NC Medicaid Reform Plan Rules Out Privatization
After a nearly yearlong effort, state health officials presented their plan for overhauling the North Carolina Medicaid program, revealing a retreat from plans to offer the $13 billion program out …
Congressmen Urge Sebelius to Fix RAC Backlog
In a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, 111 congressmen urged HHS to deploy additional resources to resolve the backlog of appeals of overpayments determined by Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs), …
ALJ Delays by the Numbers
At a recent Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) hearing on delays in scheduling appeals at the administrative law judge (ALJ) level, AAHomecare President Tom Ryan told OMHA Chief …
Interest Rate Increase for Medicare Overpayments and Underpayments
On January 21, the new interest rate on Medicare overpayments and underpayments became 10.25 percent, a 0.125 percent increase. Interest on payments accrues from the date of the initial request …
Mississippi House Bill would force health insurers to accept any providers
Insurers would have to accept any medical provider who meets contract terms into their network under a bill moving forward in the Mississippi House. The House Insurance Committee voted 7-6 …
Proposed Medicare Changes Threaten Nation’s Most Vulnerable
Despite the fact that Medicare’s per capita cost increases are at historic lows, policymakers continue to look for ways to put new constraints on program spending. There’s nothing inherently wrong …
H.R. 1717 GAINS TWO MORE CO-SPONSORS
H.R. 1717, a bill that would replace competitive bidding with the industry’s market pricing program, continues to draw support. This week, two more lawmakers co-sponsored the legislation, which was introduced …
PECOS Ordering Referring Physician Data Problem Fixed
On January 15, CGS notified providers of an issue related to the ordering/referring physician data in the DME MAC claim system. CMS provided a corrected file to the DME MACs …