Washington Report –April, 2006



Washington Report –March/April, 2006

Bill Finerfrock

Capitol Associates

CMS Releases New Enrollment Applications

With no advance notice, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new provider applications (855A, 855B, 855I, 855R and 855S) on April 30th. Although the new applications had been anticipated and HBMA reviewed and commented on DRAFT versions of the new applications, no advance notice was given to the provider community prior to their release.

In anticipation of the release, several Medicare Contractors had refused to accept the “old” application forms. Even more disturbing were statements by Contractor staff indicating that pending applications would be returned to the providers with instructions to complete the new applications.

When HBMA inquired about this with CMS staff, HBMA was told that the Contractors were refusing to accept these applications in error AND that all pending applications should be processed by the Contractor.

Finally, HBMA members attempting to complete the new applications noted that on the 855I (the individual application form) Section 8 requested that billing companies provide their NPI number. HBMA had been informed previously that because billing companies were not providers, they could not obtain an NPI. When this was brought to the attention of the CMS Enrollment Staff, the reaction was one of surprise.

In all likelihood, CMS will have to issue instructions to Contractors to ignore the NPI request found in Section 8 until a revised form is issued. CMS has informed HBMA that a correction notice has been prepared for transmission to the Office of Management and Budget requesting a change in the 855I removing the NPI reference for billing companies. It is expected that this will take a week to work its way through the system. Once the corrected form is completed, it will be put on the CMS website for download.

Here are links to the new 855s:

CMS 855A Medicare Enrollment Application - Institutional Providers

cms.cmsforms/downloads/cms855a.pdf

CMS 855B Medicare Enrollment Application - Clinics/Group Practices and Certain

Other Suppliers

cms.CMSforms/downloads/cms855b.pdf

CMS 855I Medicare Enrollment Application - Physicians and Non-Physician

Practitioners

cms.cmsforms/downloads/cms855i.pdf

CMS 855R Medicare Enrollment Application - Reassignment of Medicare Benefits

cms.cmsforms/downloads/cms855r.pdf

CMS 855S Medicare Enrollment Application - Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics,

Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Suppliers

cms.cmsforms/downloads/cms855s.pdf

These are all effective as of 4/30/06

Medicare Issues New Enrollment Regulations

In a development related to the issuance of the new Medicare Enrollment applications, CMS also issued the long-awaited regulations associated with provider enrollment.

In April, 2006, HHS announced proposed changes in the Medicare enrollment process. HBMA and other groups submitted comments on those proposed changes.

“The final regulation makes Medicare enrollment requirements more uniform so a health care provider or supplier can bill Medicare most efficiently.  The rule standardizes existing Medicare enrollment requirements that have been used by the various Medicare contractors that process and pay Medicare claims.”

 

In announcing the new rules, Tim Hill, Chief Financial Officer and Director, Office of Financial Management at CMS said, “By standardizing the information that a health care provider or supplier must use in order to bill Medicare, we will be better able to protect the Medicare program and assure providers and suppliers that they will be paid promptly.” CMS also believes that these new rules will help facilitate the development of electronic medical records.

 

Significantly, the new regulations expand CMS’ authority to deny or revoke an enrollment application. 

 

In the past, there was no requirement that providers periodically update their enrollment information. Under the new rules, providers and suppliers will be required to re-certify the accuracy of their enrollment information every 5 years.

 

While one of the primary requirements of this rule is that all providers and suppliers (both new and those already in the program) complete the CMS-855 Medicare enrollment application, existing providers and suppliers are not required to take any action at this time.  CMS will notify the provider or supplier when it is time to re-certify their Medicare enrollment information.

 

Medicare Trustees Release Annual Report

According to a report released by the Medicare Trustees, “continued growth in Medicare program expenditures and the retirement of the “baby boom” generation, Medicare faces growing strains on its financing sources.”

Medicare benefits (Part A, B, and D) are funded from two trust funds—the Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund and the Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) trust fund.  The HI (Part A) trust fund pays for a portion of the costs of inpatient hospital services and related care furnished under Part A of the Medicare program.  The HI trust fund is primarily financed through payroll taxes, plus a relatively small amount of interest, income taxes on Social Security benefits, and other revenues. 

The SMI (Part B and D) trust fund pays for a portion of the costs of physicians' services, outpatient hospital services, and other related medical and health services furnished under Part B of the program.  Beginning this year, the SMI trust fund also pays for private prescription drug insurance plans to provide drug coverage under Part D of the program. The separate Part B and Part D accounts in the SMI trust fund are financed through general revenues, beneficiary premiums, and interest income and, in the case of Part D, special payments from the States.

In 2005, Medicare provided coverage to 42.5 million people, spending $330 billion on benefits. 

The Trustees Report presents a unified summary of Medicare’s overall projected expenditures and dedicated revenue sources, and the general revenue that is required to fill the gap between spending and dedicated revenue.  Based on this unified approach, the Trustees Report projects that the difference between outlays and dedicated revenues is expected to exceed 45 percent of total Medicare expenditures in 2012. 

The Trustees believe that “the serious long-range financial outlook of the HI trust fund requires action now to slow down spending growth.  The proportion of HI costs that can be met by HI tax income is projected to decline steadily over time as costs continue to grow rapidly.”  The report notes that there are 3.9 workers for every beneficiary; by 2030, there will only be about 2.4 workers for every beneficiary.

The picture isn’t any brighter for the Part B Trust Fund. Under the “sustainable growth rate (SGR)” formula used in current law, the Trustees project that physician payment rates would have to be reduced by 4 to 5 percent each year through at least 2015.  Given past Congressional reluctance to allow these types of cuts to take place, Congressional intervention is expected to prevent these types of reductions from becoming reality.

In a related story, Herb Kuhn, Director of the Medicare program has announced that without Congressional intervention, Medicare payments to physicians will be reduced 4.6 percent in 2007. By law, Medicare officials are charged with informing the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) of the projected annual adjustments in physician payments. In a letter to MedPAC, Kuhn states that the 4.6 percent reduction would result in a conversion factor in 2007 of $36.1542.

If there was “good news” in Trustees report, it was that expenditures under the Part D, prescription drug program, expenditures were lower than anticipated. The Trustees attribute these lower than expected expenditures to, “greater savings from manufacturer rebates and other discounts, utilization management projected to be achieved by Part D plans in the first few years, and preliminary data on actual Part D enrollment for 2006.” Projected net Medicare spending for Part D from 2006-15 is roughly 20 percent lower than originally projected.

Although no specific recommendations accompanied the Trustees report, it is expected that the report will serve as the basis for future reforms of the Medicare program. Because 2006 is an election year, no legislative changes – other than another attempt to prevent a reduction in the physician fee schedule in 2007 – are expected this year.

Brailer Resigns as head of ONCHIT

On April 20th, HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt announced the surprise resignation of Dr. David Brailer as head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT). Brailer has been the head of this office since it was created by President Bush a few years ago. Although Brailer has resigned as head of ONCHIT, he will continue to serve as the Vice Chair of the American Health Information Community (AHIC) which is charged with making recommendations to the Secretary of HHS to “facilitate the development and adoption of a standards-based health IT.” No replacement for Dr. Brailer has been announced.

Separately, a member of the ONCHIT staff released the following statement

“David Brailer has asked me to convey his thanks to the thousands of people who have written to express support and thanks. Because of his pressing duties advancing our work, he is not able to respond to them all at this point, but he has asked me to assure you that he will answer as many as possible over the coming days.”

Association Health Plan Legislation on the Docket

Senate Republican leaders have scheduled “health week” for early May with consideration of the “Association Health Plan” legislation at the top of the agenda. AHP legislation would allow small businesses to band together to purchase health insurance. S.1955 would amend Title I of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act and, according to the sponsors, “expand health care access and reduce costs through the creation of small business health plans and through modernization of the health insurance marketplace.”

While the legislation is generally favored by small businesses, it has come under increasing opposition by a coalition of consumer/medical advocacy groups and large health insurers.

Small businesses favor the legislation because the potential it holds to make lower cost insurance policies available to them that are generally only available to large businesses under federal ERISA protection. Consumer/medical advocacy groups oppose the legislation because they fear it will allow associations to drop certain expensive coverage from their plans. Certain health professionals who benefit from state mandated covered (i.e. chiropractors, podiatrists, etc.) also oppose the legislation because it may avoid those state mandates.

In order to avoid a possible filibuster, the sponsor of the bill, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Enzi, will need 60 votes to pass the AHP legislation. While the bill has generated some bi-partisan support, it is not clear whether it can get the 60 votes necessary to avoid a filibuster.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said of the Enzi bill, it, “threatens existing coverage for everyone who has state-regulated health insurance.”

The bill would allow insurers to offer health policies to Associations such as HBMA, formed by small businesses. Because the Association would have members across state lines, the Association’s health plan would be exempt from some state regulations.

Budget Talks Still Stalled

The President typically submits the budget recommendations of the Administration in early February. Congressional Budget Committees review the President’s budget proposals and make recommendations to their respective houses in late March. House and Senate budget negotiators will typically meet in early April with the goal of completing and setting the federal budget by mid-April.

While the Senate has completed action on its version of budget, House leaders have been unable to complete their work on the budget as of early May.

Failure to complete the budget process, unlike failure to approve an appropriations bill, does not result in a shut down of the federal government, but it does make it more difficult to enact legislation.

The budget sets overall goals for various broad program areas but does not set specific funding for federal programs. Setting a budget is an important tool in attempting to control federal spending because it does set an upper limit on what Congress will spend. Any bill that comes to the floor of the House or the Senate that would result in spending that would exceed the budget target, is subject to a point of order and cannot be considered.

Medicare and Medicaid benefits, as so-called entitlement programs, are not subject to the annual appropriations process. However, the money to run the agency that administers the programs – CMS – is governed by the budget and appropriations process. Thus, while benefits can be paid despite the failure of Congress to adopt a budget, the salaries and expenses of the people who actually process claims, adopt policies, etc. are affected.

House Appropriations Chair Jerry Lewis (R-CA) has announced that he will not wait for the House to adopt a budget and he is prepared to move ahead with the 2007 appropriations bills. Chairman Lewis plans to try to report all of the appropriations bills by mid-July.

CMS Releases Electronic Version of Evaluation & Management Services Guide

On April 20, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the release of the electronic version of the Evaluation & Management Services Guide. This document provides evaluation and management services information regarding medical record documentation; International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification and American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology Codes; and key elements of service is now available from the Medicare Learning Network at:



on the CMS website. 

CMS announced that this guide is offered as a reference tool and does not replace content found in the 1995 Documentation Guidelines for Evaluation and Management Services and the 1997 Documentation Guidelines for Evaluation and Management Services. It is recommended that health care providers refer to the 1995 Documentation Guidelines for Evaluation and Management Services in order to identify differences between the two sets of guidelines.

This guide offers Medicare health care providers the following evaluation and management services information:

• Medical Record Documentation

• Medical Record Documentation Background

• Guidelines for Residents and Teaching Physicians

• International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification and American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology Codes

• Key Elements of Service

• History

• Examination

• Medical Decision Making

• Documentation of an Encounter Dominated By Counseling and/or Coordination of Care

CMS recommends that providers refer to the following publications, which were used to prepare this guide:

• 1995 Documentation Guidelines for Evaluation and Management Services, available at

cms.MLNProducts/Downloads/1995dg.pdf on the Centers for Medicare &

Medicaid Services (CMS) website;

• 1997 Documentation Guidelines for Evaluation and Management Services, available at

cms.MLNProducts/Downloads/MASTER1.pdf on the CMS website;

• Medicare Claims Processing Manual (Pub. 100-4), available at

cms.Manuals/IOM/list.asp#TopOfPage on the CMS website; and

• Current Procedural Terminology 2005 book, available from the American Medical Association (800-621-8335 or on the Web).

ONCHIT to Hold National Forum on Health IT

On June 28 and June 29, 2006, a forum to address the functional requirements of a Nationwide Health Information Network will be held in the Washington, DC area. As a key element of the Bush Administration's health information technology strategy, the development of a Nationwide Health Information Network will provide the foundation for an interoperable, standards-based network for the secure exchange of health care information.

According to a release announcing the conference, “the Nationwide Health Information Network forum will be an interactive, participatory event with breakout sessions to identify and define the critical technical functions needed for the interoperability of health information.”

The Nationwide Health Information Network forum will be open to the public and include participants in key processes supported by the Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (including the four consortia developing prototype Nationwide Health Information Network Architectures, the Health Information Technology Standards Panel, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, and the Federal Health Architecture) and key representatives from other public, private, and non-profit health information technology stakeholders.

The Nationwide Health Information Network Forum will be held at the National Institute of Health's Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Do Health Insurers have a Monopoly?

A new report produced by the American Medical Association suggests that major health insurers have a virtual monopoly in the insurance market. The AMA study concludes that Data “in each of 43 states, a handful of top insurers have gained such a stronghold that their markets are considered "highly concentrated" under U.S. Department of Justice guidelines, often far exceeding the thresholds that trigger antitrust concerns. In addition, the study also found, “that in 95 percent of markets, a single insurer had a market share of 30 percent or greater, and in 56 percent of the markets, a single insurer had a market share of 50 percent or greater. The AMA report, Competition in Health Insurance: A Comprehensive Study of U.S. Markets, analyzed 294 metropolitan health insurance markets against an index used by federal regulators for measuring market concentration.

A press release issued by the AMA states that, “Between 1995 and 2005, there were more than 400 mergers involving health insurers and managed care organizations.”

If you would like to review the report, go to:



Medicare Contractor Reform Update

CMS is embarking on the next major step in acquisition activities for the Part A/Part B Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), the future contractors that will replace the current fiscal intermediaries and carriers and handle administration of both the Part A and Part B programs in specified geographic regions.

Section 911 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 mandated that the Secretary for Health & Human Services replace the current contractors administering the Medicare Part A or Part B fee-for-service programs (fiscal intermediaries and carriers) with new MACs. 

Within the next few months, it is expected that CMS will announce the award of the first A/B MAC contract. The first MAC contract will cover what is now referred to as Jurisdiction 3, encompassing Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.  CMS is planning to make the announcement in late June and complete cutover of work to the new MAC in July 2007. 

The next round of jurisdictions to move to the MAC will be:

J4 Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas

J5 Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska

J12 Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

On May 3, 2006, a Request for Information (RFI) that includes the draft SOW planned for use in the first round of Cycle One was published in the Federal Business Opportunities website (). 

CMS would like to get reactions and concerns about this draft SOW from our providers, contractors, and other partners and therefore encourages everyone to review the RFI and provide comments or questions. 

To learn more about the Medicare Contracting Reform authority mandated by section 911 of the MMA and the transition to the A/B MAC contracting environment, please visit the Medicare Contracting Reform website at: .

Comptroller General Announces New MedPAC Commissioners

Comptroller General of the United States David M.Walker has appointed four new members and reappointed two members to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).

The newly appointed members, whose terms will expire in 2009, are:

Mitra Behroozi, J.D., Executive Director, 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds

Karen R. Borman, M.D., Professor of Surgery and Vice-Chair for Surgical Education, University of Mississippi Medical Center

Ronald D. Castellanos, M.D. Physician, Southwest Florida Urologic Associates

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Ph.D. Director, Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic

Studies and Paul A. Volcker Chair in International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations.

The reappointed members, whose terms also will expire in 2009, are:

Glenn M. Hackbarth, J.D. (MedPAC Chair), Independent Consultant; and

Robert D. Reischauer, Ph.D.(MedPAC Vice Chair), President, the Urban Institute.

The remaining members of MedPAC are:

Commissioners whose terms expire in 2007

John M. Bertko, F.S.A., M.A.A.A., Vice President and chief actuary, Humana Inc.

Sheila P. Burke, M.P.A., R.N., F.A.A.N., Deputy Secretary and COO, Smithsonian Institution

Francis J. Crosson, M.D., Executive Director, the Permanente Federation,LLC

Arnold Milstein, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director, Pacific Business Group on Health

Ralph W. Muller, CEO, University of Pennsylvania Health System

William J. Scanlon, Ph.D., Health Policy Consultant.

Commissioners whose terms will expire in April 2008

Nancy-Ann DeParle, J.D., Senior Advisor, JP Morgan Partners, LLC and adjunct professor of health care systems, the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

David F. Durenberger, Chairman and CEO, National Institute of Health Policy

Jennie Chin Hansen, R.N., M.S.N., Member, Board of Directors AARP

Nancy M. Kane, D.B.A., Professor of Management, Department of Health Policy Management, Harvard School of Public Health; and

Nicholas Wolter, M.D., CEO, Billings Clinic

MedPAC is an independent federal body that was established in 1997 to analyze access to care, quality of care, and other issues affecting Medicare. MedPAC also advises Congress on payments to health plans participating in the Medicare Advantage program and to providers in Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service programs. The Comptroller General, who heads the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), is responsible for naming new commission members.

CMS Program Transmittals for January

The following program transmittals were issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services between March 10 and April 30.

CMS uses transmittals to communicate new or changed policies or procedures that we will incorporate into the CMS Online Manual System. The cover or transmittal page summarizes and specifies the changes.

|Transmittal # |Subject | Date |

|R54NCD |Bariatric Surgery for Treatment of Morbid Obesity |N/A |

|R931CP |Billing Requirements for Bariatric Surgery for Treatment of Morbid Obesity |N/A |

|R932CP |Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP) for Part B Drugs Physician Election |05/30/2006 |

|R928CP |July Quarterly Update for 2006 Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies |07/03/2006 |

| |(DMEPOS) Fee Schedule | |

|R927CP |Medicare Remit Easy Print (MREP) Update |10/02/2006 |

|R929CP |VMS and FISS Analysis - Changes in Capped Rentals for DME Due to the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005|10/02/2006 |

|R930CP |Benefits Exhaust and No-Payment Billing Instructions for Medicare Fiscal Intermediaries (FIs) and |10/02/2006 |

| |Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) | |

|R924CP |Adjustment to Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Contractor Zip Code File Indicators |10/02/2006 |

|R925CP |Installation of July Pricing Software Containing the Customer Information Control System (CICS) |07/03/2006 |

| |Formatting Update | |

|R926CP |Common Working File (CWF) File Change for Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing (CB)|10/02/2006 |

|R224OTN |Part A and Part B Medicare Administrative Contractor Jurisdiction Implementation |10/02/2006 |

|R921CP |Reporting of Diagnosis Code V06.6 on Influenza Virus and/or Pneumococcal Pneumonia Virus (PPV) |10/02/2006 |

| |Vaccine Claims and Acceptance of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Code 90660 For The Reporting| |

| |of The Influenza Virus Vaccine | |

|R922CP |MSN Format Changes for DMERCs and the DME MAC Transition |07/03/2006 |

|R923CP |Update of Radiopharmaceutical Imaging Agents HCPCS Codes Applicable to PET Scan Services for |08/01/2006 |

| |Carriers | |

|R95FM |Chapter 7, Internal Control Requirements Update |05/30/2006 |

|R223OTN |Contractor Number Changes for National Heritage Insurance Company - Jurisdiction A DME MAC |07/03/2006 |

| |Workload and AdminaStar Federal, Inc. - Jurisdiction B DME MAC Workload. | |

|R46DEMO |Additional Clarification of CR 3816 Business Requirements |07/28/2006 |

|R916CP |Correct Reporting of Diagnosis Codes on Screening Mammography Claims |10/02/2006 |

|R146PI |Provider Enrollment Update |05/30/2006 |

|R918CP |General Provider Education for Changes in the Payment for Oxygen Equipment and Capped Rentals for |05/30/2006 |

| |Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Based on the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. | |

|R915CP |CWF, VMS and FISS Analysis-Changes in Payment for Oxygen Equipment due to the Deficit Reduction |10/02/2006 |

| |Act of 2005 | |

|R917CP |Update of ICD-9 Codes Used in CWF Editing of Oral Anti-Cancer and Oral Anti-Emetic Drugs |10/02/2006 |

|R914CP |Additional $50 Payment for New Technology Intraocular Lenses (NTIOLs) Furnished in Ambulatory |05/22/2006 |

| |Surgical Centers (ASCs) | |

|R913CP |Mammography Quality Standard Act (MQSA) File |07/07/2006 |

|R908CP |Common Working File (CWF) to the Medicare Beneficiary Database (MBD) Data Exchange Changes |10/02/2006 |

|R53NCD |Clarification on Billing Requirements for Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA) Concurrent |N/A |

| |With the Placement of an Investigational or FDA-Approved Carotid Stent | |

|R911CP |Clarification on Billing Requirements for Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA) Concurrent |10/02/2006 |

| |With the Placement of an Investigational or FDA-Approved Carotid Stent | |

|R909CP |Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs |06/21/2006 |

|R52NCD |Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs |06/21/2006 |

|R910CP |New Current Procedural Terminology CPT) Codes |10/02/2006 |

|R220OTN |Addition of Data Elements to Common Working File (CWF) Database Extract into Next Generation |10/02/2006 |

| |Desktop (NGD) Datamart | |

|R221OTN |Beneficiary Change of Address- Phase 2 |10/02/2006 |

|R907CP |Modify Common Working File (CWF) Edit 51#L |05/15/2006 |

|R94FM |Notice of New Interest Rate for Medicare Overpayments and Underpayments |04/24/2006 |

|R906CP |Full Replacement for Change Request 4266, Revision for Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) |07/03/2006 |

| |and Physician Scarcity Area (PSA) Bonus Billing for Some Globally Billed Services. Change Request | |

| |4266 is rescinded. | |

|R903CP |Payment for Blood Clotting Factors Administered to Hemophilia Inpatients |07/14/2006 |

|R6P211 |Chapter 11, Form CMS-339 |N/A |

|R905CP |Mammography Quality Standard Act (MQSA) File |05/15/2006 |

|R45DEMO |Method of Cost Settlement for Inpatient Services for Rural Hospitals Participating Under |07/14/2006 |

| |Demonstration Authorized by Section 410A of the Medicare Modernization Act | |

|R14P235 |Cost Reporting Forms and Instructions |N/A |

|R902CP |Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Manual Revision: Clarification of Coding and|05/08/2006 |

| |Payment for Drug Administration | |

|R900CP |Update to Chapter 24 CMS Website URL References |07/07/2006 |

|R218OTN |Nesiritide for Treatment of Heart Failure Patients |05/22/2006 |

|R51NCD |Nesiritide for Treatment of Heart Failure Patients |05/22/2006 |

|R901CP |New National Uniform Billing Committee (NUBC) Codes and Other Chapter 25 Revisions -- Revision to |05/08/2006 |

| |the Internet-Only Manual | |

|R49MSP |Manualizing Long-Standing Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Policy in Chapter 2 of the MSP Internet |05/08/2006 |

| |Only Manual (IOM) | |

|R14QIO |Revisions to Chapter 8, "Data Management." |04/07/2006 |

|R44DEMO |Additional Billing Guidance for HHA Sites in the Demonstration Project for Medical Adult Day-Care |05/08/2006 |

| |Services (MMA Section 703) | |

|R93FM |Clarification of the Form CMS-1522 Monthly Contractor Financial Report |06/01/2006 |

|R899CP |Revised Health Insurance Claim Form CMS-1500 |10/02/2006 |

|R50NCD |External Counterpulsation Therapy |04/03/2006 |

|R898CP |External Counterpulsation (ECP) Therapy |04/03/2006 |

|R145PI |Eliminate the Use of Surrogate UPINs (OTH000) on Medicare Claims |04/03/2006 |

|R217OTN |2006 Revised American National Standards Institute X12N 837 Institutional Health Care Claim |06/29/2006 |

| |Companion Document | |

|R49BP |Payment of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) for Diabetes Self-Management Training |06/29/2006 |

| |Services (DSMT) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) Services | |

|R48MSP |Request for Claims Detail in Support of Medicare's Debt |05/01/2006 |

|R144PI |Various Benefit Integrity (BI) Revisions |05/01/2006 |

|R897CP |April Update to the 2006 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database |04/03/2006 |

|R48BP |Expansion of Glaucoma Screening Services |04/03/2006 |

|R895CP |Expansion of Glaucoma Screening Services |04/03/2006 |

|R49NCD |Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (MTWA) Diagnostic Testing |04/03/2006 |

|R894CP |Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (MTWA) Diagnostic Testing |04/03/2006 |

|R893CP |2006 Jurisdiction List |06/26/2006 |

|R896CP |April 2006 Update of the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS): Summary of Payment|04/03/2006 |

| |Policy Changes | |

|R892CP |Eligibility Transaction URL update |06/26/2006 |

|R216OTN |Contractor Number Change for Noridian Administrative Services' Idaho and Oregon Part A Workloads |05/01/2006 |

|R891CP |Redesignate HCPCS Codes J8597 and E1239 to Their Proper CWF Category |07/03/2006 |

|R43DEMO |Physician Voluntary Reporting Program (PVRP) Specification (Correction to CR 4183) |04/03/2006 |

|R18SOMA |Revisions to Chapter, "Complaint Procedures" |03/17/2006 |

|R7SS |Business Partner Systems Security Manual |05/01/2006 |

|R48NCD |Technical Corrections to the NCD Manual |06/19/2006 |

|R143PI |Demand Letters |04/17/2006 |

|R890CP |Guidelines for Payment of Vaccine (Pneumococcal Pneumonia Virus, Influenza Virus, and Hepatitis B |07/03/2006 |

| |Virus) Administration | |

|R889CP |April Update to the 2006 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database |04/03/2006 |

|R209OTN |Q4080-Change in HCPCS Code Descriptor |03/13/2006 |

|R215OTN |Payment for Power Mobility Device (PMD) Claims |03/24/2006 |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download