comment, implementing the Quality Payment Program (QPP) delineated in the Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The QPP is designed to reward delivery of high-quality patient care through two programs: Advanced Alternative Payment Methods … Continue Reading

New Rule Prohibits “Pre-Dispute” Arbitration Agreements for LTC Facilities

Last week, CMS released its final rule updating the requirements that Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities must meet to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.  Among the requirements is a new regulation under 42 C.F.R. § 483.70(n) (the “Rule”) which prohibits LTC facilities from entering into “pre-dispute” binding arbitration agreements with any facility resident or such resident’s … Continue Reading

MACRA and Medicare Payment Reform: CMS Plans Increased Flexibility on Provider Participation

On Thursday, CMS announced that it intends to allow providers to “pick their pace of participation” for the first compliance year of Medicare’s new payment reform model emphasizing quality patient care.  The start of the first compliance year is January 1, 2017. Thursday’s announcement lays out four options that allow providers more flexibility to comply … Continue Reading

CMS Finalizes 2017 Medicare Payment Rates: What Hospitals Need To Know

On August 2, 2016, CMS released its final rule to update the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Medicare payment rates under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (Final Rule). By law, CMS is required to update payment rates for IPPS hospitals annually, and to account for changes in … Continue Reading

CMS Releases Proposed Rules Implementing Section 603

On July 6, CMS released its long-awaited proposed rules implementing Section 603 of the Bipartisan Balanced Budget Act of 2015 (Proposed Rules).  As we’ve discussed previously, Section 603 effectively reduces Medicare compensation paid to certain off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) beginning January 2017 by eliminating eligibility for compensation under Medicare’s Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System … Continue Reading

Supreme Court Approves Implied False Certification Theory but Imposes “Demanding” Materiality Limitation

In a decision that will impact every provider who supplies goods and services to the federal government, the Supreme Court today approved the implied false certification theory as a basis for liability under the False Claims Act (FCA). Specifically, in Universal Health Services v. Escobar, the Court ruled that the FCA is violated whenever a … Continue Reading

House Approves Site-Neutral Payment Relief for Some Hospitals but Bill Faces Uncertain Future in Senate

On June 7, the House passed H.R. 5273, the Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act of 2016 which, in part, modifies the Medicare payment rules for certain hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) which were adopted as part of the “site-neutral” payment provisions under Section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (Pub. L. No 114017). … Continue Reading

AHA Renews Objections to OIG Hospital Compliance Reviews

In a move that could affect all hospitals reimbursed by Medicare, the American Hospital Association (AHA) this week renewed strenuous objections to various aspects of ongoing hospital compliance reviews conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). AHA’s most recent correspondence references the “numerous legal defects” it had … Continue Reading
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