Reasonable charges for medical care or services. Final rule. (1/7)

This final rule amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical regulations concerning "reasonable charges" for medical care or services provided or furnished by VA to certain veterans for nonservice-connected disabilities. It changes the process for determining interim billing charges when a new Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) code or Current Procedural Terminology/Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (CPT/HCPCS) code identifier is assigned to a particular type or item of medical care or service and VA has not yet established a charge for the new identifier. This process is designed to provide interim billing charges that are very close to what the new billing charges would be when the charges for the new identifiers are established in accordance with the regulations. This final rule also changes the regulations by removing all of the provisions for discounts of billed charges. This will eliminate or reduce duplicate discounting and thereby prevent unintended underpayments to the government.  (+info)

Strategies to improve external cause-of-injury coding in state-based hospital discharge and emergency department data systems: recommendations of the CDC Workgroup for Improvement of External Cause-of-Injury Coding. (2/7)

Each year, an estimated 50 million persons in the United States experience injuries that require medical attention. A substantial number of these persons are treated in an emergency department (ED) or a hospital, which collects their health-care data for administrative purposes. State-based morbidity data systems permit analysis of information on the mechanism and intent of injury through the use of external cause-of-injury coding (Ecoding). Ecoded state morbidity data can be used to monitor temporal changes and patterns in causes of unintentional injuries, assaults, and self-harm injuries and to set priorities for planning, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of injury-prevention programs. However, the quality of Ecoding varies substantially from state to state, which limits the usefulness of these data in certain states. This report discusses the value of using high-quality Ecoding to collect data in state-based morbidity data systems. Recommendations are provided to improve communication regarding Ecoding among stakeholders, enhance the completeness and accuracy of Ecoding, and make Ecoded data more useful for injury surveillance and prevention activities at the local, state, and federal levels. Implementing the recommendations outlined in this report should result in substantial improvements in the quality of external cause-of-injury data collected in hospital discharge and ED data systems in the United States and its territories.  (+info)

Exploratory study of radiology coding in health information management practice. (3/7)

An exploratory study was undertaken to determine the role and practice issues of radiology coding in health information management (HIM) practice. The study sought to identify the challenges of radiology coding and the solutions implemented to address these challenges. A self-report survey was sent to 828 American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) members identified as directors, managers, or supervisors of HIM departments and/or coding. Two hundred seventy-eight surveys were used for data analysis purposes. Sites reported that on average they have 3.4 coders devoted to radiology coding who code an average of 4,245 reports per month. Productivity standards varied by exam type ranging from 7 (interventional radiology) to 31 (diagnostic) exams coded per hour. Diagnosis codes were assigned most frequently for diagnostic, ultrasound/nuclear, MRI/CT, and mammography exams, while diagnosis and procedural codes were assigned more frequently for interventional radiology exams. The need for education specifically focused on interventional radiology coding was identified along with other issues affecting the quality of radiology coding. Suggested solutions to challenges of radiology coding such as establishing a good working relationship with physicians, radiology, and charge description master (CDM) departments were suggested.  (+info)

Medicare and Medicaid programs: hospital outpatient prospective payment; ambulatory surgical center payment; hospital value-based purchasing program; physician self-referral; and patient notification requirements in provider agreements. Final rule with comment period. (4/7)

This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) for CY 2012 to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare hospital outpatient services paid under the OPPS. In addition, this final rule with comment period updates the revised Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this final rule with comment period, we set forth the relative payment weights and payment amounts for services furnished in ASCs, specific HCPCS codes to which these changes apply, and other ratesetting information for the CY 2012 ASC payment system. We are revising the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, adding new requirements for ASC Quality Reporting System, and making additional changes to provisions of the Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. We also are allowing eligible hospitals and CAHs participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program to meet the clinical quality measure reporting requirement of the EHR Incentive Program for payment year 2012 by participating in the 2012 Medicare EHR Incentive Program Electronic Reporting Pilot. Finally, we are making changes to the rules governing the whole hospital and rural provider exceptions to the physician self-referral prohibition for expansion of facility capacity and changes to provider agreement regulations on patient notification requirements.  (+info)

Medicare and Medicaid programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; electronic reporting pilot; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities Quality Reporting Program; revision to Quality Improvement Organization regulations. Final rule with comment period. (5/7)

This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2013 to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. In this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment system. In addition, this final rule with comment period updates and refines the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Quality Reporting Program. We are continuing the electronic reporting pilot for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, and revising the various regulations governing Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), including the secure transmittal of electronic medical information, beneficiary complaint resolution and notification processes, and technical changes. The technical changes to the QIO regulations reflect CMS' commitment to the general principles of the President's Executive Order on Regulatory Reform, Executive Order 13563 (January 18, 2011).  (+info)

Medicare program; revisions to payment policies under the physician fee schedule, DME face-to-face encounters, elimination of the requirement for termination of non-random prepayment complex medical review and other revisions to Part B for CY 2013. Final rule with comment period. (6/7)

This major final rule with comment period addresses changes to the physician fee schedule, payments for Part B drugs, and other Medicare Part B payment policies to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services. It also implements provisions of the Affordable Care Act by establishing a face-to-face encounter as a condition of payment for certain durable medical equipment (DME) items. In addition, it implements statutory changes regarding the termination of non-random prepayment review. This final rule with comment period also includes a discussion in the Supplementary Information regarding various programs . (See the Table of Contents for a listing of the specific issues addressed in this final rule with comment period.)  (+info)

2014 Edition Electronic Health Record certification criteria: revision to the definition of "common Meaningful Use (MU) Data Set." Interim final rule with comment period. (7/7)

This interim final rule with comment period revises one paragraph in the Common Meaningful Use (MU) Data Set definition at 45 CFR 170.102 to allow more flexibility with respect to the representation of dental procedures data for electronic health record (EHR) technology testing and certification.  (+info)