75 FR 32858 - Medicare Program; Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

... Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs; Corrections AGENCY: Centers for... Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs'' which appeared in the April 15, 2010 Federal... and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs...

42 CFR 421.120 - Performance criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Performance criteria. 421.120 Section 421.120... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE CONTRACTING Intermediaries § 421.120 Performance criteria. (a) Application of performance criteria. As part of the intermediary evaluations authorized by...

42 CFR 421.120 - Performance criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Performance criteria. 421.120 Section 421.120... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE CONTRACTING Intermediaries § 421.120 Performance criteria. (a) Application of performance criteria. As part of the intermediary evaluations authorized by...

42 CFR 421.120 - Performance criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Performance criteria. 421.120 Section 421.120... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE CONTRACTING Intermediaries § 421.120 Performance criteria. (a) Application of performance criteria. As part of the intermediary evaluations authorized by...

76 FR 63017 - Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-11

... to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs for Contract Year 2013 and Other Proposed Changes; Considering Changes to the Conditions of Participation for Long Term Care... to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs for Contract Year 2013...

42 CFR 421.304 - Medicare integrity program contractor functions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... services for which Medicare payment may be made either directly or indirectly. (b) Auditing, settling and.... 421.304 Section 421.304 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE CONTRACTING Medicare Integrity Program...

42 CFR 421.120 - Performance criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Performance criteria. 421.120 Section 421.120... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE CONTRACTING Intermediaries § 421.120 Performance criteria. (a) Application of performance criteria. As part of the intermediary evaluations authorized by section 1816(f) of...

42 CFR 421.120 - Performance criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Performance criteria. 421.120 Section 421.120... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE CONTRACTING Intermediaries § 421.120 Performance criteria. (a) Application of performance criteria. As part of the intermediary evaluations authorized by section 1816(f) of...

Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements. Final rule.

PubMed

2016-11-15

This major final rule addresses changes to the physician fee schedule and other Medicare Part B payment policies, such as changes to the Value Modifier, to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services, as well as changes in the statute. This final rule also includes changes related to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, requirements for Medicare Advantage Provider Networks, and provides for the release of certain pricing data from Medicare Advantage bids and of data from medical loss ratio reports submitted by Medicare health and drug plans. In addition, this final rule expands the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program model.

The Relationship of Community-based Nurse Care Coordination to Costs in the Medicare and Medicaid Programs

PubMed Central

Marek, Karen Dorman; Adams, Scott J.; Stetzer, Frank; Popejoy, Lori; Rantz, Marilyn

2011-01-01

The purpose of this evaluation was to study the relationship of nurse care coordination (NCC) to the costs of Medicare and Medicaid in a community-based care program called Missouri Care Options (MCO). A retrospective cohort design was used comparing 57 MCO clients with NCC to 80 MCO clients without NCC. Total cost was measured using Medicare and Medicaid claims databases. Fixed effects analysis was used to estimate the relationship of the NCC intervention to costs. Controlling for high resource use on admission, monthly Medicare costs were lower ($686) in the 12 months of NCC intervention (p =.04) while Medicaid costs were higher ($203; p=.03) for the NCC group when compared to the costs of MCO group. PMID:20499393

78 FR 12427 - Medicare Program; Medical Loss Ratio Requirements for the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-22

...This proposed rule would implement medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements for the Medicare Advantage Program and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

76 FR 76541 - Medicare Program; Availability of Medicare Data for Performance Measurement

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-07

... Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Part 401 Medicare Program; Availability of Medicare Data...; Availability of Medicare Data for Performance Measurement AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS... regarding the release and use of standardized extracts of Medicare claims data for qualified entities to...

76 FR 21372 - Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Community-Based Care Transitions...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-15

...] Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Community-Based Care Transitions Program... interested parties of an opportunity to apply to participate in the Medicare Community-based Care Transitions Program, which was authorized by section 3026 of the Affordable Care Act. DATES: Proposals will be...

Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2018; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; and Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program. Final rule.

PubMed

2017-11-15

This major final rule addresses changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B payment policies such as changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services, as well as changes in the statute. In addition, this final rule includes policies necessary to begin offering the expanded Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program model.

77 FR 42316 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-18

...; Comment Request AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS. In compliance with the requirement... offices, which have the delegated authority to certify Medicare facilities for participation, and by State... regional offices and by the CMS central office components for program evaluation and monitoring purposes...

77 FR 71423 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application Fee...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-30

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application Fee Amount... rule with comment period entitled: ``Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs... entitled ``Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application...

An Economic History of Medicare Part C

PubMed Central

Mcguire, Thomas G; Newhouse, Joseph P; Sinaiko, Anna D

2011-01-01

Context: Twenty-five years ago, private insurance plans were introduced into the Medicare program with the stated dual aims of (1) giving beneficiaries a choice of health insurance plans beyond the fee-for-service Medicare program and (2) transferring to the Medicare program the efficiencies and cost savings achieved by managed care in the private sector. Methods: In this article we review the economic history of Medicare Part C, known today as Medicare Advantage, focusing on the impact of major changes in the program's structure and of plan payment methods on trends in the availability of private plans, plan enrollment, and Medicare spending. Additionally, we compare the experience of Medicare Advantage and of employer-sponsored health insurance with managed care over the same time period. Findings: Beneficiaries' access to private plans has been inconsistent over the program's history, with higher plan payments resulting in greater choice and enrollment and vice versa. But Medicare Advantage generally has cost more than the traditional Medicare program, an overpayment that has increased in recent years. Conclusions: Major changes in Medicare Advantage's payment rules are needed in order to simultaneously encourage the participation of private plans, the provision of high-quality care, and to save Medicare money. PMID:21676024

75 FR 36785 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-January Through March 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

... national coverage determinations (NCDs) affecting specific medical and health care services under Medicare... notification, such as a particular clinical trial or research study that qualifies for Medicare coverage.... 93.773, Medicare--Hospital Insurance, Program No. 93.774, Medicare-- Supplementary Medical Insurance...

Concordance between Self-Reports and Medicare Claims among Participants in a National Study of Chronic Disease Self-Management Program.

PubMed

Jiang, Luohua; Zhang, Ben; Smith, Matthew Lee; Lorden, Andrea L; Radcliff, Tiffany A; Lorig, Kate; Howell, Benjamin L; Whitelaw, Nancy; Ory, Marcia G

2015-01-01

To evaluate the concordance between self-reported data and variables obtained from Medicare administrative data in terms of chronic conditions and health care utilization. Retrospective observational study. We analyzed data from a sample of Medicare beneficiaries who were part of the National Study of Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) and were eligible for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) pilot evaluation of CDSMP (n = 119). Self-reported and Medicare claims-based chronic conditions and health care utilization were examined. Percent of consistent numbers, kappa statistic (κ), and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to evaluate concordance. The two data sources had substantial agreement for diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (κ = 0.75 and κ = 0.60, respectively), moderate agreement for cancer and heart disease (κ = 0.50 and κ = 0.47, respectively), and fair agreement for depression (κ = 0.26). With respect to health care utilization, the two data sources had almost perfect or substantial concordance for number of hospitalizations (κ = 0.69-0.79), moderate concordance for ED care utilization (κ = 0.45-0.61), and generally low agreement for number of physician visits (κ ≤ 0.31). Either self-reports or claim-based administrative data for diabetes, COPD, and hospitalizations can be used to analyze Medicare beneficiaries in the US. Yet, caution must be taken when only one data source is available for other types of chronic conditions and health care utilization.

76 FR 67743 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application Fee...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-02

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application Fee Amount... period entitled: ``Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Additional Screening... application fees as part of the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provider...

76 FR 72707 - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; Medicare Program; Meeting of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-25

... actuarial and economic assumptions and methods by which Trustees might more accurately project health... (a)(2)). The Panel will discuss the long range (75 year) projection methods and assumptions in... making recommendations to the Medicare Trustees on how the Trustees might more accurately project health...

Use of Medicare summary notice inserts to generate interest in the Medicare stop smoking program.

PubMed

Maglione, Margaret; Larson, Carrie; Giannotti, Tierney; Lapin, Pauline

2007-01-01

Evaluations of outreach strategies that effectively and efficiently reach the senior population often go unreported. The Medicare Stop Smoking Program (MSSP) was a seven-state demonstration project funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The 1-year recruitment plan for MSSP included a multifaceted paid media campaign; however, enrollment was slower than anticipated. The purpose of this substudy was to test the effects of including envelope-sized advertisement inserts with Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) as a supplemental recruitment strategy. Information obtained from enrollees on where they had learned about the program as well as overall enrollment rates were analyzed and compared with the time periods during which the inserts were included in MSN mailings. Average call volume to the enrollment center increased by 65.7% in Alabama, the pilot state, and by more than 200% in the subsequent demonstration states. Despite the introduction of the MSN inserts late in the recruitment period, 32.2 % of the 7354 total enrollees stated that they learned about the project through the inserts. This recruitment method is highly recommended as a cost-effective way to reach the senior population.

77 FR 50110 - Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for Members for the Medicare Evidence Development...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-20

...] Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for Members for the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage... notice announces the request for nominations for membership on the Medicare Evidence Development... Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the adequacy of scientific evidence available to...

76 FR 61365 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and... strategies concerning Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This meeting is... Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Enhancing the Federal government's effectiveness in informing Medicare...

78 FR 32664 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-31

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and... Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This meeting is open to the public... Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Enhancing the federal government's effectiveness in informing Medicare...

78 FR 12327 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-22

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and... Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This meeting is open to the public... Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Enhancing the federal governments effectiveness in informing Medicare...

The Relationship Between Magnet Designation, Electronic Health Record Adoption, and Medicare Meaningful Use Payments.

PubMed

Lippincott, Christine; Foronda, Cynthia; Zdanowicz, Martin; McCabe, Brian E; Ambrosia, Todd

2017-08-01

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between nursing excellence and electronic health record adoption. Of 6582 US hospitals, 4939 were eligible for the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, and 6419 were eligible for evaluation on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model. Of 399 Magnet hospitals, 330 were eligible for the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, and 393 were eligible for evaluation in the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model. Meaningful use attestation was defined as receipt of a Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program payment. The adoption electronic health record was defined as Level 6 and/or 7 on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model. Logistic regression showed that Magnet-designated hospitals were more likely attest to Meaningful Use than non-Magnet hospitals (odds ratio = 3.58, P < .001) and were more likely to adopt electronic health records than non-Magnet hospitals (Level 6 only: odds ratio = 3.68, P < .001; Level 6 or 7: odds ratio = 4.02, P < .001). This study suggested a positive relationship between Magnet status and electronic health record use, which involves earning financial incentives for successful adoption. Continued investigation is needed to examine the relationships between the quality of nursing care, electronic health record usage, financial implications, and patient outcomes.

Twenty years of Medicare and Medicaid: Covered populations, use of benefits, and program expenditures

PubMed Central

Gornick, Marian; Greenberg, Jay N.; Eggers, Paul W.; Dobson, Allen

1985-01-01

Marian Gornick is Director, Division of Beneficiary Studies, in the Office of Research, Health Care Financing Administration. She has been involved in research studies relating to Medicare and Medicaid since the programs were first implemented. Jay N. Greenberg is on the faculty of the Heller Graduate School, Brandeis University. Dr. Greenberg serves as the Associate Director for Research of the school's Health Policy Center. Paul W. Eggers is Chief, Program Evaluation Branch, in the Office of Research, Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). Dr. Eggers’ research activities involve the evaluation of the impact of HCFA programs on the beneficiaries. Allen Dobson is Director, Office of Research, Health Care Financing Administration. Dr. Dobson is responsible for directing the planning and development of the Agency's research agenda. PMID:10311371

77 FR 16841 - Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-22

...] Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration... informs interested parties of an opportunity to apply to participate in the Medicare Graduate Nurse... advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in order to meet the health care needs of the growing Medicare...

77 FR 17073 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-23

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and... Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This meeting is open to the public... eligible for, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Enhancing the Federal...

77 FR 37681 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and... Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This meeting is open to the public... eligible for, Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Enhancing the Federal...

76 FR 37120 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-24

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and... the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance (CHIP) programs. This meeting is open to the... outreach programs for individuals enrolled in, or eligible for, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's...

78 FR 72089 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application Fee...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-02

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-6051-N] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application Fee Amount... period entitled ``Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Additional Screening...

42 CFR 422.524 - Special rules for RFB societies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.524 Special rules for RFB societies. In order to participate as an... affiliated, but who are not entitled to receive benefits from the Medicare program. ...

75 FR 30756 - Medicare Program; Supplemental Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-02

.... 93.773, Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare-- Supplementary Medical... technical errors that appeared in the supplementary proposed rule entitled ``Medicare Program; Supplemental... Doc. 2010-12567 filed May 21, 2010, there are technical and typographical errors that are identified...

Medicare program; requirements for providers and suppliers to establish and maintain Medicare enrollment. Final rule.

PubMed

2006-04-21

This final rule requires that all providers and suppliers (other than physicians or practitioners who have elected to "opt-out" of the Medicare program) complete an enrollment form and submit specific information to us. This final rule also requires that all providers and suppliers periodically update and certify the accuracy of their enrollment information to receive and maintain billing privileges in the Medicare program. In addition, this final rule implements provisions in the statute that require us to ensure that all Medicare providers and suppliers are qualified to provide the appropriate health care services. These statutory provisions include requirements meant to protect beneficiaries and the Medicare Trust Funds by preventing unqualified, fraudulent, or excluded providers and suppliers from providing items or services to Medicare beneficiaries or billing the Medicare program or its beneficiaries.

Medicare Part D: successes and continuing challenges. Impact of Medicare Part D on Massachusetts health programs and beneficiaries.

PubMed

Thomas, Cindy Parks; Sussman, Jeffrey

2007-05-30

On January 1, 2006, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented the Medicare Drug Benefit, or "Medicare Part D." The program offers prescription drug coverage for the one million Medicare beneficiaries in Massachusetts. Part D affects Massachusetts state health programs and beneficiaries in a number of ways. The program: (1) provides prescription drug insurance, including catastrophic coverage, through a choice of private prescription drug plans (PDPs) or integrated Medicare Advantage (MA-PD) health plans; (2) shifts prescription drug coverage for dual-eligible Medicare / Medicaid beneficiaries from Medicaid to Medicare Part D drug plans; (3) requires a maintenance-of-effort, or "clawback" payments from states to CMS designed to capture a portion of states' Medicaid savings to help finance the benefit; (4) offers additional help for premiums and cost sharing to low income beneficiaries through the Low Income Subsidy (LIS); and (5) provides a subsidy to employer groups that maintain their own prescription drug coverage for retired beneficiaries. This paper summarizes the activities involved in implementing Medicare Part D, the impact it has had on Massachusetts health programs, and the experiences of beneficiaries and others conducting outreach and enrollment. The data are drawn from interviews with officials and documents provided by state health programs, CMS and the Social Security Administration, and representatives of provider and advocacy groups involved in the enrollment and ongoing support of Medicare beneficiaries.

Current State of Value-Based Purchasing Programs.

PubMed

Chee, Tingyin T; Ryan, Andrew M; Wasfy, Jason H; Borden, William B

2016-05-31

The US healthcare system is rapidly moving toward rewarding value. Recent legislation, such as the Affordable Care Act and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, solidified the role of value-based payment in Medicare. Many private insurers are following Medicare's lead. Much of the policy attention has been on programs such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments; yet, value-based purchasing (VBP) or pay-for-performance, defined as providers being paid fee-for-service with payment adjustments up or down based on value metrics, remains a core element of value payment in Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. This review article summarizes the current state of VBP programs and provides analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for the future. Multiple inpatient and outpatient VBP programs have been implemented and evaluated; the impact of those programs has been marginal. Opportunities to enhance the performance of VBP programs include improving the quality measurement science, strengthening both the size and design of incentives, reducing health disparities, establishing broad outcome measurement, choosing appropriate comparison targets, and determining the optimal role of VBP relative to alternative payment models. VBP programs will play a significant role in healthcare delivery for years to come, and they serve as an opportunity for providers to build the infrastructure needed for value-oriented care. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

76 FR 16793 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Renewal of Deeming Authority of the National Committee for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-25

... Assurance for Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organizations and Local Preferred Provider Organizations... notice announces the decision to renew the Medicare Advantage Deeming Authority of the National Committee... Medicare program, eligible beneficiaries may receive covered services through a Medicare Advantage (MA...

75 FR 78705 - Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for Members for the Medicare Evidence Development...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-16

...] Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for Members for the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage... notice announces the request for nominations for consideration for membership on the Medicare Evidence... serve on the MEDCAC. Nominees are selected based upon their individual qualifications and not as...

76 FR 34633 - Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-14

....773, Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare-- Supplementary Medical Insurance... errors in the proposed rule entitled ``Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient...-9644 of May 5, 2011 (76 FR 25788), there were a number of technical and typographical errors that are...

75 FR 68790 - Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual Deductible...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-09

... 0938-AP81 Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual... (SMI) program beginning January 1, 2011. In addition, this notice announces the monthly premium for... beneficiaries with modified adjusted gross income above certain threshold amounts. The monthly actuarial rates...

76 FR 67572 - Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual Deductible...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-01

... 0938-AQ16 Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual... (SMI) program beginning January 1, 2012. In addition, this notice announces the monthly premium for... beneficiaries with modified adjusted gross income above certain threshold amounts. The monthly actuarial rates...

78 FR 64943 - Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual Deductible...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-30

... 0938-AR58 Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual... (SMI) program beginning January 1, 2014. In addition, this notice announces the monthly premium for... beneficiaries with modified adjusted gross income above certain threshold amounts. The monthly actuarial rates...

75 FR 32480 - Funding Opportunity: Affordable Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-08

... Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program Funding for Title VI Native American Programs Purpose of Notice: Availability of funding opportunity announcement. Funding Opportunity Title/Program Name: Affordable Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program Funding for Title...

75 FR 14176 - Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-24

... and on matters that affect other units and levels of government. Contributes to the formulation of... formulation, coordination, integration, implementation, and evaluation of national Medicare program policies... Program Integrity on the identification of program vulnerabilities and implementation of strategies to...

42 CFR 420.410 - Establishment of a program to collect suggestions for improving Medicare program efficiency and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... for improving Medicare program efficiency and to reward suggesters for monetary savings. 420.410... Program Efficiency and to Reward Suggesters for Monetary Savings § 420.410 Establishment of a program to collect suggestions for improving Medicare program efficiency and to reward suggesters for monetary...

42 CFR 420.410 - Establishment of a program to collect suggestions for improving Medicare program efficiency and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... for improving Medicare program efficiency and to reward suggesters for monetary savings. 420.410... Program Efficiency and to Reward Suggesters for Monetary Savings § 420.410 Establishment of a program to collect suggestions for improving Medicare program efficiency and to reward suggesters for monetary...

76 FR 19655 - Medicare Program; Waiver Designs in Connection With the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-07

... Savings Program and the Innovation Center AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and...) of the Social Security Act (of the Act), as added by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) authorizes the... payment and service delivery models by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. This notice with...

Coordination of health coverage for Medicare enrollees: living with HIV/AIDS in California.

PubMed

Eichner, J; Kahn, J G

2001-08-01

Because Medicare does not cover a large part of the health care that its enrollees living with HIV/AIDS require, they need other coverage to supplement Medicare. Medicaid is a major source of that supplemental coverage. In California, Medicare enrollees with HIV/AIDS who were also enrolled in Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program) had total payments from both programs of $177 million, or an average of $28,956 per person in the fee-for-service-system in 1998. Of that total, Medicare paid for 38 percent, mainly for inpatient visits and ambulatory care, while Medi-Cal paid 62 percent, mainly for prescription drugs. For these dual enrollees, many of Medicare's benefit gaps--including a large share of prescription drugs, nursing facility services and home care--are being filled by Medi-Cal. Data in this Medicare Brief indicate that the incremental cost to the federal government of filling gaps in the Medicare benefits package would be considerably less than the full cost of the additional benefits. Through Medicaid and other programs, the federal government is already paying a substantial part of public program expenditures for dual enrollees with HIV/AIDS. Other issues to consider are how the dual Medicare-Medicaid funding streams affect the programs' cost efficiency, and from the perspective of Medicare enrollees and providers, how well the dual programs coordinate to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions.

77 FR 26553 - Medicare Program; Meeting of the Medicare Economic Index Technical Advisory Panel-May 21, 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-04

...] Medicare Program; Meeting of the Medicare Economic Index Technical Advisory Panel--May 21, 2012 AGENCY... announces that a public meeting of the Medicare Economic Index Technical Advisory Panel (``the Panel'') will... Economic Index (MEI). This first meeting will focus on MEI inputs and input weights. This meeting is open...

77 FR 27778 - Medicare Program; Meeting of the Medicare Economic Index Technical Advisory Panel-May 21, 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-8050-N] Medicare Program; Meeting of the Medicare Economic Index Technical Advisory Panel--May 21, 2012 Correction In notice document 2012-10702 appearing on pages 26553-26554 in the issue of Friday, May 4, 2012 make...

Urban-Rural Differences in the Effect of a Medicare Health Promotion and Disease Self-Management Program on Physical Function and Health Care Expenditures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meng, Hongdao; Wamsley, Brenda; Liebel, Diane; Dixon, Denise; Eggert, Gerald; Van Nostrand, Joan

2009-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a multicomponent health promotion and disease self-management intervention on physical function and health care expenditures among Medicare beneficiaries. To determine if these outcomes vary by urban or rural residence. Design and Methods: We analyzed data from a 22-month randomized controlled trial of a health…

76 FR 16422 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application Fee...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-23

... 0938-AQ99 Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application..., and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Additional Screening Requirements, Application Fees... application fees as part of the Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provider...

Hospice Value-Based Purchasing Program: A Model Design.

PubMed

Nowak, Bryan P

2016-12-01

With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. government committed to a transition in payment policy for health care services linking reimbursement to improved health outcomes rather than the volume of services provided. To accomplish this goal, the Department of Health and Human Services is designing and implementing new payment models intended to improve the quality of health care while reducing its cost. Collectively, these novel payment models and programs have been characterized under the moniker of value-based purchasing (VBP), and although many of these models retain a fundamental fee-for-service (FFS) structure, they are seen as essential tools in the evolution away from volume-based health care financing toward a health system that provides "better care, smarter spending, and healthier people." In 2014, approximately 20% of Medicare provider FFS payments were linked to a VBP program. The Department of Health and Human Services has committed to a four-year plan to link 90% of Medicare provider FFS payments to value-based purchasing by 2018. To achieve this goal, all items and services currently reimbursed under Medicare FFS programs will need to be evaluated in the context of VBP. To this end, the Medicare Hospice benefit appears to be appropriate for inclusion in a model of VBP. This policy analysis proposes an adaptable model for a VBP program for the Medicare Hospice benefit linking payment to quality and efficiency in a manner consistent with statutory requirements established in the Affordable Care Act. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilisation of podiatry services in Australia under the Medicare Enhanced Primary Care program, 2004-2008.

PubMed

Menz, Hylton B

2009-10-30

In 2004, as an extension of the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program, the Australian Government introduced a policy of providing Medicare rebates for allied health services provided to patients with chronic or complex health conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utilisation of podiatry services provided under this scheme between 2004 and 2008. Data pertaining to the Medicare item 10962 for the calendar years 2004-2008 were extracted from the Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) database and cross-tabulated by sex and age. Descriptive analyses were undertaken to assess sex and age differences in the number of consultations provided and to assess for temporal trends over the five-year assessment period. The total cost to Medicare over this period was also determined. During the 2004-2008 period, a total of 1,338,044 EPC consultations were provided by podiatrists in Australia. Females exhibited higher utilisation than males (63 versus 37%), and those aged over 65 years accounted for 75% of consultations. There was a marked increase in the number of consultations provided from 2004 to 2008, and the total cost of providing EPC podiatry services during this period was $62.9 M. Podiatry services have been extensively utilised under the EPC program by primary care patients, particularly older women, and the number of services provided has increased dramatically between 2004 and 2008. Further research is required to determine whether the EPC program enhances clinical outcomes compared to standard practice.

The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey program: overview, context, and near-term prospects.

PubMed

Jones, Nathaniel; Jones, Stephanie L; Miller, Nancy A

2004-07-12

In 1996, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS). It is the first national survey to measure the quality of life and functional health status of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in managed care. The program seeks to gather valid and reliable health status data in Medicare managed care for use in quality improvement activities, public reporting, plan accountability and improving health outcomes based on competition. The context that led to the development of the HOS was formed by the convergence of the following factors: 1) a recognized need to monitor the performance of managed care plans, 2) technical expertise and advancement in the areas of quality measurement and health outcomes assessment, 3) the existence of a tested functional health status assessment tool (SF-36)1, which was valid for an elderly population, 4) CMS leadership, and 5) political interest in quality improvement. Since 1998, there have been six baseline surveys and four follow up surveys. CMS, working with its partners, performs the following tasks as part of the HOS program: 1) Supports the technical/scientific development of the HOS measure, 2) Certifies survey vendors, 3) Collects Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set(HEDIS)2 HOS data, 4) Cleans, scores, and disseminates annual rounds of HOS data, public use files and reports to CMS, Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), Medicare+Choice Organizations (M+COs), and other stakeholders, 5) Trains M+COs and QIOs in the use of functional status measures and best practices for improving care, 6) Provides technical assistance to CMS, QIOs, M+COs and other data users, and 7) Conducts analyses using HOS data to support CMS and HHS priorities.CMS has recently sponsored an evaluation of the HOS program, which will provide the information necessary to enhance the future administration of the program. Information collected to date reveals that the HOS program is a valuable tool that provides a rich set of data that is useful for quality monitoring and improvement efforts. To enhance the future of the HOS program, many stakeholders recommend the implementation of incentives to encourage the use of the data, while others identify the need to monitor the health status of plan disenrollees.Overall, the HOS program represents an important vehicle for collecting outcomes data from Medicare beneficiaries. The new Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (2003) mandates the collection and use of data for outcomes measurement. Consequently, it is important to improve HOS to most effectively meet the mandate.

77 FR 69850 - Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual Deductible...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

... percent reserve has been the normal target used to calculate the Part B premium. In view of the strong... 0938-AR16 Medicare Program; Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial Rates, Premium Rate, and Annual...

Cognition, Health Literacy, and Actual and Perceived Medicare Knowledge Among Inner-City Medicare Beneficiaries.

PubMed

Sivakumar, Haran; Hanoch, Yaniv; Barnes, Andrew J; Federman, Alex D

2016-01-01

Poor Medicare knowledge is associated with worse health outcomes, especially in low-income patients. We examined the association of health literacy and cognition with actual and perceived Medicare knowledge in a sample of inner-city older adults. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data on 336 adults ages 65 years and older with Medicare coverage recruited from senior centers and low-income housing facilities in Manhattan, New York. Actual Medicare knowledge was determined by a summary score of 9 true/false questions about the Medicare program and perceived Medicare knowledge with a single item. Validated measures were used to assess health literacy and general cognition. Among respondents, 63.1% had high actual Medicare knowledge, and 36.0% believed that they knew what they needed to know about Medicare. Actual and perceived Medicare knowledge were poorly correlated (r = -.01, p > .05). In multivariable models, low health literacy was significantly associated with actual Medicare knowledge (β = -8.30, SE = 2.71, p < .01) but not perceived Medicare knowledge (β = 0.37, SE = 0.22, p = .09). Individuals with low health literacy were more likely to perceive their Medicare knowledge as adequate when actual Medicare knowledge was low (adjusted odds ratio = 3.30, 95% confidence interval [1.20, 9.05], p < .05). These results show that older adults with low health literacy are more likely to have poor understanding of the Medicare program and yet more likely to believe that their understanding of the program is adequate. This combination of factors may place them at increased risk for poor access to information about the Medicare program and diminish their ability to make fully informed choices.

75 FR 67751 - Medicare Program: Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP) Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-03

...] Medicare Program: Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP) Meeting AGENCY: Centers for Medicare... guidance and ask questions about the upcoming Community-based Care Transitions Program. The meeting is open... registration information will be posted on the CMS Care Transitions Web site at http://www.cms.gov/DemoProjects...

CMS Innovation Center Health Care Innovation Awards

PubMed Central

Berry, Sandra H.; Concannon, Thomas W.; Morganti, Kristy Gonzalez; Auerbach, David I.; Beckett, Megan K.; Chen, Peggy G.; Farley, Donna O.; Han, Bing; Harris, Katherine M.; Jones, Spencer S.; Liu, Hangsheng; Lovejoy, Susan L.; Marsh, Terry; Martsolf, Grant R.; Nelson, Christopher; Okeke, Edward N.; Pearson, Marjorie L.; Pillemer, Francesca; Sorbero, Melony E.; Towe, Vivian; Weinick, Robin M.

2013-01-01

Abstract The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has funded 108 Health Care Innovation Awards, funded through the Affordable Care Act, for applicants who proposed compelling new models of service delivery or payment improvements that promise to deliver better health, better health care, and lower costs through improved quality of care for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program enrollees. CMS is also interested in learning how new models would affect subpopulations of beneficiaries (e.g., those eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and complex patients) who have unique characteristics or health care needs that could be related to poor outcomes. In addition, the initiative seeks to identify new models of workforce development and deployment, as well as models that can be rapidly deployed and have the promise of sustainability. This article describes a strategy for evaluating the results. The goal for the evaluation design process is to create standardized approaches for answering key questions that can be customized to similar groups of awardees and that allow for rapid and comparable assessment across awardees. The evaluation plan envisions that data collection and analysis will be carried out on three levels: at the level of the individual awardee, at the level of the awardee grouping, and as a summary evaluation that includes all awardees. Key dimensions for the evaluation framework include implementation effectiveness, program effectiveness, workforce issues, impact on priority populations, and context. The ultimate goal is to identify strategies that can be employed widely to lower cost while improving care. PMID:28083297

78 FR 71619 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Continued Approval of American Osteopathic Association/Healthcare...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-29

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-3285-FN] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Continued Approval of American Osteopathic Association/Healthcare... Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS. ACTION: Final notice. SUMMARY: This final notice announces our decision...

42 CFR 422.108 - Medicare secondary payer (MSP) procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Benefits and Beneficiary Protections § 422...; (2) Identify the amounts payable by those payers; and (3) Coordinate its benefits to Medicare enrollees with the benefits of the primary payers, including reporting, on an ongoing basis, information...

Access to Care for Medicare-Medicaid Dually Eligible Beneficiaries: The Role of State Medicaid Payment Policies.

PubMed

Zheng, Nan Tracy; Haber, Susan; Hoover, Sonja; Feng, Zhanlian

2017-12-01

Medicaid programs are not required to pay the full Medicare coinsurance and deductibles for Medicare-Medicaid dually eligible beneficiaries. We examined the association between the percentage of Medicare cost sharing paid by Medicaid and the likelihood that a dually eligible beneficiary used evaluation and management (E&M) services and safety net provider services. Medicare and Medicaid Analytic eXtract enrollment and claims data for 2009. Multivariate analyses used fee-for-service dually eligible and Medicare-only beneficiaries in 20 states. A comparison group of Medicare-only beneficiaries controlled for state factors that might influence utilization. Paying 100 percent of the Medicare cost sharing compared to 20 percent increased the likelihood (relative to Medicare-only) that a dually eligible beneficiary had any E&M visit by 6.4 percent. This difference in the percentage of cost sharing paid decreased the likelihood of using safety net providers, by 37.7 percent for federally qualified health centers and rural health centers, and by 19.8 percent for hospital outpatient departments. Reimbursing the full Medicare cost-sharing amount would improve access for dually eligible beneficiaries, although the magnitude of the effect will vary by state and type of service. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

42 CFR 422.2262 - Review and distribution of marketing materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing... model materials. (d) Ad hoc enrollee communication materials. Ad hoc enrollee communication materials...

Controlling prescription drug costs: regulation and the role of interest groups in Medicare and the Veterans Health Administration.

PubMed

Frakt, Austin B; Pizer, Steven D; Hendricks, Ann M

2008-12-01

Medicare and the Veterans Health Administration (VA) both finance large outpatient prescription drug programs, though in very different ways. In the ongoing debate on how to control Medicare spending, some suggest that Medicare should negotiate directly with drug manufacturers, as the VA does. In this article we relate the role of interest groups to policy differences between Medicare and the VA and, in doing so, explain why such a large change to the Medicare drug program is unlikely. We argue that key policy differences are attributable to stable differences in interest group involvement. While this stability makes major changes in Medicare unlikely, it suggests the possibility of leveraging VA drug purchasing to achieve savings in Medicare. This could be done through a VA-administered drug-only benefit for Medicare-enrolled veterans. Such a partnership could incorporate key elements of both programs: capacity to accept large numbers of enrollees (like Medicare) and leverage to negotiate prescription drug prices (like the VA). Moreover, it could be implemented at no cost to the VA while achieving savings for Medicare and beneficiaries.

75 FR 46948 - Medicare Program; Listening Session Regarding Confidential Feedback Reports and the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-1578-N] Medicare Program; Listening Session Regarding Confidential Feedback Reports and the Implementation of a Value-Based Payment Modifier for Physicians, September 24, 2010 AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

42 CFR 422.311 - RADV audit dispute and appeal processes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false RADV audit dispute and appeal processes. 422.311 Section 422.311 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Payments to Medicare Advantage...

42 CFR 422.2276 - Employer group retiree marketing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements... for members of an employer group who are eligible for employer-sponsored benefits through the MA...

How Successful Is Medicare Advantage?

PubMed Central

Newhouse, Joseph P; McGuire, Thomas G

2014-01-01

Context Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage (MA), now almost 30 years old, has generally been viewed as a policy disappointment. Enrollment has vacillated but has never come close to the penetration of managed care plans in the commercial insurance market or in Medicaid, and because of payment policy decisions and selection, the MA program is viewed as having added to cost rather than saving funds for the Medicare program. Recent changes in Medicare policy, including improved risk adjustment, however, may have changed this picture. Methods This article summarizes findings from our group's work evaluating MA's recent performance and investigating payment options for improving its performance even more. We studied the behavior of both beneficiaries and plans, as well as the effects of Medicare policy. Findings Beneficiaries make “mistakes” in their choice of MA plan options that can be explained by behavioral economics. Few beneficiaries make an active choice after they enroll in Medicare. The high prevalence of “zero-premium” plans signals inefficiency in plan design and in the market's functioning. That is, Medicare premium policies interfere with economically efficient choices. The adverse selection problem, in which healthier, lower-cost beneficiaries tend to join MA, appears much diminished. The available measures, while limited, suggest that, on average, MA plans offer care of equal or higher quality and for less cost than traditional Medicare (TM). In counties, greater MA penetration appears to improve TM's performance. Conclusions Medicare policies regarding lock-in provisions and risk adjustment that were adopted in the mid-2000s have mitigated the adverse selection problem previously plaguing MA. On average, MA plans appear to offer higher value than TM, and positive spillovers from MA into TM imply that reimbursement should not necessarily be neutral. Policy changes in Medicare that reform the way that beneficiaries are charged for MA plan membership are warranted to move more beneficiaries into MA. PMID:24890251

How successful is Medicare Advantage?

PubMed

Newhouse, Joseph P; McGuire, Thomas G

2014-06-01

Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage (MA), now almost 30 years old, has generally been viewed as a policy disappointment. Enrollment has vacillated but has never come close to the penetration of managed care plans in the commercial insurance market or in Medicaid, and because of payment policy decisions and selection, the MA program is viewed as having added to cost rather than saving funds for the Medicare program. Recent changes in Medicare policy, including improved risk adjustment, however, may have changed this picture. This article summarizes findings from our group's work evaluating MA's recent performance and investigating payment options for improving its performance even more. We studied the behavior of both beneficiaries and plans, as well as the effects of Medicare policy. Beneficiaries make "mistakes" in their choice of MA plan options that can be explained by behavioral economics. Few beneficiaries make an active choice after they enroll in Medicare. The high prevalence of "zero-premium" plans signals inefficiency in plan design and in the market's functioning. That is, Medicare premium policies interfere with economically efficient choices. The adverse selection problem, in which healthier, lower-cost beneficiaries tend to join MA, appears much diminished. The available measures, while limited, suggest that, on average, MA plans offer care of equal or higher quality and for less cost than traditional Medicare (TM). In counties, greater MA penetration appears to improve TM's performance. Medicare policies regarding lock-in provisions and risk adjustment that were adopted in the mid-2000s have mitigated the adverse selection problem previously plaguing MA. On average, MA plans appear to offer higher value than TM, and positive spillovers from MA into TM imply that reimbursement should not necessarily be neutral. Policy changes in Medicare that reform the way that beneficiaries are charged for MA plan membership are warranted to move more beneficiaries into MA. © 2014 Milbank Memorial Fund.

42 CFR 422.527 - Agreements with Federally qualified health centers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.527 Agreements with Federally qualified health centers...

42 CFR 422.506 - Nonrenewal of contract.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.506 Nonrenewal of contract. (a) Nonrenewal by an MA organization. (1) An MA...

76 FR 59134 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Approval of the Joint Commission's Continued Deeming Authority...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-23

... a qualified practitioner examine each patient before surgery to evaluate the risk of anesthesia. To... requirement that a qualified practitioner must evaluate each patient for proper anesthesia recovery before...

78 FR 32661 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Renewal of the Advisory Panel on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-31

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Renewal of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and... Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and also expanded the availability of other... are eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) about options...

78 FR 21610 - Expansion Funds for the Support of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-11

... the Support of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program ACTION: Notice of intent to provide expansion... funds for the support of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program. This additional funding opportunity... program capacity to recruit, train, and support the SMP volunteer network. In addition, this funding...

75 FR 21175 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Waiver of Disapproval of Nurse Aide Training Program in Certain...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-23

... skilled nursing facilities, in the Medicare program, and nursing facilities, in the Medicaid program, that... skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for Medicare and nursing facilities (NFs) for Medicaid. The Federal... services provided by a nursing home are important, Congressional intent about what constitutes ``quality of...

42 CFR 422.521 - Effective date of new significant regulatory requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.521 Effective date of new significant...

The Health Care Financing Administration's new examination documentation criteria: minimum auditing standards for the neurologic examination to be used by Medicare and other payors. Report from the American Academy of Neurology Medical Economics and Management Subcommittee.

PubMed

Nuwer, M R; Sigsbee, B

1998-02-01

Medicare recently announced the adoption of minimum documentation criteria for the neurologic examination. These criteria are added to existing standards for the history and medical decision-making. These criteria will be used in compliance audits by Medicare and other payors. Given the current federal initiative to eliminate fraud in the Medicare program, all neurologists need to comply with these standards. These criteria are for documentation only. Neurologic standards of care require a more complex and diverse examination pertinent to the problem(s) under consideration. Further guidance as to the content of a neurologic evaluation is outlined in the article "Practice guidelines: Neurologic evaluation" (Neurology 1990; 40: 871). The level of history and examination required for specific services is defined in the American Medical Association current procedural terminology book. Documentation standards for examination of children are not yet defined.

Can Health Insurance Reduce School Absenteeism?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeung, Ryan; Gunton, Bradley; Kalbacher, Dylan; Seltzer, Jed; Wesolowski, Hannah

2011-01-01

Enacted in 1997, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) represented the largest expansion of U.S. public health care coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid 32 years earlier. Although the program has recently been reauthorized, there remains a considerable lack of thorough and well-designed evaluations of the program. In…

42 CFR 423.159 - Electronic prescription drug program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Electronic prescription drug program. 423.159 Section 423.159 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality...

42 CFR 423.800 - Administration of subsidy program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Administration of subsidy program. 423.800 Section 423.800 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Premiums and Cost...

42 CFR 422.505 - Effective date and term of contract.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.505 Effective date and term of contract. (a) Effective date. The...

42 CFR 422.2272 - Licensing of marketing representatives and confirmation of marketing resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements § 422.2272 Licensing of marketing representatives and...

42 CFR 422.508 - Modification or termination of contract by mutual consent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.508 Modification or termination of contract...

42 CFR 422.510 - Termination of contract by CMS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.510 Termination of contract by CMS. (a) Termination by CMS. CMS may at any...

Implications of health reform for retiree health benefits.

PubMed

Fronstin, Paul

2010-01-01

This Issue Brief examines how current health reform legislation being debated in Congress will impact the future of retiree health benefits. In general, the proposals' provisions will have a mixed impact on retiree health benefits: In the short term, the reinsurance provisions would help shore up early retiree coverage and Medicare Part D coverage would become more valuable to retirees. In the longer term, insurance reform combined with new subsidies for individuals enrolling for coverage through insurance exchanges, the maintenance-of-effort provision affecting early retiree benefits, increases to the cost of providing drug benefits to retirees, and enhanced Medicare Part D coverage, would all create significant incentives for employers to drop coverage for early retirees and drug coverage for Medicare-eligible retirees. REINSURANCE PROGRAM FOR EARLY RETIREES: Proposed legislation includes a provision to create a temporary reinsurance program for employers providing health benefits to retirees over age 55 and not yet eligible for Medicare. Given the temporary nature of the program, it is intended to provide employers an incentive to maintain benefits until the health insurance exchange is fully operational. At that point, employers will have less incentive to provide health benefits to early retirees, and retirees will have less need for former employers to maintain a program. MEDICARE DRUG BENEFITS: The House-passed bill would initially reduce the coverage gap (the so-called "doughnut hole") for individuals in the Medicare Part D program by $500 and eliminate it altogether by 2019. The bill currently before the Senate would also reduce the coverage gap by $500, but does not call for eliminating it. Both would also provide a 50 percent discount to brand-name drug coverage in the coverage gap. These provisions increase the value of the Medicare Part D drug program to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries relative to drug benefits provided by employers. TAX TREATMENT OF EMPLOYER SUBSIDIES UNDER MMA: The Medicare Modernization Act provides subsidies to employers that continue to offer prescription drug coverage through a retiree health benefits program. This subsidy is currently not counted as taxable income to the employer receiving it. Both the House and Senate bills would effectively repeal this tax exclusion. This would have two effects: The real cost of providing retiree health benefits to Medicare-eligible retirees would increase, and an employer's FAS 106 liability would increase immediately. The increase in the cost of retiree drug benefits will cause employers to re-evaluate the subsidy, compared with other available options. Moving retirees to Medicare Part D may become even more attractive to employers if the coverage gap is reduced and/or eliminated. POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT CHANGES: With some exceptions, the House-passed legislation would prohibit employers from changing the benefits offered to retirees and their beneficiaries once a person has retired. This provision could have a number of different effects: More employers may move toward capping their contributions; employers that want to maintain retiree health benefits may react by cutting the health benefits of active workers; employers may eliminate retiree health benefits altogether to avoid being locked into providing a permanent benefit; or they may drop benefits if they think there is no need to provide them.

75 FR 79173 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-July Through September 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-17

... collections of information in CMS regulations and a list of Medicare- approved carotid stent facilities.... Questions concerning Medicare-approved carotid stent facilities in Addendum VIII may be addressed to Sarah J... 20 of the CFR. Addendum VIII includes listings of Medicare-approved carotid stent facilities. All...

75 FR 71064 - Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-22

... and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs for Contract Year 2012 and Other Proposed Changes... for Contract Year 2012 and Other Proposed Changes'' which was filed for public inspection on November 10, 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sabrina Ahmed, (410) 786-7499. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...

78 FR 75304 - Medicare Program; Medicare Secondary Payer and Certain Civil Money Penalties

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-11

... [CMS-6061-ANPRM] RIN 0938-AR88 Medicare Program; Medicare Secondary Payer and Certain Civil Money... practices for which civil money penalties (CMPs) may or may not be imposed for failure to comply with...-3951. I. Background A. Imposition of Civil Money Penalties (CMPs) In 1981, the Congress added section...

Understanding the Impacts of the Medicare Modernization Act: Concerns of Congressional Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Keith J.; Coburn, Andrew F.; MacKinney, Clinton; McBride, Timothy D.; Slifkin, Rebecca T.; Wakefield, Mary K.

2005-01-01

Sweeping changes to the Medicare program embodied in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), including a new prescription drug benefit, changes in payment policies, and reform of the Medicare managed-care program, have major implications for rural health care. The most efficient mechanism for research to…

76 FR 67801 - Medicare Program; Medicare Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-02

... Community Care Network NP Nurse Practitioner NPI National Provider Identifier NQF National Quality Forum OIG...: Accountable Care Organizations; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 76 , No. 212 / Wednesday, November 2... Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS...

75 FR 76471 - Medicare Program; Renewal of the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

... economics of health care, medical ethics and other related professions such as epidemiology and... basis. The MEDCAC--(1) Hears public testimony; (2) reviews medical literature, technology assessments... Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.774, Medicare--Supplementary Medical Insurance Program). Dated...

42 CFR 422.320 - Special rules for hospice care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Payments to Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422... her enrollment in the MA plan and is entitled to receive, through the MA plan, any benefits other than...

42 CFR 422.304 - Monthly payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Payments to Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.304 Monthly... original fee-for-service benefits for an individual in an MA payment area for a month. (1) Payment of bid...

An Analysis of Medicare's Incentive Payment Program for Physicians in Health Professional Shortage Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Leighton; Hart, L. Gary; Ricketts III, Thomas C.; Beaver, Shelli K.

2004-01-01

Medicare's Incentive Payment (MIP) program provides a 10% bonus payment to providers who treat Medicare patients in rural and urban areas where there is a shortage of generalist physicians. Purpose: To examine the experience of Alaska, Idaho, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington with the MIP program. We determined the program's…

Medicare+Choice: what lies ahead?

PubMed

Layne, R Jeffrey

2002-03-01

Health plans have continued to exit the Medicare+Choice program in recent years, despite efforts of Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reform the program. Congress and CMS therefore stand poised to make additional, substantial reforms to the program. CMS has proposed to consolidate its oversight of the program, extend the due date for Medicare+Choice plans to file their adjusted community rate proposals, revise risk-adjustment processes, streamline the marketing review process, enhance quality-improvement requirements, institute results based performance assessment audits, coordinate policy changes to coincide with contracting cycles, expand its fall advertising campaign for the program, provide better employer-based Medicare options for beneficiaries, and take steps to minimize beneficiary costs. Congressional leaders have proposed various legislative remedies to improve the program, including creation of an entirely new pricing structure for the program based on a competitive bidding process.

Lessons learned from the National Medicare & You Education Program.

PubMed

Goldstein, E; Teichman, L; Crawley, B; Gaumer, G; Joseph, C; Reardon, L

2001-01-01

In fall 1998 CMS implemented the National Medicare Education Program (NMEP) to educate beneficiaries about their Medicare program benefits; health plan choices; supplemental health insurance; beneficiary rights, responsibilities, and protections; and health behaviors. CMS has been monitoring the implementation of the NMEP in six case study sites as well as monitoring each of the information channels for communicating with beneficiaries. This article describes select findings from the case studies, and highlights from assessment activities related to the Medicare & You handbook, the toll-free 1-800-MEDICARE Helpline, Internet, and Regional Education About Choices in Health (REACH).

Medicare's Drug Discount Card Program: Beneficiaries' Experience with Choice

PubMed Central

Hassol, Andrea; Wrobel, Marian V.; Doksum, Teresa

2007-01-01

This article describes Medicare beneficiaries' experience with the choice among Medicare drug discount cards and is based primarily on surveys and focus groups with beneficiaries as well as interviews with other stakeholders. Although competition and choice have the potential to reduce cost and enhance quality in the Medicare Program, our findings highlight some of the challenges involved in making choice work in practice. Despite the unique and temporary nature of the drug discount card program, these findings have considerable relevance to the Part D drug benefit and to other Medicare initiatives that rely on choice. PMID:17722747

Lessons Learned from the National Medicare & You Education Program

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Elizabeth; Teichman, Lori; Crawley, Barbara; Gaumer, Gary; Joseph, Catherine; Reardon, Leo

2001-01-01

In fall 1998 CMS implemented the National Medicare Education Program (NMEP) to educate beneficiaries about their Medicare program benefits; health plan choices; supplemental health insurance; beneficiary rights, responsibilities, and protections; and health behaviors. CMS has been monitoring the implementation of the NMEP in six case study sites as well as monitoring each of the information channels for communicating with beneficiaries. This article describes select findings from the case studies, and highlights from assessment activities related to the Medicare & You handbook, the toll-free 1-800-MEDICARE Helpline, Internet, and Regional Education About Choices in Health (REACH). PMID:12500359

Financing of emergency medicine graduate medical education programs in an era of declining Medicare reimbursement and support.

PubMed

Baumann, Michael R; Vadeboncoeur, Tyler F; Schafermeyer, Robert W

2004-07-01

In May 2004, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) National Affairs Committee was tasked with evaluation of graduate medical education (GME) funding in the face of declining Medicare reimbursement and support, and its implications for emergency medicine. This article was developed to educate the SAEM membership on the current status and climate of funding for GME and to serve as the basis of a position statement from SAEM on this topic. The paper presents the history and background on GME financing followed by currently known changes from the recently signed Medicare Act of 2003.

Medicare program; additional extension of the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals and the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program under the hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (IPPS) for acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2014. Extension of a payment adjustment and a program.

PubMed

2014-06-17

This document announces changes to the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals and to the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program under the hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for the second half of FY 2014 (April 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014) in accordance with sections 105 and 106, respectively, of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA).

Understanding dual enrollees' use of Medicare home health services: the effects of differences in Medicaid home care programs.

PubMed

Kenney, G; Rajan, S

2000-01-01

Both the Medicare and Medicaid programs have experienced considerable growth in spending on home care in recent years. As policymakers adopt measures (such as those legislated in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997) to curb the rate of spending growth on home care services, it is important to understand interactions between the Medicare and Medicaid home care programs in serving the dually enrolled population. This study examines the potential effects of the Medicaid home care program on Medicare home health utilization using multivariate models. The study relied on data from the Health Care Financing Administration's Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), a longitudinal survey of Medicare enrollees. The primary MCBS file used was from Round 1 of the survey, which was fielded between September and December 1991. The unit of analysis was individuals. The authors used descriptive and multivariate methods to explore the relationship between Medicare coverage and state home care program characteristics. Included were variables that have been found to be significant determinants of Medicare home health utilization in other studies as well as variables to indicate the availability and generosity of Medicaid home care services in each state represented in the survey. The findings were consistent with those of previous studies, in that dual enrollees were disproportionate users of Medicare home health services, accounting for only 16% of enrollees but receiving 40% of all visits. In addition, lower levels of Medicare home health use were observed in states with relatively higher Medicaid spending on home health and personal care services, but this relationship appeared to be heavily dominated by the inclusion of enrollees living in New York State. When individuals from New York were excluded from the analysis, we found a negative but statistically significant relationship between Medicaid outlays on home health and personal care services and Medicare home health utilization. Because the Medicare and Medicaid programs are interconnected through the sizable dual enrollee population, changes in one program are likely to have ramifications for the other. This study presents another step in exploring how the two programs interact and emphasizes the fact that costs can be shifted between the two programs as policy changes are made to control the rate of home care spending growth.

42 CFR 422.316 - Special rules for payments to Federally qualified health centers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Payments to Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.316 Special rules for payments to Federally qualified health centers...

The Experience of Rural Independent Pharmacies with Medicare Part D: Reports from the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radford, Andrea; Slifkin, Rebecca; Fraser, Roslyn; Mason, Michelle; Mueller, Keith

2007-01-01

Context: The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) created prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries through a new Part D program, the single largest addition to Medicare since its creation in 1965. Prior to program implementation in January 2006, concerns had been voiced as to how independent…

42 CFR 1003.105 - Exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and all Federal health care programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid..., ASSESSMENTS AND EXCLUSIONS § 1003.105 Exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and all Federal... the Medicare and Medicaid programs, he or she will, at the same time he or she notifies the respondent...

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a Capitated Patient Navigation Program for Medicare Beneficiaries with Lung Cancer.

PubMed

Shih, Ya-Chen Tina; Chien, Chun-Ru; Moguel, Rocio; Hernandez, Mike; Hajek, Richard A; Jones, Lovell A

2016-04-01

To assess the cost-effectiveness of implementing a patient navigation (PN) program with capitated payment for Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with lung cancer. Cost-effectiveness analysis. A Markov model to capture the disease progression of lung cancer and characterize clinical benefits of PN services as timeliness of treatment and care coordination. Taking a payer's perspective, we estimated the lifetime costs, life years (LYs), and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and addressed uncertainties in one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Model inputs were extracted from the literature, supplemented with data from a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services demonstration project. Compared to usual care, PN services incurred higher costs but also yielded better outcomes. The incremental cost and effectiveness was $9,145 and 0.47 QALYs, respectively, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $19,312/QALY. One-way sensitivity analysis indicated that findings were most sensitive to a parameter capturing PN survival benefit for local-stage patients. CE-acceptability curve showed the probability that the PN program was cost-effective was 0.80 and 0.91 at a societal willingness-to-pay of $50,000 and $100,000/QALY, respectively. Instituting a capitated PN program is cost-effective for lung cancer patients in Medicare. Future research should evaluate whether the same conclusion holds in other cancers. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

42 CFR 460.90 - PACE benefits under Medicare and Medicaid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PACE Services § 460.90 PACE benefits under Medicare and Medicaid. If a Medicare...

77 FR 29648 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-January Through March 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-18

... (Destination Therapy) Facilities. XIII Medicare-Approved Lung Volume Reduction Surgery JoAnna Baldwin, MS (410) 786-7205 Facilities. XIV Medicare-Approved Bariatric Surgery Facilities........ Kate Tillman, RN, MAS...

Paying for the Medicare program.

PubMed

Munnell, A H

1985-01-01

Although the hospital insurance (HI) trust fund acted as a source of strength for the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program during its recent financial crises, projections by HCFA and CBO reveal that the Medicare program will experience financing problems of its own within the next decade. No one would argue that Medicare's financing problems should be solved simply by raising more money. However, the prospect of insolvency in the HI trust fund and the increasing strain on general revenues from the Supplementary Medical Insurance trust fund require policymakers to survey the options for increasing Medicare revenues while cost-control devices are being developed. Indeed, even if cost-control efforts are completely successful, additional revenues may be needed in the future to finance new initiatives in the Medicare program. Therefore, this paper will look briefly at current efforts to regain control of soaring hospital and physician costs and then examine some of the more feasible options for increasing Medicare revenues.

77 FR 53257 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-31

... Electronic Device (CIED) Procedures c. New Candidate HAC Condition: Iatrogenic Pneumothorax With Venous Catheterization 6. RTI Program Evaluation Summary a. RTI Analysis of FY 2011 POA Indicator Reporting Across.... Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program 1. Background a. History of Measures Adopted for the...

75 FR 81138 - Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

... [CMS-1510-CN2] RIN 0938-AP88 Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in Certification Requirements for Home Health Agencies and Hospices AGENCY... ``Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in...

78 FR 39730 - Medicare Program; Notification of Closure of Teaching Hospitals and Opportunity To Apply for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

..., Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare-- Supplementary Medical Insurance Program.... SUMMARY: This document corrects a typographical error that appeared in the notice published in the Federal... typographical error that is identified and corrected in the Correction of Errors section below. II. Summary of...

The Spillover Effects of Medicare Managed Care: Medicare Advantage and Hospital Utilization

PubMed Central

Baicker, Katherine; Chernew, Michael; Robbins, Jacob

2013-01-01

More than a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, which was created in large part to improve the efficiency of health care delivery by promoting competition among private managed care plans. This paper explores the spillover effects of the Medicare Advantage program on the traditional Medicare program and other patients, taking advantage of changes in Medicare Advantage payment policy to isolate exogenous increases in Medicare Advantage enrollment and trace out the effects of greater managed care penetration on hospital utilization and spending throughout the health care system. We find that when more seniors enroll in Medicare managed care, hospital costs decline for all seniors and for commercially insured younger populations. Greater managed care penetration is not associated with fewer hospitalizations, but is associated with lower costs and shorter stays per hospitalization. These spillovers are substantial – offsetting more than 10% of increased payments to Medicare Advantage plans. PMID:24308880

Public financing of the Medicare program will make its uniform structure increasingly costly to sustain.

PubMed

Baicker, Katherine; Shepard, Mark; Skinner, Jonathan

2013-05-01

The US Medicare program consumes an ever-rising share of the federal budget. Although this public spending can produce health and social benefits, raising taxes to finance it comes at the cost of slower economic growth. In this article we describe a model incorporating the benefits of public programs and the cost of tax financing. The model implies that the "one-size-fits-all" Medicare program, with everyone covered by the same insurance policy, will be increasingly difficult to sustain. We show that a Medicare program with guaranteed basic benefits and the option to purchase additional coverage could lead to more unequal health spending but slower growth in taxation, greater overall well-being, and more rapid growth of gross domestic product. Our framework highlights the key trade-offs between Medicare spending and economic prosperity.

77 FR 67368 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-July through September 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-09

...) Facilities. XIII Medicare-Approved Lung JoAnna Baldwin, MS. (410) 786-7205 Volume Reduction Surgery Facilities. XIV Medicare-Approved Bariatric Kate Tillman, RN, (410) 786-9252 Surgery Facilities. MAS. XV...

42 CFR 422.501 - Application requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.501 Application requirements. (a) Scope. This section sets forth application... offer health insurance or health benefits coverage that meets State-specified standards applicable to MA...

Investing in big ideas: utilisation and cost of Medicare Allied Health services in Australia under the Chronic Disease Management initiative in primary care.

PubMed

Cant, Robyn P; Foster, Michele M

2011-11-01

To critically examine utilisation of the 13 allied health services provided through Medicare Chronic Disease Management program and related general practitioner (GP) care planning initiatives. Statistics generated from national billing data from July 2005 to June 2009 were extracted from Medicare data and compared by profession, State or Territory and population. Most services grew over 4 years although nationally consistent service levels were not found for any allied health provider profession. On referral from GPs, podiatry, physiotherapy and dietetics provided most services (82%) in 2008-09. Professions had unique patterns of referral instanced by age range and sex of clientele. Wide variation was apparent in per capita utilisation of allied health services by State or Territory; some with far less than average national use and others with high use. Annual number of GP Management Plans or Team Care Arrangements was low (mean: ≤22 per GP in 2008-09), indicating low use of care planning. Inequality of accessibility for patients was apparent. Five years into the program, a review of Medicare Allied Health CDM policy is warranted. Implications. Research and evaluation is needed to identify whether the program is meeting the needs of GPs, allied health providers and chronic disease patients.

42 CFR 423.505 - Contract provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Conducting evaluations of the overall Medicare program, including the interaction between prescription drug coverage under Part D of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act and the services and utilization under...

Sugar daddy. Most Americans know Medicare as the health insurance program for the elderly, but to providers, it's a jobs program, a capital financier and a safety net.

PubMed

Hallam, K; Gardner, J

1999-11-08

Most Americans know Medicare as the health insurance program that covers the elderly. But to providers it's much more that. The program pays for medical education, finances capital projects and subsidizes care for the indigent. Should Medicare continue making those add-on payments? Is that the program's mission? The debate is intensifying.

77 FR 25283 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Changes in Provider and Supplier Enrollment, Ordering and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-27

...This final rule finalizes several provisions of the Affordable Care Act implemented in the May 5, 2010 interim final rule with comment period. It requires all providers of medical or other items or services and suppliers that qualify for a National Provider Identifier (NPI) to include their NPI on all applications to enroll in the Medicare and Medicaid programs and on all claims for payment submitted under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In addition, it requires physicians and other professionals who are permitted to order and certify covered items and services for Medicare beneficiaries to be enrolled in Medicare. Finally, it mandates document retention and provision requirements on providers and supplier that order and certify items and services for Medicare beneficiaries.

42 CFR 422.2260 - Definitions concerning marketing materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Definitions concerning marketing materials. 422... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements § 422.2260 Definitions concerning marketing materials. As used in this subpart— Marketing...

Potential Implications of Recent and Proposed Changes in the Regulatory Oversight of Solid Organ Transplantation in the United States

PubMed Central

Kasiske, BL; Salkowski, N; Wey, A; Israni, AK; Snyder, JJ

2016-01-01

Every 6 months, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) publishes evaluations of every solid organ transplant program in the US, including evaluations of 1-year patient and graft survival. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Membership and Professional Standards Committee (MPSC) use SRTR’s 1-year evaluations for regulatory review of transplant programs. Concern has been growing that the regulatory scrutiny of transplant programs with lower than expected outcomes is harmful, causing programs to undertake fewer high-risk transplants and leading to unnecessary organ discards. As a result, CMS raised its threshold for a “Condition-Level Deficiency” designation of observed relative to expected 1-year graft or patient survival from 1.50 to 1.85. Exceeding this threshold in the current SRTR outcomes report and in one of the four previous reports leads to scrutiny that may result in loss of Medicare funding. For its part, OPTN is reviewing a proposal from the MPSC to also change its performance criteria thresholds for program review, to review programs with “substantive clinical differences.” We review the details and implications of these changes in transplant program oversight. PMID:27401597

Association of hospital participation in a quality reporting program with surgical outcomes and expenditures for Medicare beneficiaries.

PubMed

Osborne, Nicholas H; Nicholas, Lauren H; Ryan, Andrew M; Thumma, Jyothi R; Dimick, Justin B

2015-02-03

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) provides feedback to hospitals on risk-adjusted outcomes. It is not known if participation in the program improves outcomes and reduces costs relative to nonparticipating hospitals. To evaluate the association of enrollment and participation in the ACS NSQIP with outcomes and Medicare payments compared with control hospitals that did not participate in the program. Quasi-experimental study using national Medicare data (2003-2012) for a total of 1,226,479 patients undergoing general and vascular surgery at 263 hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP and 526 nonparticipating hospitals. A difference-in-differences analytic approach was used to evaluate whether participation in ACS NSQIP was associated with improved outcomes and reduced Medicare payments compared with nonparticipating hospitals that were otherwise similar. Control hospitals were selected using propensity score matching (2 control hospitals for each ACS NSQIP hospital). Thirty-day mortality, serious complications (eg, pneumonia, myocardial infarction, or acute renal failure and a length of stay >75th percentile), reoperation, and readmission within 30 days. Hospital costs were assessed using price-standardized Medicare payments during hospitalization and 30 days after discharge. After accounting for patient factors and preexisting time trends toward improved outcomes, there were no statistically significant improvements in outcomes at 1, 2, or 3 years after (vs before) enrollment in ACS NSQIP. For example, in analyses comparing outcomes at 3 years after (vs before) enrollment, there were no statistically significant differences in risk-adjusted 30-day mortality (4.3% after enrollment vs 4.5% before enrollment; relative risk [RR], 0.96 [95% CI, 0.89 to 1.03]), serious complications (11.1% after enrollment vs 11.0% before enrollment; RR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.91 to 1.00]), reoperations (0.49% after enrollment vs 0.45% before enrollment; RR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.77 to 1.16]), or readmissions (13.3% after enrollment vs 12.8% before enrollment; RR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.96 to 1.03]). There were also no differences at 3 years after (vs before) enrollment in mean total Medicare payments ($40 [95% CI, -$268 to $348]), or payments for the index admission (-$11 [95% CI, -$278 to $257]), hospital readmission ($245 [95% CI, -$231 to $721]), or outliers (-$86 [95% CI, -$1666 to $1495]). With time, hospitals had progressively better surgical outcomes but enrollment in a national quality reporting program was not associated with the improved outcomes or lower Medicare payments among surgical patients. Feedback on outcomes alone may not be sufficient to improve surgical outcomes.

78 FR 41013 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for CY 2014...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-09

... [CMS-1450-CN] RIN 0938-AR52 Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for CY 2014, Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements, and Cost Allocation of Home Health Survey... period titled ``Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for CY...

Patient selection and volume in the era surrounding implementation of Medicare conditions of participation for transplant programs.

PubMed

White, Sarah L; Zinsser, Dawn M; Paul, Matthew; Levine, Gregory N; Shearon, Tempie; Ashby, Valarie B; Magee, John C; Li, Yi; Leichtman, Alan B

2015-04-01

To evaluate evidence of practice changes affecting kidney transplant program volumes, and donor, recipient and candidate selection in the era surrounding the introduction of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) conditions of participation (CoPs) for organ transplant programs. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients; CMS ESRD and Medicare claims databases. Retrospective analysis of national registry data. A Cox proportional hazards model of 1-year graft survival was used to derive risks associated with deceased-donor kidney transplants performed from 2001 to 2010. Among programs with ongoing noncompliance with the CoPs, kidney transplant volumes declined by 38 percent (n = 766) from 2006 to 2011, including a 55 percent drop in expanded criteria donor transplants. Volume increased by 6 percent (n = 638) among programs remaining in compliance. Aggregate risk of 1-year graft failure increased over time due to increasing recipient age and obesity, and longer ESRD duration. Although trends in aggregate risk of 1-year kidney graft loss do not indicate that the introduction of the CoPs has systematically reduced opportunities for marginal candidates or that there has been a systematic shift away from utilization of higher risk deceased donor kidneys, total volume and expanded criteria donor utilization decreased overall among programs with ongoing noncompliance. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

76 FR 21431 - Medicare Program; Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-15

...This final rule makes revisions to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) and Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D) to implement provisions specified in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act) (ACA) and make other changes to the regulations based on our experience in the administration of the Part C and Part D programs. These latter revisions clarify various program participation requirements; make changes to strengthen beneficiary protections; strengthen our ability to identify strong applicants for Part C and Part D program participation and remove consistently poor performers; and make other clarifications and technical changes.

Public Financing Of The Medicare Program Will Make Its Uniform Structure Increasingly Costly To Sustain

PubMed Central

Baicker, Katherine; Shepard, Mark; Skinner, Jonathan

2013-01-01

The US Medicare program consumes an ever-rising share of the federal budget. Although this public spending can produce health and social benefits, raising taxes to finance it comes at the cost of slower economic growth. In this article we describe a model incorporating the benefits of public programs and the cost of tax financing. The model implies that the “one-size-fits-all” Medicare program, with everyone covered by the same insurance policy, will be increasingly difficult to sustain. We show that a Medicare program with guaranteed basic benefits and the option to purchase additional coverage could lead to more unequal health spending but slower growth in taxation, greater overall well-being, and more rapid growth of gross domestic product. Our framework highlights the key trade-offs between Medicare spending and economic prosperity. PMID:23650321

42 CFR 422.1062 - Dismissal for cause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dismissal for cause. 422.1062 Section 422.1062 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 422.1062 - Dismissal for cause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dismissal for cause. 422.1062 Section 422.1062 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 422.1062 - Dismissal for cause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dismissal for cause. 422.1062 Section 422.1062 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 422.102 - Supplemental benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Supplemental benefits. 422.102 Section 422.102 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Benefits and Beneficiary Protections § 422.102...

42 CFR 423.508 - Modification or termination of contract by mutual consent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Prohibition against Part D program participation by organizations whose owners, directors, or management employees served in a similar capacity with another organization that mutually terminated its Medicare... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT...

42 CFR 423.508 - Modification or termination of contract by mutual consent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Prohibition against Part D program participation by organizations whose owners, directors, or management employees served in a similar capacity with another organization that mutually terminated its Medicare... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG...

42 CFR 423.508 - Modification or termination of contract by mutual consent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Prohibition against Part D program participation by organizations whose owners, directors, or management employees served in a similar capacity with another organization that mutually terminated its Medicare... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG...

42 CFR 423.508 - Modification or termination of contract by mutual consent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Prohibition against Part D program participation by organizations whose owners, directors, or management employees served in a similar capacity with another organization that mutually terminated its Medicare... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG...

42 CFR 422.1002 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Definitions. 422.1002 Section 422.1002 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422.1002...

75 FR 44313 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-28

... care issues. Frank Szeflinski, (303) 844-7119, Medicare Advantage issues. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION... MCO Managed Care Organization MITA Medicaid Information Technology Architecture MMIS Medicaid... Payment Calculation for Eligible Hospitals c. Medicare Share d. Charity Care e. Transition Factor f...

42 CFR 422.500 - Scope and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Application Procedures and Contracts for Medicare Advantage Organizations § 422.500 Scope and definitions. (a) Scope. This subpart sets forth application... requirements of part 423 of this chapter specifically related to the prescription drug benefit. (b) Definitions...

42 CFR 422.2276 - Employer group retiree marketing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Employer group retiree marketing. 422.2276 Section... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements § 422.2276 Employer group retiree marketing. MA organizations may develop marketing materials designed...

42 CFR 422.2276 - Employer group retiree marketing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Employer group retiree marketing. 422.2276 Section... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements § 422.2276 Employer group retiree marketing. MA organizations may develop marketing materials...

42 CFR 422.2276 - Employer group retiree marketing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Employer group retiree marketing. 422.2276 Section... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements § 422.2276 Employer group retiree marketing. MA organizations may develop marketing materials...

42 CFR 422.2276 - Employer group retiree marketing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Employer group retiree marketing. 422.2276 Section... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements § 422.2276 Employer group retiree marketing. MA organizations may develop marketing materials...

Public Health Nutrition: The Accord of Dietitian Providers in Managing Medicare Chronic Care Outpatients in Australia

PubMed Central

Cant, Robyn P.

2010-01-01

Medicare Australia: Chronic Disease Management program subsidizes allied health consultations for eligible outpatients with chronic disease or complex needs. In an evaluation study, private practice dietitians (n = 9) were interviewed to explore their patient management strategies including consultation time-allocation and fees. Time allocation was fee-based. Short first consultations were seen as meeting patients’ needs for low-cost services but were regarded by dietitians as ineffective, however longer initial consultations increased cost to patients. No strategy in use was optimal. There is a need for change in Medicare policy to meet the needs of both dietitians and patients in achieving the behaviour change goals of patients. PMID:20617063

42 CFR 456.232 - Evaluation criteria for continued stay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Evaluation criteria for continued stay. 456.232 Section 456.232 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals...

42 CFR 422.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Appeal rights. 422.1006 Section 422.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422...

42 CFR 422.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Appeal rights. 422.1006 Section 422.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422.1006 Appeal...

42 CFR 422.1062 - Dismissal for cause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dismissal for cause. 422.1062 Section 422.1062 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422...

42 CFR 422.1062 - Dismissal for cause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dismissal for cause. 422.1062 Section 422.1062 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422...

42 CFR 422.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Appeal rights. 422.1006 Section 422.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422...

42 CFR 422.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Appeal rights. 422.1006 Section 422.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422.1006 Appeal...

42 CFR 422.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Appeal rights. 422.1006 Section 422.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422...

42 CFR 422.1092 - Revision of reopened decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Revision of reopened decision. 422.1092 Section 422.1092 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money...

76 FR 48798 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Study of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-09

... Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Among Medicare's Extra Help Population Pilot Projects AGENCY... Participation Among Medicare's Extra Help Population Pilot Projects. DATES: Written comments must be received on... Efforts to Increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Among Medicare's Extra Help...

42 CFR 422.2274 - Broker and agent requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements § 422.2274... with a third party entity such as a Field Marketing Organization or similar type entity to sell its insurance products, or perform services (for example, training, customer service, or agent recruitment), the...

42 CFR 422.404 - State premium taxes prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

....404 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Organization Compliance With State Law and Preemption by Federal Law § 422.404 State premium taxes prohibited. (a) Basic rule. No premium tax, fee, or...

42 CFR 422.212 - Limitations on provider indemnification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Limitations on provider indemnification. 422.212 Section 422.212 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Relationships With Providers § 422.212...

Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2016 Rates; Revisions of Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers, Including Changes Related to the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; Extensions of the Medicare-Dependent, Small Rural Hospital Program and the Low-Volume Payment Adjustment for Hospitals. Final rule; interim final rule with comment period.

PubMed

2015-08-17

We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems for FY 2016. Some of these changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act), the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Reform(SGR) Act of 2013, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, and other legislation. We also are addressing the update of the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits for FY 2016.As an interim final rule with comment period, we are implementing the statutory extensions of the Medicare dependent,small rural hospital (MDH)Program and changes to the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals under the IPPS.We also are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for FY 2016 and implementing certain statutory changes to the LTCH PPS under the Affordable Care Act and the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Reform Act of 2013 and the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014.In addition, we are establishing new requirements or revising existing requirements for quality reporting by specific providers (acute care hospitals,PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, and LTCHs) that are participating in Medicare, including related provisions for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR)Incentive Program. We also are updating policies relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program.

Medicare program; clarification of Medicare's accrual basis of accounting policy--HCFA. Final rule.

PubMed

1995-06-27

This final rule revises the Medicare regulations to clarify the concept of "accrual basis of accounting" to indicate that expenses must be incurred by a provider of health care services before Medicare will pay its share of those expenses. This rule does not signify a change in policy but, rather, incorporates into the regulations Medicare's longstanding policy regarding the circumstances under which we recognize, for the purposes of program payment, a provider's claim for costs for which it has not actually expended funds during the current cost reporting period.

The spillover effects of Medicare managed care: Medicare Advantage and hospital utilization.

PubMed

Baicker, Katherine; Chernew, Michael E; Robbins, Jacob A

2013-12-01

More than a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, which was created in large part to improve the efficiency of health care delivery by promoting competition among private managed care plans. This paper explores the spillover effects of the Medicare Advantage program on the traditional Medicare program and other patients, taking advantage of changes in Medicare Advantage payment policy to isolate exogenous increases in Medicare Advantage enrollment and trace out the effects of greater managed care penetration on hospital utilization and spending throughout the health care system. We find that when more seniors enroll in Medicare managed care, hospital costs decline for all seniors and for commercially insured younger populations. Greater managed care penetration is not associated with fewer hospitalizations, but is associated with lower costs and shorter stays per hospitalization. These spillovers are substantial - offsetting more than 10% of increased payments to Medicare Advantage plans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What can the past of pay-for-performance tell us about the future of Value-Based Purchasing in Medicare?

PubMed

Ryan, Andrew M; Damberg, Cheryl L

2013-06-01

The Medicare program has implemented pay-for-performance (P4P), or Value-Based Purchasing, for inpatient care and for Medicare Advantage plans, and plans to implement a program for physicians in 2015. In this paper, we review evidence on the effectiveness of P4P and identify design criteria deemed to be best practice in P4P. We then assess the extent to which Medicare's existing and planned Value-Based Purchasing programs align with these best practices. Of the seven identified best practices in P4P program design, the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program is strongly aligned with two of the best practices, moderately aligned with three, weakly aligned with one, and has unclear alignment with one best practice. The Physician Value-Based Purchasing Modifier is strongly aligned with two of the best practices, moderately aligned with one, weakly aligned with three, and has unclear alignment with one of the best practices. The Medicare Advantage Quality Bonus Program is strongly aligned with four of the best practices, moderately aligned with two, and weakly aligned with one of the best practices. We identify enduring gaps in P4P literature as it relates to Medicare's plans for Value-Based Purchasing and discuss important issues in the future of these implementations in Medicare. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Political History of Medicare and Prescription Drug Coverage

PubMed Central

Oliver, Thomas R; Lee, Philip R; Lipton, Helene L

2004-01-01

This article examines the history of efforts to add prescription drug coverage to the Medicare program. It identifies several important patterns in policymaking over four decades. First, prescription drug coverage has usually been tied to the fate of broader proposals for Medicare reform. Second, action has been hampered by divided government, federal budget deficits, and ideological conflict between those seeking to expand the traditional Medicare program and those preferring a greater role for private health care companies. Third, the provisions of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 reflect earlier missed opportunities. Policymakers concluded from past episodes that participation in the new program should be voluntary, with Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers sharing the costs. They ignored lessons from past episodes, however, about the need to match expanded benefits with adequate mechanisms for cost containment. Based on several new circumstances in 2003, the article demonstrates why there was a historic opportunity to add a Medicare prescription drug benefit and identify challenges to implementing an effective policy. PMID:15225331

42 CFR 422.1092 - Revision of reopened decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Revision of reopened decision. 422.1092 Section 422.1092 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money Penalties § 422...

75 FR 78247 - Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting on Physician Quality Reporting System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-15

...] Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting on Physician Quality Reporting System AGENCY: Centers for Medicare... to discuss the Physician Quality Reporting System (previously known as the Physician Quality... stakeholders on the individual quality measures and measures groups being considered for possible inclusion in...

42 CFR 417.404 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS Qualifying Conditions for Medicare Contracts § 417.404 General requirements. (a) In order to contract with CMS under the Medicare program, an entity must— (1) Be determined by CMS to be an HMO or CMP...

42 CFR 422.2262 - Review and distribution of marketing materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Review and distribution of marketing materials. 422... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Medicare Advantage Marketing Requirements § 422.2262 Review and distribution of marketing materials. (a) CMS review of marketing materials...

42 CFR 422.402 - Federal preemption of State law.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Federal preemption of State law. 422.402 Section 422.402 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Organization Compliance With State Law and...

42 CFR 422.200 - Basis and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Basis and scope. 422.200 Section 422.200 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Relationships With Providers § 422.200 Basis and scope. This...

42 CFR 422.118 - Confidentiality and accuracy of enrollee records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Confidentiality and accuracy of enrollee records. 422.118 Section 422.118 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Benefits and Beneficiary...

42 CFR 422.210 - Assurances to CMS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Assurances to CMS. 422.210 Section 422.210 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Relationships With Providers § 422.210 Assurances to CMS. (a...

Trends in Medicare Part D Medication Therapy Management Eligibility Criteria

PubMed Central

Wang, Junling; Shih, Ya-Chen Tina; Qin, Yolanda; Young, Theo; Thomas, Zachary; Spivey, Christina A.; Solomon, David K.; Chisholm-Burns, Marie

2015-01-01

Background To increase the enrollment rate of medication therapy management (MTM) programs in Medicare Part D plans, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lowered the allowable eligibility thresholds based on the number of chronic diseases and Part D drugs for Medicare Part D plans for 2010 and after. However, an increase in MTM enrollment rates has not been realized. Objectives To describe trends in MTM eligibility thresholds used by Medicare Part D plans and to identify patterns that may hinder enrollment in MTM programs. Methods This study analyzed data extracted from the Medicare Part D MTM Programs Fact Sheets (2008–2014). The annual percentages of utilizing each threshold value of the number of chronic diseases and Part D drugs, as well as other aspects of MTM enrollment practices, were analyzed among Medicare MTM programs that were established by Medicare Part D plans. Results For 2010 and after, increased proportions of Medicare Part D plans set their eligibility thresholds at the maximum numbers allowable. For example, in 2008, 48.7% of Medicare Part D plans (N = 347:712) opened MTM enrollment to Medicare beneficiaries with only 2 chronic disease states (specific diseases varied between plans), whereas the other half restricted enrollment to patients with a minimum of 3 to 5 chronic disease states. After 2010, only approximately 20% of plans opened their MTM enrollment to patients with 2 chronic disease states, with the remaining 80% restricting enrollment to patients with 3 or more chronic diseases. Conclusion The policy change by CMS for 2010 and after is associated with increased proportions of plans setting their MTM eligibility thresholds at the maximum numbers allowable. Changes to the eligibility thresholds by Medicare Part D plans might have acted as a barrier for increased MTM enrollment. Thus, CMS may need to identify alternative strategies to increase MTM enrollment in Medicare plans. PMID:26380030

Plan selection in Medicare Part D: Evidence from administrative data

PubMed Central

Heiss, Florian; Leive, Adam; McFadden, Daniel; Winter, Joachim

2014-01-01

We study the Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance program as a bellwether for designs of private, non-mandatory health insurance markets, focusing on the ability of consumers to evaluate and optimize their choices of plans. Our analysis of administrative data on medical claims in Medicare Part D suggests that fewer than 25 percent of individuals enroll in plans that are ex ante as good as the least cost plan specified by the Plan Finder tool made available to seniors by the Medicare administration, and that consumers on average have expected excess spending of about $300 per year, or about 15 percent of expected total out-of-pocket cost for drugs and Part D insurance. These numbers are hard to reconcile with decision costs alone; it appears that unless a sizeable fraction of consumers place large values on plan features other than cost, they are not optimizing effectively. PMID:24308882

42 CFR 456.22 - Sample basis evaluation of services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 456.22 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: All Medicaid Services § 456... available services and facilities the Medicaid agency must have procedures for the on-going evaluation, on a...

42 CFR 403.314 - Evaluation of State systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Evaluation of State systems. 403.314 Section 403.314 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS Recognition of State Reimbursement Control Systems § 403...

42 CFR 456.243 - Content of medical care evaluation studies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Content of medical care evaluation studies. 456.243 Section 456.243 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals...

42 CFR 422.1094 - Notice and effect of revised decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Notice and effect of revised decision. 422.1094 Section 422.1094 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil...

42 CFR 422.1094 - Notice and effect of revised decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Notice and effect of revised decision. 422.1094 Section 422.1094 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 422.1018 - Notice and effect of initial determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Notice and effect of initial determinations. 422.1018 Section 422.1018 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 422.1094 - Notice and effect of revised decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Notice and effect of revised decision. 422.1094 Section 422.1094 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil...

42 CFR 422.1094 - Notice and effect of revised decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice and effect of revised decision. 422.1094 Section 422.1094 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 422.1018 - Notice and effect of initial determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice and effect of initial determinations. 422.1018 Section 422.1018 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 422.1094 - Notice and effect of revised decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Notice and effect of revised decision. 422.1094 Section 422.1094 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Appeal procedures for Civil...

78 FR 42778 - Medicare Program; Comprehensive ESRD Care Initiative; Extension of the Submission Deadlines for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-17

... ESRD Care Model would result in improved health outcomes for beneficiaries with ESRD regarding the... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-5506-N2] Medicare Program; Comprehensive ESRD Care Initiative; Extension of the Submission Deadlines for the Letters...

77 FR 38066 - Medicare Program; Announcement of a New Opportunity for Participation in the Advance Payment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-26

... achieving better health for populations, better health care for individuals, and lower growth in expenditures through continuous improvement for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-5505-N3...

42 CFR 422.308 - Adjustments to capitation rates, benchmarks, bids, and payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Adjustments to capitation rates, benchmarks, bids, and payments. 422.308 Section 422.308 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM...

42 CFR 422.308 - Adjustments to capitation rates, benchmarks, bids, and payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Adjustments to capitation rates, benchmarks, bids, and payments. 422.308 Section 422.308 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Payments to...

42 CFR 422.308 - Adjustments to capitation rates, benchmarks, bids, and payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Adjustments to capitation rates, benchmarks, bids, and payments. 422.308 Section 422.308 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM...

42 CFR 422.308 - Adjustments to capitation rates, benchmarks, bids, and payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Adjustments to capitation rates, benchmarks, bids, and payments. 422.308 Section 422.308 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM...

42 CFR 422.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Definitions. 422.2 Section 422.2 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM General Provisions § 422.2 Definitions. As used in this part— Arrangement means a written agreement...

42 CFR 422.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Definitions. 422.2 Section 422.2 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM General Provisions § 422.2 Definitions. As used in this part— Arrangement means a written agreement...

42 CFR 422.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Definitions. 422.2 Section 422.2 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM General Provisions § 422.2 Definitions. As used in this part— Arrangement means a written agreement...

75 FR 43531 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application by Det Norske Veritas Healthcare for Deeming...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-26

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-2336-PN] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application by Det Norske Veritas Healthcare for Deeming Authority for... application from Det Norske Veritas Healthcare (DNVHC) for recognition as a national accrediting organization...

77 FR 17070 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application From Det Norske Veritas Healthcare (DNVHC) for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-23

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-3258-PN] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application From Det Norske Veritas Healthcare (DNVHC) for Continued... application from Det Norske Veritas Healthcare (DNVHC) for continued recognition as a national accrediting...

75 FR 30043 - Medicare Program; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-28

... [Medicare Advantage] in order to promote an active, informed selection among such options.'' The Panel is... Program; Yanira Cruz, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Hispanic Council on Aging... Health; Sandy Markwood, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging; David W...

42 CFR 422.220 - Exclusion of services furnished under a private contract.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Exclusion of services furnished under a private contract. 422.220 Section 422.220 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Relationships With...

42 CFR 422.214 - Special rules for services furnished by noncontract providers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Special rules for services furnished by noncontract providers. 422.214 Section 422.214 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Relationships With...

75 FR 58203 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Additional Screening Requirements...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-23

...-service (FFS) program, we require that Medicare contractors review State licensing board data on a monthly... professional review actions and malpractice from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), accreditation... verify data submitted on, and as part of, the Medicare provider/supplier enrollment application, our...

42 CFR 411.108 - Taking into account entitlement to Medicare.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM EXCLUSIONS FROM MEDICARE AND LIMITATIONS ON MEDICARE PAYMENT Limitations... basis of ESRD, age, or disability (or eligible on the basis of ESRD) include, but are not limited to... Medicare on the basis of disability without denying or terminating coverage for similarly situated...

77 FR 11130 - Medicare Program; Application by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-3259-PN... Self-Management Training AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION: Proposed... comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and...

Value-Based Payment Reform and the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015: A Primer for Plastic Surgeons.

PubMed

Squitieri, Lee; Chung, Kevin C

2017-07-01

In 2015, the U.S. Congress passed the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which effectively repealed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sustainable growth rate formula and established the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Quality Payment Program. The Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act represents an unparalleled acceleration toward value-based payment models and a departure from traditional volume-driven fee-for-service reimbursement. The Quality Payment Program includes two paths for provider participation: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models. The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System pathway replaces existing quality reporting programs and adds several new measures to create a composite performance score for each provider (or provider group) that will be used to adjust reimbursed payment. The advanced alternative payment model pathway is available to providers who participate in qualifying Advanced Alternative Payment Models and is associated with an initial 5 percent payment incentive. The first performance period for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System opens January 1, 2017, and closes on December 31, 2017, and is associated with payment adjustments in January of 2019. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that the majority of providers will begin participation in 2017 through the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System pathway, but aims to have 50 percent of payments tied to quality or value through Advanced Alternative Payment Models by 2018. In this article, the authors describe key components of the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act to providers navigating through the Quality Payment Program and discuss how plastic surgeons may optimize their performance in this new value-based payment program.

Payment policy and the growth of Medicare Advantage.

PubMed

Zarabozo, Carlos; Harrison, Scott

2009-01-01

This paper reviews recent trends in Medicare Advantage, examining program costs, access to plans, enrollment, plan bids, and benchmarks. We find that current policy has favored the growth of particular types of plans. Bid data show that plans are paid, on average, 113 percent of what expenditures would have been under the traditional Medicare program. Although some of the plan payments are used to finance extra benefits for enrollees, paying plans at higher than fee-for-service levels could affect the sustainability of the Medicare program and result in increased costs for all taxpayers and beneficiaries.

Evaluation of the ESRD Managed Care Demonstration Operations

PubMed Central

Oppenheimer, Caitlin Carroll; Shapiro, Jennifer R.; Beronja, Nancy; Dykstra, Dawn M.; Gaylin, Daniel S.; Held, Philip J.; Rubin, Robert J.

2003-01-01

Individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD), most of whom are insured by Medicare, are generally prohibited from enrolling in Medicare managed care plans (MCPs). CMS offered ESRD patients the opportunity to participate in an ESRD managed care demonstration mandated by Congress. The demonstration tested whether managed care systems would be of interest to ESRD patients and whether these approaches would be operationally feasible and efficient for treating ESRD patients. This article examines the structure, implementation, and operational outcomes of the three demonstration sites, focusing on: the structure of these managed care programs for ESRD patients, requirements needed to attract and enroll patients, and the challenges of introducing managed care programs in the ESRD arena. PMID:14628397

The Impact of Hospital Pay-for-Performance on Hospital and Medicare Costs

PubMed Central

Kruse, Gregory B; Polsky, Daniel; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Werner, Rachel M

2012-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effects of Medicare's hospital pay-for-performance demonstration project on hospital revenues, costs, and margins and on Medicare costs. Data Sources/Study Setting All health care utilization for Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI; ICD-9-CM code 410.x1) in fiscal years 2002–2005 from Medicare claims, containing 420,211 admissions with AMI. Study Design We test for changes in hospital costs and revenues and Medicare payments among 260 hospitals participating in the Medicare hospital pay-for-performance demonstration project and a group of 780 propensity-score-matched comparison hospitals. Effects were estimated using a difference-in-difference model with hospital fixed effects, testing for changes in costs among pay-for-performance hospitals above and beyond changes in comparison hospitals. Principal Findings We found no significant effect of pay-for-performance on hospital financials (revenues, costs, and margins) or Medicare payments (index hospitalization and 1 year after admission) for AMI patients. Conclusions Pay-for-performance in the CMS hospital demonstration project had minimal impact on hospital financials and Medicare payments to providers. As P4P extends to all hospitals under the Affordable Care Act, these results provide some estimates of the impact of P4P and emphasize our need for a better understanding of the financial implications of P4P on providers and payers if we want to create sustainable and effective programs to improve health care value. PMID:23088391

The impact of hospital pay-for-performance on hospital and Medicare costs.

PubMed

Kruse, Gregory B; Polsky, Daniel; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Werner, Rachel M

2012-12-01

To evaluate the effects of Medicare's hospital pay-for-performance demonstration project on hospital revenues, costs, and margins and on Medicare costs. All health care utilization for Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI; ICD-9-CM code 410.x1) in fiscal years 2002-2005 from Medicare claims, containing 420,211 admissions with AMI. We test for changes in hospital costs and revenues and Medicare payments among 260 hospitals participating in the Medicare hospital pay-for-performance demonstration project and a group of 780 propensity-score-matched comparison hospitals. Effects were estimated using a difference-in-difference model with hospital fixed effects, testing for changes in costs among pay-for-performance hospitals above and beyond changes in comparison hospitals. We found no significant effect of pay-for-performance on hospital financials (revenues, costs, and margins) or Medicare payments (index hospitalization and 1 year after admission) for AMI patients. Pay-for-performance in the CMS hospital demonstration project had minimal impact on hospital financials and Medicare payments to providers. As P4P extends to all hospitals under the Affordable Care Act, these results provide some estimates of the impact of P4P and emphasize our need for a better understanding of the financial implications of P4P on providers and payers if we want to create sustainable and effective programs to improve health care value. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Medicare program; offset of Medicare payments to individuals to collect past-due obligations arising from breach of scholarship and loan contracts--HCFA. Final rule.

PubMed

1992-05-04

This final rule sets forth the procedures to be followed for collection of past-due amounts owed by individuals who breached contracts under certain scholarship and loan programs. The programs that would be affected are the National Health Service Corps Scholarship, the Physician Shortage Area Scholarship, and the Health Education Assistance Loan. These procedures would apply to those individuals who breached contracts under the scholarship and loan programs and who-- Accept Medicare assignment for services; Are employed by or affiliated with a provider, Health Maintenance Organization, or Competitive Medical Plan that receives Medicare payment for services; or Are members of a group practice that receives Medicare payment for services. This regulation implements section 1892 of the Social Security Act, as added by section 4052 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987.

Will Catholic hospitals survive without government reimbursements?

PubMed

Archer, David L

2017-02-01

This brief essay will begin to address the feasibility of operating a Catholic healthcare system without reimbursement from government healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. This question stems from the recent ACA/HHS "Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities" final rule. Summary : The average hospital in the United States receives 40-50 percent of its net revenues from governmental sources. Participation in Medicare is contingent upon the hospital having a Medicare provider agreement. Participation in other governmental programs (Medicaid) as well as most commercial insurance is also contingent upon that agreement. Hospitals, including "Catholic" hospitals, cannot survive without a Medicare provider agreement. That agreement may be terminated for non-compliance with Medicare and other governmental regulations such as the recent ACA/HHS "Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities" final rule, which could require "Catholic" hospitals to provide services which violate moral principals of the Church.

42 CFR 422.156 - Compliance deemed on the basis of accreditation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Quality Improvement § 422...) through (3) of this chapter for MA organizations that offer prescription drug benefit programs. (c...

Effect of medicare payment on rural health care systems.

PubMed

McBride, Timothy D; Mueller, Keith J

2002-01-01

Medicare payments constitute a significant share of patient-generated revenues for rural providers, more so than for urban providers. Therefore, Medicare payment policies influence the behavior of rural providers and determine their financial viability. Health services researchers need to contribute to the understanding of the implications of changes in fee-for-service payment policy, prospects for change because of the payment to Medicare+Choice risk plans, and implications for rural providers inherent in any restructuring of the Medicare program. This article outlines the basic policy choices, implications for rural providers and Medicare beneficiaries, impacts of existing research, and suggestions for further research. Topics for further research include implications of the Critical Access Hospital program, understanding how changes in payment to rural hospitals affect patient care, developing improved formulas for paying rural hospitals, determining the payment-to-cost ratio for physicians, measuring the impact of changes in the payment methodology used to pay for services delivered by rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers, accounting for the reasons for differences in historical Medicare expenditures across rural counties and between rural and urban counties, explicating all reasons for Medicare+Choice plans withdrawing from some rural areas and entering others, measuring the rural impact of proposals to add a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program, and measuring the impact of Medicare payment policies on rural economies.

Cost of schizophrenia in the Medicare program.

PubMed

Feldman, Rachel; Bailey, Robert A; Muller, James; Le, Jennifer; Dirani, Riad

2014-06-01

Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with non-schizoaffective schizophrenia (MBS) in a 5% national Medicare fee-for-service sample from 2003-2007 were followed for 1-6 years. Medicare population and cost estimates also were made from 2001-2009. Service utilization and Medicare (and beneficiary share) payments for all services except prescription drugs were analyzed. Although adults with schizophrenia make up approximately 1% of the US adult population, they represent about 1.5% of Medicare beneficiaries. MBSs are disproportionately male and minority compared to national data describing the overall schizophrenia population. They also are younger than the general Medicare population (GMB): males are 9 years younger than females on average, and most enter Medicare long before age 65 through eligibility for social security disability, remaining in the program until death. The cost of care for MBSs in 2009 was, on average, 80% higher than for the average GMB per patient year (2010 dollars), and more than 50% of these costs are attributable to a combination of psychiatric and medical hospitalizations, concentrated in about 30% of MBSs with 1 or more hospitalizations per year. From 2004-2009, total estimated Medicare fee-for-service payments for MBSs increased from $9.4 billion to $11.5 billion, excluding Part D prescription drugs and payments for services to MBSs in Medicare for less than 1 year. Study results characterize utilization and costs for other services and suggest opportunities for further study to inform policy to improve access and continuity of care and decrease costs to the Medicare program associated with this population.

Comparison of Medicaid Payments Relative to Medicare Using Inpatient Acute Care Claims from the Medicaid Program: Fiscal Year 2010-Fiscal Year 2011.

PubMed

Stone, Devin A; Dickensheets, Bridget A; Poisal, John A

2018-02-01

To compare Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) inpatient hospital payments to expected Medicare payments. Medicaid and Medicare claims data, Medicare's MS-DRG grouper and inpatient prospective payment system pricer (IPPS pricer). Medicaid FFS inpatient hospital claims were run through Medicare's MS-DRG grouper and IPPS pricer to compare Medicaid's actual payment against what Medicare would have paid for the same claim. Average inpatient hospital claim payments for Medicaid were 68.8 percent of what Medicare would have paid in fiscal year 2010, and 69.8 percent in fiscal year 2011. Including Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH), graduate medical education (GME), and supplemental payments reduces a substantial proportion of the gap between Medicaid and Medicare payments. Medicaid payments relative to expected Medicare payments tend to be lower and vary by state Medicaid program, length of stay, and whether payments made outside of the Medicaid claims process are included. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

42 CFR 456.181 - Reports of evaluations and plans of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reports of evaluations and plans of care. 456.181 Section 456.181 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Utilization Control: Mental Hospitals...

Using Medicare Data for Comparative Effectiveness Research – Opportunities and Challenges

PubMed Central

Fung, Vicki; Brand, Richard; Newhouse, Joseph; Hsu, John

2013-01-01

Background With the introduction of Part D drug benefits, Medicare collects information on diagnoses, treatments, and clinical events for millions of beneficiaries. These data are a promising resource for comparative effectiveness research (CER) on treatments, benefit designs, and delivery systems. Objectives We explore the data available for researchers and approaches that could be used to enhance the value of Medicare data for CER. Challenges and Opportunities Using currently available Medicare data for CER is challenging; as with all administrative data, it is not possible to capture every factor that contributes to prescribing decisions and patients are not randomly assigned to treatments. In addition, Part D plan selection and switching may influence treatment decisions and contribute to selection bias. Exploiting certain program aspects can help address these limitations. For example, ongoing changes in Medicare or plan policies, and the random assignment of beneficiaries who receive Part D low income subsidies into plans with different formularies could yield natural experiments. Policy implications Refining policies around time to data release, provision of additional data elements, and linkage with greater beneficiary-level information would improve the value and usability of these data. Improving the transparency and reproduceability of findings, and potential open access to qualified stakeholders are also important policy considerations. Work is needed to reconcile data needs with current policies and goals. Conclusions Medicare data provides a rich resource for CER. Leveraging existing program elements combined with some administrative changes in data availability could create large datasets for evaluating treatment patterns, spending, and coverage decisions. PMID:21819169

2 CFR 376.370 - What are the obligations of Medicare carriers and intermediaries?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... responsibilities on behalf of the Medicare program (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act), these entities assume the same obligations and responsibilities as the HHS Medicare officials responsible for the Medicare... Responsibilities of Participants Regarding Transactions § 376.370 What are the obligations of Medicare carriers and...

76 FR 78281 - Medicare Program; First Semi-Annual Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-16

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-1586-N] Medicare Program; First Semi-Annual Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment (HOP--Formerly Known as the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups--APC Panel)--February 27...

75 FR 14905 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-October Through December 2009

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-26

... stent facilities. Included in this notice is a list of the American College of Cardiology's National... 21244-1850, or you can call (410) 786-6962. Questions concerning Medicare-approved carotid stent... 20 of the CFR. Addendum VIII includes listings of Medicare-approved carotid stent facilities. All...

75 FR 58789 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-April Through June 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-24

...- approved carotid stent facilities. Included in this notice is a list of the American College of Cardiology... 21244-1850, or you can call (410) 786-6962. Questions concerning Medicare-approved carotid stent... listings of Medicare-approved carotid stent facilities. All facilities listed meet CMS standards for...

78 FR 48688 - Medicare Program; Comprehensive ESRD Care Initiative; Extension of the Submission Deadlines for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-09

... quality of care for this population, while lowering total per-capita expenditures under the Medicare program. We anticipate that the Comprehensive ESRD Care Model would result in improved health outcomes for... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-5506-N3...

42 CFR 425.204 - Content of the application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Content of the application. 425.204 Section 425.204 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE SHARED SAVINGS PROGRAM Application Procedures and Participation Agreement § 425.204 Content of the...

42 CFR 422.105 - Special rules for self-referral and point of service option.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Special rules for self-referral and point of service option. 422.105 Section 422.105 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Benefits and...

75 FR 39641 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Civil Money Penalties for Nursing Homes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-12

... Medicare and Medicaid Services 42 CFR Part 488 [CMS-2435-P] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Civil Money... regarding the imposition and collection of civil money penalties by CMS when nursing homes are not in... address facility noncompliance are civil money penalties. Authorized by sections 1819(h) and 1919(h) of...

42 CFR 422.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Definitions. 422.2 Section 422.2 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM General Provisions § 422.2 Definitions. As used in this part— Arrangement means a written agreement between an MA...

75 FR 3742 - Medicare Program; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education; Cancellation of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-22

... * * * on the coverage options provided under [Medicare Advantage] in order to promote an active, informed..., National Hispanic Council on Aging; Stephen L. Fera, Vice President, Social Mission Programs, Independence Blue Cross; Clayton Fong, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging...

The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: A Model for Competition in Rural America?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Keith J.; McBride, Timothy D.; Andrews, Courtney; Fraser, Roslyn; Xu, Liyan

2005-01-01

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) created the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, which promotes the entry of private Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans into regions that have not previously had Medicare managed care plans. The assumption that a competitive environment will develop is based on…

42 CFR 422.158 - Procedures for approval of accreditation as a basis for deeming compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Procedures for approval of accreditation as a basis for deeming compliance. 422.158 Section 422.158 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Quality...

42 CFR 413.87 - Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied health education programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... NURSING FACILITIES Specific Categories of Costs § 413.87 Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... reimbursement for approved nursing and allied health education programs and the methodology for determining the...

42 CFR 413.87 - Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied health education programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... NURSING FACILITIES Specific Categories of Costs § 413.87 Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... reimbursement for approved nursing and allied health education programs and the methodology for determining the...

42 CFR 413.87 - Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied health education programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... NURSING FACILITIES Specific Categories of Costs § 413.87 Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... reimbursement for approved nursing and allied health education programs and the methodology for determining the...

42 CFR 413.87 - Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied health education programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... NURSING FACILITIES Specific Categories of Costs § 413.87 Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... reimbursement for approved nursing and allied health education programs and the methodology for determining the...

42 CFR 413.87 - Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied health education programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... NURSING FACILITIES Specific Categories of Costs § 413.87 Payments for Medicare+Choice nursing and allied... reimbursement for approved nursing and allied health education programs and the methodology for determining the...

Five Years of HHS Home Health Care Evaluations: Using Evaluation to Change National Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandon, Paul R.; Smith, Nick L.; Grob, George F.

2012-01-01

In 1997, American Evaluation Association member George Grob, now retired from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and currently President of the Center for Public Program Evaluation, made a testimony on Medicare home health care fraud and abuse before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. The occasion was to announce the…

Primary care quality in the Medicare Program: comparing the performance of Medicare health maintenance organizations and traditional fee-for-service medicare.

PubMed

Safran, Dana Gelb; Wilson, Ira B; Rogers, William H; Montgomery, Jana E; Chang, Hong

2002-04-08

Since 1972, Medicare beneficiaries have had the option of enrolling in a Medicare-qualified health maintenance organization (HMO). Little information exists to inform beneficiaries' choices between the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare program and an HMO. To compare the primary care received by seniors in Medicare HMOs with that of seniors in the traditional FFS Medicare program, and among HMOs, and to examine performance differences associated with HMO model-type and profit status. Data were derived from a cross-sectional observational survey of Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older in the 13 states with mature, substantial Medicare HMO markets. Only beneficiaries continuously enrolled for 12 months or more in traditional FFS Medicare or a qualified Medicare HMO were eligible. Data were obtained using a 5-stage protocol involving mail and telephone (64% response rate). Analyses included respondents who identified a primary physician and had all required data elements (N = 8828). We compared FFS and HMO performance on 11 summary scales measuring 7 defining characteristics of primary care: (1) access, (2) continuity, (3) integration, (4) comprehensiveness, (5) "whole-person" orientation, (6) clinical interaction, and (7) sustained clinician-patient partnership. For 9 of 11 indicators, performance favored traditional FFS Medicare over HMOs (P<.001). Financial access favored HMOs (P<.001). Preventive counseling did not differ by system. Network-model HMOs performed more favorably than staff/group-model HMOs on 9 of 11 indicators (P<.001). Few differences were associated with HMO profit status. The findings are consistent with previous comparisons of indemnity insurance and network-model and staff/group-model HMOs in elderly and nonelderly populations. The stability of results across time, geography, and populations suggests that the relative strengths and weaknesses of each system are enduring attributes of their care. Medicare enrollees seem to face the perennial cost-quality trade-off: that is, deciding whether the advantages of primary care under traditional FFS Medicare are worth the higher out-of-pocket costs.

Contrary To Popular Belief, Medicaid Hospital Admissions Are Often Profitable Because Of Additional Medicare Payments.

PubMed

Stensland, Jeffrey; Gaumer, Zachary R; Miller, Mark E

2016-12-01

It is generally believed that most hospitals lose money on Medicaid admissions. The data suggest otherwise. Medicaid admissions are often profitable for hospitals because of payments from both the Medicaid program and the Medicare program, including payments for uncompensated care and from the Medicare disproportionate-share hospital program. On average, adding a single Medicaid patient day in fiscal year 2017 will increase most hospitals' Medicare payments by more than $300. When added to Medicaid payments, these payments often cause Medicaid patients to be profitable for hospitals. In contrast, adding a single charity care day in the same year will decrease overall Medicare payments by about $20 on average. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced a proposal to shift some Medicare payments from supporting hospitals' costs for Medicaid patients to directly supporting their costs for uncompensated care. If that proposal is adopted, hospitals' profits on Medicaid patients would decrease, but their losses on care for the uninsured would be reduced. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

42 CFR 417.454 - Charges to Medicare enrollees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS Enrollment, Entitlement, and Disenrollment under Medicare Contract § 417.454 Charges to... of the contract period, all premiums, enrollment fees, and other charges collected from its Medicare...

75 FR 24437 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Changes in Provider and Supplier Enrollment, Ordering and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-05

... furnished to Medicare beneficiaries). A dentist furnishes many services that are not covered by Medicare and, as a result, most dentists are not enrolled in Medicare. However, a dentist may order services for...

75 FR 70925 - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; Medicare Program; Meeting of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-19

... estimation involving economics and actuarial science. Panelists are not restricted, however, in the topics... actuarial and economic assumptions and methods by which Trustees might more accurately measure health...

76 FR 558 - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; Medicare Program; Meeting of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-05

... technical aspects of estimation involving economics and actuarial science. Panelists are not restricted... actuarial and economic assumptions and methods by which Trustees might more accurately measure health...

76 FR 65195 - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; Medicare Program; Meeting of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-20

... estimation involving economics and actuarial science. Panelists are not restricted, however, in the topics... actuarial and economic assumptions and methods by which Trustees might more accurately project health...

Applying Resource Based Relative Value Scales (RBRVS) to the Champus Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

fee for the related service .[Ref. 6:p. 7] F. EFFECTS OF RBRVS When a Medicare fee schedule is fully implemented, several Important...reimbursement rates increase would be attracted to CHAMPUS. In analyzing the impact of a resource based fee schedule on the Medicare program, the PPRC...procedures performed by physicians into components of work, training costs, and practice costs. The Medicare program is planning to implement a fee

42 CFR 423.159 - Electronic prescription drug program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Electronic prescription drug program. 423.159... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality Improvement Requirements § 423.159 Electronic prescription drug program. (a) Definitions...

42 CFR 423.159 - Electronic prescription drug program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Electronic prescription drug program. 423.159... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality Improvement Requirements § 423.159 Electronic prescription drug program. (a) Definitions...

42 CFR 423.159 - Electronic prescription drug program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Electronic prescription drug program. 423.159... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality Improvement Requirements § 423.159 Electronic prescription drug program. (a) Definitions...

PACE and the Medicare+Choice risk-adjusted payment model.

PubMed

Temkin-Greener, H; Meiners, M R; Gruenberg, L

2001-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of the Medicare principal inpatient diagnostic cost group (PIP-DCG) payment model on the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Currently, more than 6,000 Medicare beneficiaries who are nursing home certifiable receive care from PACE, a program poised for expansion under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Overall, our analysis suggests that the application of the PIP-DCG model to the PACE program would reduce Medicare payments to PACE, on average, by 38%. The PIP-DCG payment model bases its risk adjustment on inpatient diagnoses and does not capture adequately the risk of caring for a population with functional impairments.

42 CFR 417.452 - Liability of Medicare enrollees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS Enrollment, Entitlement, and Disenrollment under Medicare Contract § 417.452...

42 CFR 411.351 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM EXCLUSIONS FROM MEDICARE AND LIMITATIONS ON MEDICARE PAYMENT Financial Relationships Between Physicians and... and that is used exclusively by the group practice. Space in a building or a mobile vehicle, van, or...

Medicare overpayments to private plans, 1985-2012: shifting seniors to private plans has already cost Medicare US$282.6 billion.

PubMed

Hellander, Ida; Himmelstein, David U; Woolhandler, Steffie

2013-01-01

Previous research has documented Medicare overpayments to the private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that compete with traditional fee-for-service Medicare. This research has assessed individual categories of overpayment for, at most, a few years. However, no study has calculated the total overpayments to private plans since the program's inception. Prior to 2004, selective enrollment of healthier seniors was the major source of excess payments. We estimate this has added US$41 billion to Medicare's costs since 1985. Medicare adopted a risk-adjustment scheme in 2004, but this has not curbed private plans' ability to game the payment system. This has added US$122.5 billion to Medicare's costs since 2004. Congress mandated increased payment to private plans in the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, which was mitigated, to a degree, by the subsequent Affordable Care Act. In total, we find that Medicare has overpaid private insurers by US$282.6 billion since 1985. Risk adjustment does not work in for-profit MA plans, which have a financial incentive, the data, and the ingenuity to game whatever system Medicare devises. It is time to end Medicare's costly experiment with privatization. The U.S. needs to adopt a single-payer national health insurance program with effective methods for controlling costs.

42 CFR 405.809 - Opportunity to submit evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Opportunity to submit evidence. 405.809 Section 405.809 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE AGED AND DISABLED Appeals Under the Medicare Part B Program § 405.809 Opportunity to submit...

42 CFR 480.137 - Disclosure to Federal and State enforcement agencies responsible for the investigation or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... agencies responsible for the investigation or identification of fraud or abuse of the Medicare or Medicaid programs. 480.137 Section 480.137 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF... Medicare or Medicaid programs. (a) Required disclosure. Except as specified in §§ 480.139(a) and 480.140...

42 CFR 423.156 - Consumer satisfaction surveys.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and... Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey vendors to conduct the Medicare CAHPS satisfaction survey of...

Making Medicare Advantage a Middle-Class Program

PubMed Central

Glazer, Jacob; McGuire, Thomas

2013-01-01

This paper studies the role of Medicare's premium policy in sorting beneficiaries between traditional Medicare (TM) and managed care plans in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Beneficiaries vary in their demand for care. TM fully accommodates demand but creates a moral hazard inefficiency. MA rations care but disregards some elements of the demand. We describe an efficient assignment of beneficiaries to these two options, and argue that efficiency requires an MA program oriented to serve the large middle part of the distribution of demand: the “middle class.” Current Medicare policy of a “single premium” for MA plans cannot achieve efficient sorting. We characterize the demand-based premium policy that can implement the efficient assignment of enrollees to plans. If only a single premium is feasible, the second-best policy involves too many of the low-demand individuals in MA and a too low level of services relative to the first best. We identify approaches to using premium policy to revitalize MA and improve the efficiency of Medicare. PMID:23454916

Making Medicare advantage a middle-class program.

PubMed

Glazer, Jacob; McGuire, Thomas G

2013-03-01

This paper studies the role of Medicare's premium policy in sorting beneficiaries between traditional Medicare (TM) and managed care plans in the Medicare advantage (MA) program. Beneficiaries vary in their demand for care. TM fully accommodates demand but creates a moral hazard inefficiency. MA rations care but disregards some elements of the demand. We describe an efficient assignment of beneficiaries to these two options, and argue that efficiency requires an MA program oriented to serve the large middle part of the distribution of demand: the "middle class." Current Medicare policy of a "single premium" for MA plans cannot achieve efficient sorting. We characterize the demand-based premium policy that can implement the efficient assignment of enrollees to plans. If only a single premium is feasible, the second-best policy involves too many of the low-demand individuals in MA and a too low level of services relative to the first best. We identify approaches to using premium policy to revitalize MA and improve the efficiency of Medicare. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 422.152 - Quality improvement program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., quality of life indicators, depression scales, or chronic disease outcomes). (iii) Staff implementation of... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Quality improvement program. 422.152 Section 422... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Quality Improvement § 422.152 Quality improvement...

42 CFR 422.152 - Quality improvement program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., psychosocial, or clinical domains (for example, quality of life indicators, depression scales, or chronic... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quality improvement program. 422.152 Section 422... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Quality Improvement § 422.152 Quality improvement...

42 CFR 422.152 - Quality improvement program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., quality of life indicators, depression scales, or chronic disease outcomes). (iii) Staff implementation of... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quality improvement program. 422.152 Section 422... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Quality Improvement § 422.152 Quality...

42 CFR 422.152 - Quality improvement program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., quality of life indicators, depression scales, or chronic disease outcomes). (iii) Staff implementation of... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quality improvement program. 422.152 Section 422... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Quality Improvement § 422.152 Quality...

42 CFR 422.152 - Quality improvement program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., quality of life indicators, depression scales, or chronic disease outcomes). (iii) Staff implementation of... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quality improvement program. 422.152 Section 422... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Quality Improvement § 422.152 Quality...

42 CFR 423.159 - Electronic prescription drug program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Electronic prescription drug program. 423.159... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality Improvement Requirements § 423.159 Electronic prescription drug program. (a) Definitions. For purposes of this...

76 FR 60050 - Medicaid Program: Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-28

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicaid Program: Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid..., particularly given the complexity and vulnerability of the populations being served in MFP and the Congress...

Effects of care coordination on hospitalization, quality of care, and health care expenditures among Medicare beneficiaries: 15 randomized trials.

PubMed

Peikes, Deborah; Chen, Arnold; Schore, Jennifer; Brown, Randall

2009-02-11

Medicare expenditures of patients with chronic illnesses might be reduced through improvements in care, patient adherence, and communication. To determine whether care coordination programs reduced hospitalizations and Medicare expenditures and improved quality of care for chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries. Eligible fee-for-service Medicare patients (primarily with congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and diabetes) who volunteered to participate between April 2002 and June 2005 in 15 care coordination programs (each received a negotiated monthly fee per patient from Medicare) were randomly assigned to treatment or control (usual care) status. Hospitalizations, costs, and some quality-of-care outcomes were measured with claims data for 18 309 patients (n = 178 to 2657 per program) from patients' enrollment through June 2006. A patient survey 7 to 12 months after enrollment provided additional quality-of-care measures. Nurses provided patient education and monitoring (mostly via telephone) to improve adherence and ability to communicate with physicians. Patients were contacted twice per month on average; frequency varied widely. Hospitalizations, monthly Medicare expenditures, patient-reported and care process indicators. Thirteen of the 15 programs showed no significant (P<.05) differences in hospitalizations; however, Mercy had 0.168 fewer hospitalizations per person per year (90% confidence interval [CI], -0.283 to -0.054; 17% less than the control group mean, P=.02) and Charlestown had 0.118 more hospitalizations per person per year (90% CI, 0.025-0.210; 19% more than the control group mean, P=.04). None of the 15 programs generated net savings. Treatment group members in 3 programs (Health Quality Partners [HQP], Georgetown, Mercy) had monthly Medicare expenditures less than the control group by 9% to 14% (-$84; 90% CI, -$171 to $4; P=.12; -$358; 90% CI, -$934 to $218; P=.31; and -$112; 90% CI, -$231 to $8; P=.12; respectively). Savings offset fees for HQP and Georgetown but not for Mercy; Georgetown was too small to be sustainable. These programs had favorable effects on none of the adherence measures and only a few of many quality of care indicators examined. Viable care coordination programs without a strong transitional care component are unlikely to yield net Medicare savings. Programs with substantial in-person contact that target moderate to severe patients can be cost-neutral and improve some aspects of care. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00627029.

Monitoring outcomes for the Medicare Advantage program: methods and application of the VR-12 for evaluation of plans.

PubMed

Kazis, Lewis E; Selim, Alfredo J; Rogers, William; Qian, Shirley X; Brazier, John

2012-01-01

The Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) is one of the major patient-reported outcomes for ranking the Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in the Health Outcomes Survey (HOS). Approaches for scoring physical and mental health are given using contemporary norms and regression estimators. A new metric approach for the VR-12 called the "VR-6D" is presented with case-mix adjustments for monitoring plans that combine utilities and mortality. Results show that the models for ranking health outcomes of the plans are robust and credible. Future directions include the use of utilities for evaluating and ranking of MA plans.

42 CFR 417.418 - Qualifying condition: Quality assurance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS Qualifying Conditions for Medicare Contracts § 417.418...

42 CFR 423.156 - Consumer satisfaction surveys.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality... as of July of the prior year must contract with approved Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare...

Medicare

Cancer.gov

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administers Medicare, a Health Insurance Program for people age 65 or older, some disabled people under age 65, and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease.

Medicare Advantage: options for standardizing benefits and information to improve consumer choice.

PubMed

O'Brien, Ellen; Hoadley, Jack

2008-04-01

The Medicare Advantage (MA) program offers beneficiaries a choice of private health plans as alternatives to the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program. MA plans potentially provide additional value, but as plan choices have proliferated, consumers contemplating their options have had difficulty understanding how they differ. Through "standardization" more consistent types of information and a limited number of dimensions along which plans vary--MA plans could reduce complexity and improve beneficiaries' ability to make informed choices. Such standardization steps would offer more meaningful variation in the health coverage options available to beneficiaries, Medicare officials and their community partners would find it far easier to educate beneficiaries about their health plan choices, and beneficiaries would better understand what they were buying. Standardization might also strengthen the ability of the market-based Medicare Advantage program to incorporate beneficiary preferences.

Medicare covers the majority of FDA-approved devices and Part B drugs, but restrictions and discrepancies remain.

PubMed

Chambers, James D; May, Katherine E; Neumann, Peter J

2013-06-01

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Medicare use different standards to determine, first, whether a new drug or medical device can be marketed to the public and, second, if the federal health insurance program will pay for use of the drug or device. This discrepancy creates hurdles and uncertainty for drug and device manufacturers. We analyzed discrepancies between FDA approval and Medicare national coverage determinations for sixty-nine devices and Part B drugs approved during 1999-2011. We found that Medicare covered FDA-approved drugs or devices 80 percent of the time. However, Medicare often added conditions beyond FDA approval, particularly for devices and most often restricting coverage to patients with the most severe disease. In some instances, Medicare was less restrictive than the FDA. Our findings highlight the importance for drug and device makers of anticipating Medicare's needs when conducting clinical studies to support their products. Our findings also provide important insights for the FDA's and Medicare's pilot parallel review program.

Effects of a Community-Based Fall Management Program on Medicare Cost Savings.

PubMed

Ghimire, Ekta; Colligan, Erin M; Howell, Benjamin; Perlroth, Daniella; Marrufo, Grecia; Rusev, Emil; Packard, Michael

2015-12-01

Fall-related injuries and health risks associated with reduced mobility or physical inactivity account for significant costs to the U.S. healthcare system. The widely disseminated lay-led A Matter of Balance (MOB) program aims to help older adults reduce their risk of falling and associated activity limitations. This study examined effects of MOB participation on health service utilization and costs for Medicare beneficiaries, as a part of a larger effort to understand the value of community-based prevention and wellness programs for Medicare. A controlled retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2012-2013, using 2007-2011 MOB program data and 2006-2013 Medicare data. It investigated program effects on falls and fall-related fractures, and health service utilization and costs (standardized to 2012 dollars), of 6,136 Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in MOB from 2007 through 2011. A difference-in-differences analysis was employed to compare outcomes of MOB participants with matched controls. MOB participation was associated with total medical cost savings of $938 per person (95% CI=$379, $1,498) at 1 year. Savings per person amounted to $517 (95% CI=$265, $769) for unplanned hospitalizations; $81 for home health care (95% CI=$20, $141); and $234 (95% CI=$55, $413) for skilled nursing facility care. Changes in the incidence of falls or fall-related fractures were not detected, suggesting that cost savings accrue through other mechanisms. This study suggests that MOB and similar prevention programs have the potential to reduce Medicare costs. Further research accounting for program delivery costs would help inform the development of Medicare-covered preventive benefits. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

77 FR 34047 - Medicare Program; Proposal Evaluation Criteria and Standards for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-08

... by section 1881(c)(2) of the Act. These functions are to: Encourage participation in vocational... strives to promote health care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences...

76 FR 7569 - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; Medicare Program; Meeting of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-10

... economics and actuarial science. Panelists are not restricted, however, in the topics that they choose to... actuarial and economic assumptions and methods by which Trustees might more accurately measure health...

Medicare and Medicaid programs; waiver of disapproval of nurse aide training program in certain cases. Final rule.

PubMed

2010-04-23

This final rule will permit a waiver of a nurse aide training disapproval as it applies to skilled nursing facilities, in the Medicare program, and nursing facilities, in the Medicaid program, that are assessed a civil money penalty of at least $5,000 for noncompliance that is not related to quality of care. This is a statutory provision enacted by section 932 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) (Pub. L. 108-173, enacted December 8, 2003).

Medicare program; competitive acquisition for certain durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) and other issues. Final rule.

PubMed

2007-04-10

This final rule establishes competitive bidding programs for certain Medicare Part B covered items of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) throughout the United States in accordance with sections 1847(a) and (b) of the Social Security Act. These competitive bidding programs, which will be phased in over several years, utilize bids submitted by DMEPOS suppliers to establish applicable payment amounts under Medicare Part B.

Boutique to Booming: Medicare Managed Care and the Private Path to Policy Change.

PubMed

Kelly, Andrew S

2016-06-01

In 2014, Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment surpassed 30 percent of eligible beneficiaries. Twenty-five years earlier, enrollment hovered at just 3 percent. The expansion of private Medicare plans presents a puzzling instance of policy change within Medicare-a program long held to be a quintessential case of policy stasis. This article investigates the policy features that made Medicare susceptible to this dramatic policy shift, as well as the processes by which the initial policy change remade the politics of Medicare and solidified the MA program. The first enrollment surge occurred in the absence of a proximate legislative or administrative change. Instead, increased spending and expanded benefits were the result of the interaction of new market dynamics with an existing legislative framework-demonstrating an expansionary form of policy drift. The 1982 Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act created a policy space that gave the new and lightly controlled managed care industry considerable operational discretion. As the interests of the government's private partners changed in response to new market dynamics, a change occurred in the output and performance of the Medicare managed care program. As enrollment and spending increased, Medicare's politics were remade by the political empowerment of the managed care industry and the creation of a new subconstituency of beneficiaries. Copyright © 2016 by Duke University Press.

42 CFR 423.664 - Authority of hearing officer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Medicare Contract Determinations and Appeals § 423.664 Authority of hearing officer. In exercising his or her authority, the hearing...

Spurring enrollment in Medicare savings programs through a substitute for the asset test focused on investment income.

PubMed

Dorn, Stan; Shang, Baoping

2012-02-01

Fewer than one-third of eligible Medicare beneficiaries enroll in Medicare savings programs, which pay premiums and, in some cases, eliminate out-of-pocket cost sharing for poor and near-poor enrollees. Many beneficiaries don't participate in savings programs because they must complete a cumbersome application process, including a burdensome asset test. We demonstrate that a streamlined alternative to the asset test-allowing seniors to qualify for Medicare savings programs by providing evidence of limited assets or showing a lack of investment income-would permit 78 percent of currently eligible seniors to bypass the asset test entirely. This simplified approach would increase the number of beneficiaries who qualify for Medicare savings programs from the current 3.6 million seniors to 4.6 million. Such an alternative would keep benefits targeted to people with low assets, eliminate costly administrative expenses and obstacles to enrollment associated with the asset test, and avoid the much larger influx of seniors that would occur if the asset test were eliminated entirely.

75 FR 11185 - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Delegation of Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-10

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary Centers for Medicare & Medicaid..., Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), or his or her successor, the authorities currently vested... or disasters that are related to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Programs as...

42 CFR 412.110 - Total Medicare payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... PROGRAM PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEMS FOR INPATIENT HOSPITAL SERVICES Payments to Hospitals Under the Prospective Payment Systems § 412.110 Total Medicare payment. Under the prospective payment systems, Medicare... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Total Medicare payment. 412.110 Section 412.110...

75 FR 19677 - Medicare Program; Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-15

... Care and Network-Based Private Fee-for-Service Plans Under Part C (Sec. 422.112) 7. Deemable Program... Cost by HMO/CMP Cost Contractors and Health Care Prepayment Plans (HCPPs) (Sec. 417.564) 4. Calculation... and Other Technical Changes 1. Application of Subpart M to Health Care Prepayment Plans (Sec. 417.840...

Medicare program; End-Stage Renal Disease prospective payment system, quality incentive program, and Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies. Final rule.

PubMed

2014-11-06

This final rule will update and make revisions to the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) prospective payment system (PPS) for calendar year (CY) 2015. This rule also finalizes requirements for the ESRD quality incentive program (QIP), including for payment years (PYs) 2017 and 2018. This rule will also make a technical correction to remove outdated terms and definitions. In addition, this final rule sets forth the methodology for adjusting Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) fee schedule payment amounts using information from the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program (CBP); makes alternative payment rules for certain DME under the Medicare DMEPOS CBP; clarifies the statutory Medicare hearing aid coverage exclusion and specifies devices not subject to the hearing aid exclusion; will not update the definition of minimal self-adjustment; clarifies the Change of Ownership (CHOW) and provides for an exception to the current requirements; revises the appeal provisions for termination of a CBP contract, including the beneficiary notification requirement under the Medicare DMEPOS CBP, and makes a technical change to the regulation related to the conditions for awarding contracts for furnishing infusion drugs under the Medicare DMEPOS CBP.

Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Organ Procurement Organization Reporting and Communication; Transplant Outcome Measures and Documentation Requirements; Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs; Payment to Nonexcepted Off-Campus Provider-Based Department of a Hospital; Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program; Establishment of Payment Rates Under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for Nonexcepted Items and Services Furnished by an Off-Campus Provider-Based Department of a Hospital. Final rule with comment period and interim final rule with comment period.

PubMed

2016-11-14

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 2017 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 and the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program. Further, in this final rule with comment period, we are making changes to tolerance thresholds for clinical outcomes for solid organ transplant programs; to Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) definitions, outcome measures, and organ transport documentation; and to the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs. We also are removing the HCAHPS Pain Management dimension from the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. In addition, we are implementing section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 relating to payment for certain items and services furnished by certain off-campus provider-based departments of a provider. In this document, we also are issuing an interim final rule with comment period to establish the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payment rates for the nonexcepted items and services billed by a nonexcepted off-campus provider-based department of a hospital in accordance with the provisions of section 603.

Medicare Part D formulary coverage since program inception: are beneficiaries choosing wisely?

PubMed

Jackson, E Anne; Axelsen, Kirsten J

2008-11-01

To evaluate how Medicare Part D formulary composition has changed since program inception, including comparison of plans eligible for full premium subsidy (ie, benchmark plans) with their counterparts. The study used publicly available data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to generate snapshots of formulary coverage and enrollment levels in each plan year. The analysis included all Part D plans and tracked formulary coverage of 152 of the most common brand name and generic drugs prescribed to seniors. Since 2006, the number of products available without restriction has increased and the number of drugs not on formulary has decreased. However, it appears that beneficiaries (subsidized beneficiaries in particular) may not be using their open-enrollment periods to reevaluate the available plan offerings. Beneficiaries need to reevaluate the Part D options available on an annual basis to maintain enrollment with the most appropriate plan available. Although all plans meet the proscribed formulary requirements, some plans offer richer drug coverage with more drugs available on an unrestricted basis. Benchmark plan status allows Part D plans to maintain or gain significant Medicare enrollment from year to year. Careful oversight should be provided to ensure that the level of formulary coverage offered at benchmark and other plans remains consistent.

Medicare

MedlinePlus

... for receiving health services If you have other health insurance Contacting Social Security 1 1 3 7 8 ... 2048 What is Medicare? Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. People ...

Financial Performance of Rural Medicare ACOs.

PubMed

Nattinger, Matthew C; Mueller, Keith; Ullrich, Fred; Zhu, Xi

2018-12-01

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has facilitated the development of Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs), mostly through the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). To inform the operation of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation's (CMMI) ACO programs, we assess the financial performance of rural ACOs based on different levels of rural presence. We used the 2014 performance data for Medicare ACOs to examine the financial performance of rural ACOs with different levels of rural presence: exclusively rural, mostly rural, and mixed rural/metropolitan. Of the ACOs reporting performance data, we identified 97 ACOs with a measurable rural presence. We found that successful rural ACO financial performance is associated with the ACO's organizational type (eg, physician-based) and that 8 of the 11 rural ACOs participating in the Advanced Payment Program (APP) garnered savings for Medicare. Unlike previous work, we did not find an association between ACO size or experience and rural ACO financial performance. Our findings suggest that rural ACO financial success is likely associated with factors unique to rural environments. Given the emphasis CMS has placed on rural ACO development, further research to identify these factors is warranted. © 2016 National Rural Health Association.

76 FR 11782 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Renewal, Expansion, and Renaming of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-03

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Renewal, Expansion, and Renaming of the...'s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) about options for selecting health care coverage under these and... needs are for experts in health disparities, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), health...

78 FR 53769 - Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-30

...] Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and..., Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This meeting is open to the public. DATES... Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Enhancing the federal government's effectiveness in informing...

Benefits and costs of intensive lifestyle modification programs for symptomatic coronary disease in Medicare beneficiaries.

PubMed

Zeng, Wu; Stason, William B; Fournier, Stephen; Razavi, Moaven; Ritter, Grant; Strickler, Gail K; Bhalotra, Sarita M; Shepard, Donald S

2013-05-01

This study reports outcomes of a Medicare-sponsored demonstration of two intensive lifestyle modification programs (LMPs) in patients with symptomatic coronary heart disease: the Cardiac Wellness Program of the Benson-Henry Mind Body Institute (MBMI) and the Dr Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease® (Ornish). This multisite demonstration, conducted between 2000 and 2008, enrolled Medicare beneficiaries who had had an acute myocardial infarction or a cardiac procedure within the preceding 12 months or had stable angina pectoris. Health and economic outcomes are compared with matched controls who had received either traditional or no cardiac rehabilitation following similar cardiac events. Each program included a 1-year active intervention of exercise, diet, small-group support, and stress reduction. Medicare claims were used to examine 3-year outcomes. The analysis includes 461 elderly, fee-for-service, Medicare participants and 1,795 controls. Cardiac and non-cardiac hospitalization rates were lower in participants than controls in each program and were statistically significant in MBMI (P < .01). Program costs of $3,801 and $4,441 per participant for the MBMI and Ornish Programs, respectively, were offset by reduced health care costs yielding non-significant three-year net savings per participant of about $3,500 in MBMI and $1,000 in Ornish. A trend towards lower mortality compared with controls was observed in MBMI participants (P = .07). Intensive, year-long LMPs reduced hospitalization rates and suggest reduced Medicare costs in elderly beneficiaries with symptomatic coronary heart disease. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 405.410 - Conditions for properly opting-out of Medicare.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Conditions for properly opting-out of Medicare. 405.410 Section 405.410 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE AGED AND DISABLED Private Contracts...

42 CFR 405.455 - Application to Medicare+Choice contracts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Application to Medicare+Choice contracts. 405.455 Section 405.455 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE AGED AND DISABLED Private Contracts § 405.455...

42 CFR 405.377 - Withholding Medicare payments to recover Medicaid overpayments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Withholding Medicare payments to recover Medicaid overpayments. 405.377 Section 405.377 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE AGED AND DISABLED Suspension...

42 CFR 405.377 - Withholding Medicare payments to recover Medicaid overpayments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Withholding Medicare payments to recover Medicaid overpayments. 405.377 Section 405.377 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE AGED AND DISABLED Suspension...

Use of Medicare's Diabetes Self-Management Training Benefit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strawbridge, Larisa M.; Lloyd, Jennifer T.; Meadow, Ann; Riley, Gerald F.; Howell, Benjamin L.

2015-01-01

Medicare began reimbursing for outpatient diabetes self-management training (DSMT) in 2000; however, little is known about program utilization. Individuals diagnosed with diabetes in 2010 were identified from a 20% random selection of the Medicare fee-for-service population (N = 110,064). Medicare administrative and claims files were used to…

76 FR 26805 - Medicare Program; Hospice Wage Index for Fiscal Year 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-09

... returned to Medicare by the hospice. CMS' contractors calculate each hospice's aggregate cap every year... Medicare contractor recalculate the hospice's aggregate cap using longer timeframes. Option 2: In this... individual hospices to request the Medicare contractor to apply a patient-by-patient proportional methodology...

Medicare's chronic care improvement pilot program: what is its potential?

PubMed

Super, Nora

2004-05-10

This paper describes the voluntary chronic care improvement program under traditional fee-for-service Medicare as authorized by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 (Public Law 108-173; section 721). This brief analyzes the emerging issues raised by this new program, including which chronic conditions and regional areas will be targeted, the types of entities that may participate, the physician's role in care management, and the adoption and use of health information technology and evidence-based clinical guidelines.

Improving Access to Hospice Care: Informing the Debate

PubMed Central

CARLSON, MELISSA D.A.; MORRISON, R. SEAN; BRADLEY, ELIZABETH H.

2015-01-01

The most frequently cited policy solution for improving access to hospice care for patients and families is to expand hospice eligibility criteria under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. However, the substantial implications of such a policy change have not been fully articulated or evaluated. This paper seeks to identify and describe the implications of expanding Medicare Hospice Benefit eligibility on the nature of hospice care, the cost of hospice care to the Medicare program, and the very structure of hospice and palliative care delivery in the United States. The growth in hospice has been dramatic and the central issue facing policymakers and the hospice industry is defining the appropriate target population for hospice care. As policymakers and the hospice industry discuss the future of hospice and potential changes to the Medicare Hospice Benefit, it is critical to clearly delineate the options—and the implications and challenges of each option—for improving access to hospice care for patients and families. PMID:18363486

State Policies Influence Medicare Telemedicine Utilization.

PubMed

Neufeld, Jonathan D; Doarn, Charles R; Aly, Reem

2016-01-01

Medicare policy regarding telemedicine reimbursement has changed little since 2000. Many individual states, however, have added telemedicine reimbursement for either Medicaid and/or commercial payers over the same period. Because telemedicine programs must serve patients from all or most payers, it is likely that these state-level policy changes have significant impacts on telemedicine program viability and utilization of services from all payers, not just those services and payers affected directly by state policy. This report explores the impact of two significant state-level policy changes-one expanding Medicaid telemedicine coverage and the other introducing telemedicine parity for commercial payers-on Medicare utilization in the affected states. Medicare claims data from 2011-2013 were examined for states in the Great Lakes region. All valid claims for live interactive telemedicine professional fees were extracted and linked to their states of origin. Allowed encounters and expenditures were calculated in total and on a per 1,000 members per year basis to standardize against changes in the Medicare population by state and year. Medicare telemedicine encounters and professional fee expenditures grew sharply following changes in state Medicaid and commercial payer policy in the examined states. Medicare utilization in Illinois grew by 173% in 2012 (over 2011) following Medicaid coverage expansion, and Medicare utilization in Michigan grew by 118% in 2013 (over 2012) following adoption of telemedicine parity for commercial payers. By contrast, annual Medicare telemedicine utilization growth in surrounding states (in which there were no significant policy changes during these years) varied somewhat but showed no discernible pattern. Although Medicare telemedicine policy has changed little since its inception, changes in state policies with regard to telemedicine reimbursement appear to have significant impacts on the practical viability of telemedicine programs that bill Medicare for telemedicine services.

The competitive acquisition program for drugs and biologicals.

PubMed

Lace, Daniel A

2006-07-01

Unlike the Medicare Part D program, which has a significant number of participating plans, the new Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP), which was to have started on Jan. 1, 2006, along with Medicare Part D, did not because, in part, of a lack of interest. As a result, the program was delayed until July 1, 2006. This new program separates the physician from the purchase and billing of medications provided in the physician's office. Under CAP, physicians sign with a specialty pharmacy provider that will deliver the medications to the physicians as ordered and then bill Medicare directly. This will alleviate some physician administrative responsibilities. Although it is unlikely that high-volume Medicare Part B medication providers, such as oncologists, will use a CAP provider, it is likely that busy primary care physicians and other specialists not usually involved in providing medications in their offices now may start to take advantage of this valuable service.

76 FR 30170 - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; Medicare Program; Meeting of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-24

... estimation involving economics and actuarial science. Panelists are not restricted, however, in the topics... discussion is expected to be very technical in nature and will focus on the actuarial and economic...

42 CFR 422.404 - State premium taxes prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Organization Compliance With State Law and Preemption by Federal Law § 422.404 State premium taxes prohibited. (a) Basic rule. No premium tax...

Will managed care's role in Medicare expand?

PubMed

Grimaldi, P L

1996-10-01

Managed care's penetration of the Medicare market has grown dramatically over the last several years. Nevertheless, most beneficiaries remain with fee-for-service providers and most health maintenance organizations (HMOs) do not contract with Medicare. Because of the program's dire financial outlook, Medicare almost certainly will be restructured soon to encourage more beneficiaries to enroll with HMOs and entice more managed care plans into becoming Medicare risk contractors.

Medicare Financial Status, Budget Impact, and Sustainability—Which Concept is Which?

PubMed Central

Foster, Richard S.; Clemens, M. Kent

2005-01-01

Medicare is continually undergoing change, as it must in order to reflect advances in medical technology, new health care delivery systems, financial pressures, and other developments. Modifications to the program are debated by policymakers in Congress and the administration, together with academic experts and others. These debates would be improved if policymakers and the public had a clearer understanding of Medicare and certain commonly cited views of the program's overall status. Three such concepts—the financial status of the Medicare trust funds, the impact of Medicare on the Federal budget, and the long-run sustainability of Medicare—are often confused with each other and are sometimes used interchangeably. Each concept is important but needs to be used for its own purpose. This article clarifies the differences among these three views of Medicare and provides examples of each. PMID:17290643

Medicare Financial Status, Budget Impact, and Sustainability—Which Concept is Which?

PubMed Central

Foster, Richard S.; Clemens, M. Kent

2009-01-01

Medicare is continually undergoing change, as it must in order to reflect advances in medical technology, new health care delivery systems, financial pressures, and other developments. Modifications to the program are debated by policymakers in Congress and the administration, together with academic experts and others. These debates would be improved if policymakers and the public had a clearer understanding of Medicare and certain commonly cited views of the program's overall status. Three such concepts—the financial status of the Medicare trust funds, the impact of Medicare on the Federal budget, and the long-run sustainability of Medicare—are often confused with each other and are sometimes used interchangeably. Each concept is important but needs to be used for its own purpose. This article clarifies the differences among these three views of Medicare and provides examples of each. PMID:19544937

Financial and quality impacts of the Medicare physician group practice demonstration.

PubMed

Pope, Gregory; Kautter, John; Leung, Musetta; Trisolini, Michael; Adamache, Walter; Smith, Kevin

2014-01-01

To examine the impact of the Medicare Physician Group Practice (PGP) demonstration on expenditure, utilization, and quality outcomes. Secondary data analysis of 2001-2010 Medicare claims for 1,776,387 person years assigned to the ten participating provider organizations and 1,579,080 person years in the corresponding local comparison groups. We used a pre-post comparison group observational design consisting of four pre-demonstration years (1/01-12/04) and five demonstration years (4/05-3/10). We employed a propensity-weighted difference-in-differences regression model to estimate demonstration effects, adjusting for demographics, health status, geographic area, and secular trends. The ten demonstration sites combined saved $171 (2.0%) per assigned beneficiary person year (p<0.001) during the five-year demonstration period. Medicare paid performance bonuses to the participating PGPs that averaged $102 per person year. The net savings to the Medicare program were $69 (0.8%) per person year. Demonstration savings were achieved primarily from the inpatient setting. The demonstration improved quality of care as measured by six of seven claims-based process quality indicators. The PGP demonstration, which used a payment model similar to the Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program, resulted in small reductions in Medicare expenditures and inpatient utilization, and improvements in process quality indicators. Judging from this demonstration experience, it is unlikely that Medicare ACOs will initially achieve large savings. Nevertheless, ACOs paid through shared savings may be an important first step toward greater efficiency and quality in the Medicare fee-for-service program.

78 FR 51730 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-21

... Evaluation of the Medicare Health Care Quality (MHCQ) Demonstration Evaluation: Focus Group and Interview... Collection: Evaluation of the Medicare Health Care Quality (MHCQ) Demonstration Evaluation: Focus Group and Interview Protocols; Use: The Medicare Health Care Quality (MHCQ) Demonstration was developed to address...

Quality measures and pediatric radiology: suggestions for the transition to value-based payment.

PubMed

Heller, Richard E; Coley, Brian D; Simoneaux, Stephen F; Podberesky, Daniel J; Hernanz-Schulman, Marta; Robertson, Richard L; Donnelly, Lane F

2017-06-01

Recent political and economic factors have contributed to a meaningful change in the way that quality in health care, and by extension value, are viewed. While quality is often evaluated on the basis of subjective criteria, pay-for-performance programs that link reimbursement to various measures of quality require use of objective and quantifiable measures. This evolution to value-based payment was accelerated by the 2015 passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) Reauthorization Act (MACRA). While many of the drivers of these changes are rooted in federal policy and programs such as Medicare and aimed at adult patients, the practice of pediatrics and pediatric radiology will be increasingly impacted. This article addresses issues related to the use of quantitative measures to evaluate the quality of services provided by the pediatric radiology department or sub-specialty section, particularly as seen from the viewpoint of a payer that may be considering ways to link payment to performance. The paper concludes by suggesting a metric categorization strategy to frame future work on the subject.

42 CFR 460.94 - Required services for Medicare participants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PACE Services § 460.94 Required services for Medicare participants. (a) Except...

42 CFR 460.94 - Required services for Medicare participants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PACE Services § 460.94 Required services for Medicare participants. (a) Except...

42 CFR 460.180 - Medicare payment to PACE organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) Payment § 460.180 Medicare payment to PACE organizations. (a) Principle of...

42 CFR 422.6 - Cost-sharing in enrollment-related costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM General Provisions § 422.6 Cost-sharing in... for the drug benefit). (c) Applicability. The fee assessment also applies to those demonstrations for...

42 CFR 422.68 - Effective dates of coverage and change of coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Eligibility, Election, and... continuity of health benefits coverage. (e) Special election period for individual age 65. For an election of...

20 CFR 418.3005 - Purpose and administration of the program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Purpose and administration of the program. 418.3005 Section 418.3005 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MEDICARE SUBSIDIES... and Human Services has responsibility for administration of the Medicare program, including the new...

75 FR 52760 - Medicare Program; Listening Session Regarding the Implementation of Section 10332 of the Patient...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-27

... sources and types of other data that these organizations might match to Medicare claims; challenges in... and Affordable Care Act, Availability of Medicare Data for Performance Measurement DATE: September 20... 1874 of the Social Security Act: Availability of Medicare Data for Performance Measurement. The purpose...

42 CFR 405.425 - Effects of opting-out of Medicare.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Effects of opting-out of Medicare. 405.425 Section 405.425 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE AGED AND DISABLED Private Contracts § 405.425...

42 CFR 424.350 - Replacement of checks that are lost, stolen, defaced, mutilated, destroyed, or paid on forged...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM CONDITIONS FOR MEDICARE PAYMENT Replacement and Reclamation of Medicare Payments § 424.350... investigation and settlement of claims in connection with Treasury checks issued on behalf of CMS. (2) Action by...

76 FR 65196 - Privacy Act of 1974; Report of a New Routine Use for Selected CMS System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-20

... Medicare beneficiaries. This system utilizes data extraction tools to support accessing data by chronic... system is to collect and maintain billing and utilization data on Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in... Medicare program. 2. ``Medicare Drug Data Processing System (DDPS),'' System No. 09- 70-0553, last...

42 CFR 406.7 - Forms to apply for entitlement under Medicare Part A.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... supplementary medical insurance program.) CMS-43—Application for Health Insurance Benefits under Medicare for... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Forms to apply for entitlement under Medicare Part A. 406.7 Section 406.7 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH...

76 FR 55917 - Medicare Program; Notification of Closure of St. Vincent's Medical Center; Extension of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-09

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-1587-N2... Submission of Applications AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION: Notice of... hospitals to apply to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to receive St. Vincent's Medical...

Disease prevention policy under Medicare: a historical and political analysis.

PubMed

Schauffler, H H

1993-01-01

I review the history and politics of Medicare disease prevention policy and identify factors associated with the success or failure of legislative initiatives to add preventive services benefits to Medicare. Between 1965 and 1990, 453 bills for Medicare preventive services were introduced in the U.S. Congress, but not until 1980, after 350 bills had failed, was the first preventive service added to the Medicare program. Medicare currently pays for only four of the 44 preventive services recommended for the elderly by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (pneumococcal and hepatitis B vaccinations, Pap smears, and mammography). In addition, Congress has funded demonstration programs for the influenza vaccine and comprehensive preventive services. The preventive services added to Medicare reflect the bias of the biomedical model toward screening and immunizations. Counseling services have received the least legislative attention. Factors associated with successful enactment include single-benefit bills, incorporation into budget-deficit reduction legislation, documented evidence of cost-effectiveness, public hearings, sponsorship by chairs of key congressional committees, and persistent congressional leadership. Factors associated with failure include lack of support from Medicare beneficiaries, lack of professional support, impact on total Medicare expenditures, disagreement over or failure to address payment and financing mechanisms, and competing congressional priorities.

Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) for FY 2016, SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program, SNF Quality Reporting Program, and Staffing Data Collection. Final Rule.

PubMed

2015-08-04

This final rule updates the payment rates used under the prospective payment system (PPS) for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for fiscal year (FY) 2016. In addition, it specifies a SNF all-cause all-condition hospital readmission measure, as well as adopts that measure for a new SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, and includes a discussion of SNF VBP Program policies we are considering for future rulemaking to promote higher quality and more efficient health care for Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, this final rule will implement a new quality reporting program for SNFs as specified in the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act). It also amends the requirements that a long-term care (LTC) facility must meet to qualify to participate as a skilled nursing facility (SNF) in the Medicare program, or a nursing facility (NF) in the Medicaid program, by establishing requirements that implement the provision in the Affordable Care Act regarding the submission of staffing information based on payroll data.

Your Medicare Benefits

MedlinePlus

... health plans include all Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Cost Plans, and Demonstration/Pilot Programs. PACE plans can be offered by public or private entities and provide Part D and other benefits in addition to Part A and Part B ...

Physician Quality Reporting System Program Updates and the Impact on Emergency Medicine Practice.

PubMed

Wiler, Jennifer L; Granovsky, Michael; Cantrill, Stephen V; Newell, Richard; Venkatesh, Arjun K; Schuur, Jeremiah D

2016-03-01

In 2007, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) created a novel payment program to create incentives for physician's to focus on quality of care measures and report quality performance for the first time. Initially termed "The Physician Voluntary Reporting Program," various Congressional actions, including the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA) and Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) further strengthened and ensconced this program, eventually leading to the quality program termed today as the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS). As a result of passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the PQRS program has expanded to include both the "traditional PQRS" reporting program and the newer "Value Modifier" program (VM). For the first time, these programs were designed to include pay-for-performance incentives for all physicians providing care to Medicare beneficiaries and to measure the cost of care. The recent passage of the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act in March of 2015 includes changes to these payment programs that will have an even more profound impact on emergency care providers. We describe the implications of these important federal policy changes for emergency physicians.

Association Between Medicare Accountable Care Organization Implementation and Spending Among Clinically Vulnerable Beneficiaries.

PubMed

Colla, Carrie H; Lewis, Valerie A; Kao, Lee-Sien; O'Malley, A James; Chang, Chiang-Hua; Fisher, Elliott S

2016-08-01

Accountable care contracts hold physician groups financially responsible for the quality and cost of health care delivered to patients. Focusing on clinically vulnerable patients, those with serious conditions who are responsible for the greatest proportion of spending, may result in the largest effects on both patient outcomes and financial rewards for participating physician groups. To estimate the effect of Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) contracts on spending and high-cost institutional use for all Medicare beneficiaries and for clinically vulnerable beneficiaries. For this cohort study, 2 study populations were defined: the overall Medicare population and the clinically vulnerable subgroup of Medicare beneficiaries. The overall Medicare population was based on a random 40% sample drawn from continuously enrolled fee-for-service beneficiaries with at least 1 evaluation and management visit in a calendar year. The clinically vulnerable study population included all Medicare beneficiaries 66 years or older who had at least 3 Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs). Beneficiaries entered the cohort during the quarter between January 2009 to December 2011 when they first had at least 3 HCCs and remained in the cohort until death. Cohort entry was restricted to the preperiod to account for potential changes in coding practices after ACO implementation. Difference-in-difference estimations were used to compare changes in health care outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries attributed to physicians in ACOs with those attributed to non-ACO physicians from January 2009 to December 2013. Medicare ACOs beginning contracts in January 2012, April 2012, July 2012, and January 2013 through the Pioneer and Medicare Shared Savings Programs. Total spending per beneficiary-quarter, spending categories, use of hospitals and emergency departments, ambulatory care sensitive admissions, and 30-day readmissions. Total spending decreased by $34 (95% CI, -$52 to -$15) per beneficiary-quarter after ACO contract implementation across the overall Medicare population (n = 15 592 600) and decreased $114 in clinically vulnerable patients (n = 8 673 823) (95% CI, -$178 to -$50). In the overall Medicare cohort, hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased by 1.3 and 3.0 events per 1000 beneficiaries per quarter, respectively (95% CIs: -2.1 to -0.4 and -4.8 to -1.3), and hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased in the clinically vulnerable cohort by 2.9 and 4.1 events per 1000 beneficiaries per quarter, respectively (95% CIs: -5.2 to -0.7 and -7.1 to -1.2). Changes in total spending associated with ACOs did not vary by clinical condition of beneficiaries. Medicare ACO programs are associated with modest reductions in spending and use of hospitals and emergency departments. Savings were realized through reductions in use of institutional settings in clinically vulnerable patients.

Medicare Part D and Portfolio Choice.

PubMed

Ayyagari, Padmaja; He, Daifeng

2016-05-01

This study evaluates the impact of medical expenditure risk on portfolio choice among the elderly. The risk of large medical expenditures can be substantial for elderly individuals and is only partially mitigated by access to health insurance. The presence of deductibles, copayments, and other cost-sharing mechanisms implies that medical spending risk can be viewed as an undiversifiable background risk. Economic theory suggests that increases in background risk reduce the optimal financial risk that an individual or household is willing to bear (Pratt and Zeckhauser 1987; Elmendorf and Kimball 2000). In this study, we evaluate this hypothesis by estimating the impact of the introduction of the Medicare Part D program, which significantly reduced prescription drug spending risk for seniors, on portfolio choice.

Medicare risk contracting: Determinants of market entry

PubMed Central

Porell, Frank W.; Wallack, Stanley S.

1990-01-01

The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) of 1982 made it more attractive for health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and other competitive medical plans to enter into risk contracts with Medicare. Since the start of the TEFRA program in April 1985, more than 160 HMOs have had risk contracts with Medicare under the program. An investigation of factors associated with TEFRA risk-market entry at the end of 1986 revealed that high adjusted average per capita cost payment levels, prior Medicare cost-contract experience, and prior Federal qualification were the most important factors distinguishing market entrants from nonentrants. PMID:10113567

76 FR 67991 - Medicare Program; Final Waivers in Connection With the Shared Savings Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-02

... governance, management, and leadership of the ACO, as well as program integrity, transparency, compliance... ACOs to promote accountability for individual Medicare beneficiaries and population health management...-kickback statute safe harbors include, among others, those for employment, personal services and management...

42 CFR 1001.301 - Conviction relating to obstruction of an investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... investigation. 1001.301 Section 1001.301 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OIG AUTHORITIES PROGRAM INTEGRITY-MEDICARE AND STATE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS... the Medicare, Medicaid or other Federal health care programs; (iii) The interference or obstruction...

42 CFR 1001.301 - Conviction relating to obstruction of an investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... investigation. 1001.301 Section 1001.301 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OIG AUTHORITIES PROGRAM INTEGRITY-MEDICARE AND STATE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS... the Medicare, Medicaid or other Federal health care programs; (iii) The interference or obstruction...

42 CFR 1001.301 - Conviction relating to obstruction of an investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... investigation. 1001.301 Section 1001.301 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OIG AUTHORITIES PROGRAM INTEGRITY-MEDICARE AND STATE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS... the Medicare, Medicaid or other Federal health care programs; (iii) The interference or obstruction...

42 CFR 1001.301 - Conviction relating to obstruction of an investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... investigation. 1001.301 Section 1001.301 Public Health OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL-HEALTH CARE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OIG AUTHORITIES PROGRAM INTEGRITY-MEDICARE AND STATE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS... the Medicare, Medicaid or other Federal health care programs; (iii) The interference or obstruction...

77 FR 44255 - Medicare Program; Application by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-27

...] Medicare Program; Application by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) for Continued Recognition as a National Accreditation Organization for Accrediting Entities To Furnish Outpatient Diabetes... of Diabetes Educators for continued recognition as a national accreditation program for accrediting...

42 CFR 460.124 - Additional appeal rights under Medicare or Medicaid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) Participant Rights § 460.124 Additional appeal rights under Medicare...

42 CFR 460.124 - Additional appeal rights under Medicare or Medicaid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) Participant Rights § 460.124 Additional appeal rights under Medicare...

Medicare Part D and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: A Comparison of Prescription Drug Coverage

PubMed Central

Lovett, Annesha

2013-01-01

Background There is much debate currently about how to restructure the Medicare program to achieve better value for the money. Many have cited the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) as a model for reform. Objective To compare drug coverage and cost-sharing between Medicare Part D and the FEHBP plans. Methods A cross-sectional comparison was conducted of January 2009 data obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Office of Personnel Management, and 3 health plan websites. Regression analysis and t-tests were used to examine drug coverage, copayment, and coinsurance amounts among Medicare Part D and FEHBP plans. The final study sample of Medicare Part D plans consisted of 19 formularies, covering 63% of total Part D enrollment. These 19 formularies represented 232 stand-alone prescription drug plans. In addition, 5 prescription drug plans or formularies in the FEHBP plans were included, which represents 70% of total FEHBP enrollment. Results The results of this study reveal that formulary coverage of the top drugs dispensed and sold in the United States in 2009 ranged from 72% to 94% (average, 84%) in Medicare Part D plans and from 85% to 99% (average, 94%) in the FEHBP plans (P <.01). The mean copayment for generic drugs in Medicare Part D plans was $4.53 compared with a mean of $7.67 (P <.05) in the FEHBP plans. The difference between the 2 programs in mean copayment for brand-name drugs was nonsignificant. For generic drugs, the mean coinsurance rate was 17% for Medicare Part D plans and a mean of 20% for the FEHBP plans (P <.05). Conclusions This analysis shows that there are differences in prescription drug coverage and cost-sharing among plans within Medicare Part D and the FEHBP. To avoid extreme increases in payroll taxes and other revenues or major cutbacks in services, Medicare must explore ways to change the healthcare system to achieve better value for the money. The experience of the FEHBP suggests a possible means of accomplishing this objective. PMID:24991346

Mortality Differences Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage: A Risk-Adjusted Assessment Using Claims Data

PubMed Central

Beveridge, Roy A.; Mendes, Sean M.; Caplan, Arial; Rogstad, Teresa L.; Olson, Vanessa; Williams, Meredith C.; McRae, Jacquelyn M.; Vargas, Stefan

2017-01-01

Medicare Advantage (MA) has grown rapidly since the Affordable Care Act; nearly one-third of Medicare beneficiaries now choose MA. An assessment of the comparative value of the 2 options is confounded by an apparent selection bias favoring MA, as reflected in mortality differences. Previous assessments have been hampered by lack of access to claims diagnosis data for the MA population. An indirect comparison of mortality as an outcome variable was conducted by modeling mortality on a traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare data set, applying the model to an MA data set, and then evaluating the ratio of actual-to-predicted mortality in the MA data set. The mortality model adjusted for clinical conditions and demographic factors. Model development considered the effect of potentially greater coding intensity in the MA population. Further analysis calculated ratios for subpopulations. Predicted, risk-adjusted mortality was lower in the MA population than in FFS Medicare. However, the ratio of actual-to-predicted mortality (0.80) suggested that the individuals in the MA data set were less likely to die than would be predicted had those individuals been enrolled in FFS Medicare. Differences between actual and predicted mortality were particularly pronounced in low income (dual eligibility), nonwhite race, high morbidity, and Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) subgroups. After controlling for baseline clinical risk as represented by claims diagnosis data, mortality differences favoring MA over FFS Medicare persisted, particularly in vulnerable subgroups and HMO plans. These findings suggest that differences in morbidity do not fully explain differences in mortality between the 2 programs. PMID:28578605

Potential epidemiologic, economic, and budgetary impacts of current rates of hepatitis C treatment in medicare and non-medicare populations.

PubMed

Wittenborn, John; Brady, Joanne; Dougherty, Michelle; Rein, David

2017-04-01

We forecast the health and budgetary impact of hepatitis C (HCV) treatment on the Medicare program based on currently observed rates of treatment among Medicare and non-Medicare patients and identify the impact of higher rates of treatment among non-Medicare populations. We developed a computer microsimulation model to conduct an epidemiologic forecast, a budgetary impact analysis, and a cost-effectiveness analysis of the treatment of HCV based on three scenarios: 1) no treatment, 2) continuation of current-treatment rates, and 3) treatment rates among non-Medicare patients increased to match that of Medicare patients. The simulated population is based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. HCV progression rates and costs were calculated in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program Medicare 5% claims data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study and published literature. We estimate that 13.6% of patients with HCV in the United States are enrolled in Medicare, but 75% will enter Medicare in the next 20 years. Medicare patients were over 5 times as likely to be treated in 2014-2015 as other patients. Medicare paid over $9 billion in treatment costs in both 2015 and 2016 and will total $28.4 billion from 2017-2026. Increasing treatment rates among non-Medicare patients would lead to 234,000 more patients being treated, reduce HCV mortality by 19%, and decrease Medicare costs by $18.6 billion from 2017-2026. We find that treatment remains cost-effective under most assumptions, costing $31,718 per quality adjusted life year gained. Conclusion : Medicare treats a disproportionately large share of HCV patients. Continued low rates of treatment among non-Medicare HCV patients will result in both reduced and deferred treatment, shifting future treatment costs to Medicare while increasing overall medical management costs, morbidity, and mortality. ( Hepatology Communications 2017;1:99-109).

Conducting research on the Medicare market: the need for better data and methods.

PubMed

Wong, H S; Hellinger, F J

2001-04-01

To highlight data limitations, the need to improve data collection, the need to develop better analytic methods, and the need to use alternative data sources to conduct research related to the Medicare program. Objectives were achieved by reviewing existing studies on risk selection in Medicare HMOs, examining their data limitations, and introducing a new approach that circumvents many of these shortcomings. Data for years 1995-97 for five states (Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania) from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SIDs), maintained by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; and the Health Care Financing Administration's Medicare Managed Care Market Penetration Data Files and Medicare Provider Analysis and Review Files. Analysis of hospital utilization rates for Medicare beneficiaries in the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare and Medicare HMO sectors and examination of the relationship between these rates and the Medicare HMO penetration rates. Medicare HMOs have lower hospital utilization rates than their FFS counterparts, differences in utilization rates vary across states, and HMO penetration rates are inversely related to our rough measure of favorable selection. Substantial growth in Medicare HMO enrollment and the implementation of a new risk-adjusted payment system have led to an increasing need for research on the Medicare program. Improved data collection, better methods, new creative approaches, and alternative data sources are needed to address these issues in a timely and suitable manner.

Medicare program; Medicare depreciation, useful life guidelines--HCFA. Final rule.

PubMed

1983-08-18

These final rules amend Medicare regulations to clarify which useful life guidelines may be used by providers of health care services to determine the useful life of a depreciable asset for Medicare reimbursement purposes. Current regulations state that providers must utilize the Departmental useful life guidelines or, if none have been published by the Department, either the American Hospital Association (AHA) useful life guidelines of 1973 of IRS guidelines. We are eliminating the reference to IRS guidelines because these are now outdated for Medicare purposes since they have been rendered obsolete either by the IRS or by statutory change. We are also deleting the specific reference to the 1973 AHA guidelines since these guidelines are updated by the AHA periodically. In addition, we are clarifying that certain tax legislation on accelerated depreciation, passed by Congress, does not apply to the Medicare program.

The financial status of Medicare.

PubMed

Foster, R S

1998-01-01

Medicare is the largest health care program in the country, providing medical care to 38 million aged and disabled Americans. Concerns over rapid cost increases and the imminent insolvency of the Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund led to enactment of sweeping Medicare legislation as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Preliminary estimates indicate that this legislation will result in program savings of $150 billion in the first five years and will postpone the depletion of the Hospital Insurance fund from the year 2001 until about 2010. While the Balanced Budget Act significantly reduces Hospital Insurance expenditure in the long range, serious deficits are still expected when the "baby boom" generation reaches retirement. The Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance trust fund is automatically in financial balance, but policy makers remain concerned about continuing rapid cost increases. A new National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare will attempt to determine effective solutions to these long-range problems.

Modernizing Medicare's Benefit Design and Low-Income Subsidies to Ensure Access and Affordability.

PubMed

Schoen, Cathy; Davis, Karen; Buttorff, Christine; Andersen, Martin

2015-07-01

Insurance coverage through the traditional Medicare program is complex, fragmented, and incomplete. Beneficiaries must purchase supplemental private insurance to fill in the gaps. While impoverished beneficiaries may receive supplemental coverage through Medicaid and subsidies for prescription drugs, help is limited for people with incomes above the poverty level. This patchwork quilt leads to confusion for beneficiaries and high administrative costs, while also undermining coverage and care coordination. Most important, Medicare's benefits fail to limit out-of-pocket costs or ensure adequate financial protection, especially for beneficiaries with low incomes and serious health problems. This brief, part of a series about Medicare's past, present, and future, presents options for an integrated benefit for enrollees in traditional Medicare. The new benefit would not only reduce cost burdens but also could potentially strengthen the Medicare program and enhance its role in stimulating and supporting innovations throughout the health care delivery system.

Translation of a dementia caregiver intervention for delivery in homecare as a reimbursable Medicare service: outcomes and lessons learned.

PubMed

Gitlin, Laura N; Jacobs, Mimi; Earland, Tracey Vause

2010-12-01

families of dementia patients receiving skilled homecare do not receive supportive services. We evaluated whether a proven intervention, Environmental Skill-building Program (ESP), which reduces caregiver burden and enhances skills managing patient functioning, can be integrated into homecare practices of occupational therapists (OTs) and reimbursed through Medicare Part B. a 2-year translational project with a homecare practice was conducted. Five translational activities included refining ESP, site preparation, therapist training, establishing referral mechanisms, and evaluating outcomes using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM). of 30 OTs approached for participation, 23 (77%) agreed, 22 (96%) completed training, and 21 (95.5%) used ESP and intended to continue use. Of 69 eligible caregivers, 41 (59%) agreed to participate averaging 4.7 sessions. Of 20 returned caregiver surveys, enhancements were reported in all targeted areas of knowledge and skills. Fidelity monitoring revealed inconsistency in therapists use of problem solving, yet caregiver enactment of ESP strategies was high. ESP sessions integrated within patient-directed therapy were reimbursed by Medicare Part B. RE-AIM indicators suggest moderate translational success. As ESP was reimbursed through Medicare B, its delivery may be sustainable and meet the needs of family caregivers of dementia patients receiving therapies at home.

The experience of rural independent pharmacies with medicare part D: reports from the field.

PubMed

Radford, Andrea; Slifkin, Rebecca; Fraser, Roslyn; Mason, Michelle; Mueller, Keith

2007-01-01

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) created prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries through a new Part D program, the single largest addition to Medicare since its creation in 1965. Prior to program implementation in January 2006, concerns had been voiced as to how independent pharmacies, which represent a higher proportion of all retail pharmacies in rural areas, would fare under the new program. This article describes first-hand reports from rural pharmacist-owners about their experiences with Medicare Part D plans in the first 7 months of 2006 in order to gain a more thorough understanding of the challenges faced by rural independent pharmacies as a result of program implementation. A semi-structured interview protocol was utilized in telephone interviews with 22 pharmacist-owners of rural independent pharmacies in 10 states. The rural independent pharmacists interviewed are experiencing major changes in payment, administrative burden, and interaction with patients as a result of the shift of patients into Medicare Part D plans. While administrative burden has greatly increased, payment and clinical interaction have decreased. Actions should be considered that would help rural independent pharmacists adjust to the new circumstances of having Medicare patients mirror, for administrative and payment purposes, commercially insured patients. Long-term modification of existing policies and regulations may be necessary to assure reasonable access to pharmaceuticals for rural populations. Further study is needed to determine how best to target these modifications to essential pharmacies.

Impact of Standardized New Medication Education Program on Postdischarge Patients' Knowledge and Satisfaction.

PubMed

Jones, Tammie R; Coke, Lola

2016-10-01

This study, implemented on 2 medical-surgical units, evaluated the impact of a standardized, evidence-based new medication education program. Outcomes evaluated included patient postdischarge knowledge of new medication purpose and side effects, patient satisfaction with new medication, and Medicare reimbursement earn-back potential. As a result, knowledge scores for new medication purpose and side effects were high post intervention. Patient satisfaction with new medication education increased. Value-based purchasing reimbursement earn-back potential improved.

42 CFR 424.535 - Revocation of enrollment and billing privileges in the Medicare program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... application applicable for its provider or supplier type, and has not submitted a plan of corrective action as... supplier is no longer operational to furnish Medicare covered items or services, or is not meeting Medicare... A provider is no longer operational to furnish Medicare covered items or services, or the provider...

42 CFR 405.371 - Suspension, offset, and recoupment of Medicare payments to providers and suppliers of services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Suspension, offset, and recoupment of Medicare payments to providers and suppliers of services. 405.371 Section 405.371 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR...

42 CFR 405.371 - Suspension, offset, and recoupment of Medicare payments to providers and suppliers of services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Suspension, offset, and recoupment of Medicare payments to providers and suppliers of services. 405.371 Section 405.371 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR...

75 FR 71189 - Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-22

... offered in a service area by identifying for non-renewal plans with sustained low enrollment. In our April... seeking to expand their service areas may continue to offer DE SNPs through the 2012 contract. For... Part II Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR...

Medicare payment data for spine reimbursement; important but flawed data for evaluating utilization of resources.

PubMed

Menger, Richard P; Wolf, Michael E; Kukreja, Sunil; Sin, Anthony; Nanda, Anil

2015-01-01

Medicare data showing physician-specific reimbursement for 2012 were recently made public in the mainstream media. Given the ongoing interest in containing healthcare costs, we analyze these data in the context of the delivery of spinal surgery. Demographics of 206 leading surgeons were extracted including state, geographic area, residency training program, fellowship training, and academic affiliation. Using current procedural terminology (CPT) codes, information was evaluated regarding the number of lumbar laminectomies, lumbar fusions, add-on laminectomy levels, and anterior cervical fusions reimbursed by Medicare in 2012. In 2012 Medicare reimbursed the average neurosurgeon slightly more than an orthopedic surgeon for all procedures ($142,075 vs. $110,920), but this was not found to be statistically significant (P = 0.218). Orthopedic surgeons had a statistical trend illustrating increased reimbursement for lumbar fusions specifically, $1187 versus $1073 (P = 0.07). Fellowship trained spinal surgeons also, on average, received more from Medicare ($125,407 vs. $76,551), but again this was not statistically significant (P = 0.112). A surgeon in private practice, on average, was reimbursed $137,495 while their academic counterparts were reimbursed $103,144 (P = 0.127). Surgeons performing cervical fusions in the Centers for Disease Control West Region did receive statistically significantly less reimbursement for that procedure then those surgeons in other parts of the country (P = 0.015). Surgeons in the West were reimbursed on average $849 for CPT code 22,551 while those in the Midwest received $1475 per procedure. Medicare reimbursement data are fundamentally flawed in determining healthcare expenditure as it shows a bias toward delivery of care in specific patient demographics. However, neurosurgeons, not just policy makers, must take ownership to analyze, investigate, and interpret these data as it will affect healthcare reimbursement and delivery moving forward.

76 FR 54599 - Medicare Program; Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Benefit Programs

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-01

... pricing, coverage, and payment processes in the Part D program, and requirements governing the marketing.... Camille Brown, (410) 786-0274, Marketing issues. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background The Balanced... the Secretary to revise the marketing requirements for Part C and Part D plans in several areas. MIPPA...

42 CFR 495.208 - Avoiding duplicate payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... PROGRAM Requirements Specific to Medicare Advantage (MA) Organizations § 495.208 Avoiding duplicate payment. (a) Unless a qualifying MA EP is entitled to a maximum payment for a year under the Medicare FFS EHR incentive program, payment for such an individual is only made under the MA EHR incentive program...

42 CFR 495.208 - Avoiding duplicate payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... PROGRAM Requirements Specific to Medicare Advantage (MA) Organizations § 495.208 Avoiding duplicate payment. (a) Unless a qualifying MA EP is entitled to a maximum payment for a year under the Medicare FFS EHR incentive program, payment for such an individual is only made under the MA EHR incentive program...

42 CFR 495.208 - Avoiding duplicate payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... PROGRAM Requirements Specific to Medicare Advantage (MA) Organizations § 495.208 Avoiding duplicate payment. (a) Unless a qualifying MA EP is entitled to a maximum payment for a year under the Medicare FFS EHR incentive program, payment for such an individual is only made under the MA EHR incentive program...

77 FR 70783 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Approval of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-27

...] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Approval of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC... announces our decision to approve the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) for... Ambulatory Health Care's (AAAHC) current term of approval for their ASC accreditation program expires on...

76 FR 41178 - Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-13

... Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare-- Supplementary Medical Insurance Program) Dated: July 7, 2011...), HHS. ACTION: Correction of proposed rule. SUMMARY: This document corrects technical errors that... explanation of publishing such Tables on the Internet), reflect an error in the calculation of the...

77 FR 49799 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-April Through June 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

...-Approved Lung JoAnna Baldwin, MS.. (410) 786-7205 Volume Reduction Surgery Facilities. XIV Medicare-Approved Kate Tillman, RN, (410) 786-9252 Bariatric Surgery MAS. Facilities. XV Fluorodeoxyglucose Stuart...

76 FR 68467 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-April Through June 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-04

...-Approved Lung JoAnna Baldwin, (410) 786-7205 Volume Reduction Surgery MS. Facilities. XIV Medicare-Approved Kate Tillman, RN, (410) 786-9252 Bariatric Surgery Facilities. MAS. XV Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron...

The Influence of Depression on Utilization of Cardiac Rehabilitation Post-Myocardial Infarction: A Study of 158,991 Medicare Beneficiaries

PubMed Central

Zullo, Melissa D.; Gathright, Emily C.; Dolansky, Mary A.; Josephson, Richard A.; Cheruvu, Vinay K.; Hughes, Joel W.

2016-01-01

Purpose On the basis of several small studies, depression is often considered a barrier to CR enrollment and program completion. The purpose of this research was to examine the association between depression diagnosis and participation in CR in a large sample of Medicare beneficiaries with recent myocardial infarction (MI). Methods This was a retrospective study of Medicare Beneficiaries with an MI during 2008 (n=158,991). CR enrollment was determined by the Carrier and Outpatient files using the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System #93797 or #93798. Depression diagnosis was obtained from the ICD-9 codes in the MEDPAR, Outpatient, and Carrier Files. The association between depression diagnosis and CR attendance was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Results Overall, 14% (n=22,735) of the study population attended CR within 1 year of MI diagnosis. Twenty-eight percent (n=43,827) had a diagnosis of depression with 96% of cases documented prior to enrollment in CR. Twenty-eight percent with a diagnosis of depression compared to 9% without depression attended CR. In adjusted analysis, patients with depression were 3.9 (99% confidence interval: 3.7, 4.2) times more likely to attend CR compared to those without depression. Program completion (≥ 25 sessions) was more common in those with depression (56%) than those without (35%; p < 0.001). Conclusions Diagnosis of depression in Medicare Beneficiaries was strongly associated with attending CR and attending more sessions of CR compared to those without depression. Depression is not a barrier to CR participation after MI in Medicare Beneficiaries. PMID:27755259

75 FR 58405 - Medicare Program; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education, October 13, 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-24

... beneficiaries * * * on the coverage options provided under [Medicare Advantage] in order to promote an active... Area Agencies on Aging; David W. Roberts, M.P.A.,Vice President, Government Relations, Healthcare...

76 FR 78741 - Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Programs; Transparency Reports and Reporting of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-19

... Vol. 76 Monday, No. 243 December 19, 2011 Part II Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Parts 402 and 403 Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health...; [[Page 78742

Reducing the Deficit: Spending and Revenue Options

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

the Conservation Reserve Program 25AgricultureOption 6 Reduce the Premium Subsidy in the Crop Insurance Program 26Option 7 Reduce by 20 Percentage...Graduate Students 31Option 11 Change the Interest Rate Structure for Student Loans 32HealthOption 12 Add a “Public Plan” to the Health Insurance Exchanges...Health Episodes Covered by Medicare 48Option 21 Reduce Medicare Costs by Changing the Cost-Sharing Structures for Medicare and Medigap Insurance 49Option

Medicare, Medicaid, and Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Budget Issues. Hearing before the Committee on Finance. United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, First Session (July 8 and 9, 1987). Part 1 of 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Finance.

This document presents witnesses' testimonies and prepared statements from two of three Senate hearings called to examine budget issues affecting the Medicare, Medicaid, and Maternal and Child Health Block Grant programs, including changes in the Medicare program necessary to reduce spending in accordance with the budget resolution and expansions…

Reforming funding for chronic illness: Medicare-CDM.

PubMed

Swerissen, Hal; Taylor, Michael J

2008-02-01

Chronic diseases are a major challenge for the Australian health care system in terms of both the provision of quality care and expenditure, and these challenges will only increase in the future. Various programs have been instituted under the Medicare system to provide increased funding for chronic care, but essentially these programs still follow the traditional fee-for-service model. This paper proposes a realignment and extension of current Medicare chronic disease management programs into a framework that provides general practitioners and other health professionals with the necessary "tools" for high quality care planning and ongoing management, and incorporating international models of outcome-linked funding. The integration of social support services with the Medicare system is also a necessary step in providing high quality care for patients with complex needs requiring additional support.

Medicare prescription drug coverage: Consumer information and preferences

PubMed Central

Winter, Joachim; Balza, Rowilma; Caro, Frank; Heiss, Florian; Jun, Byung-hill; Matzkin, Rosa; McFadden, Daniel

2006-01-01

We investigate prescription drug use, and information and enrollment intentions for the new Medicare Part D drug insurance program, using a sample of Medicare-eligible subjects surveyed before open enrollment began for this program. We find that, despite the complexity of competing plans offered by private insurers under Part D, a majority of the Medicare population had information on this program and a substantial majority planned to enroll. We find that virtually all elderly, even those with no current prescription drug use, can expect to benefit from enrollment in a Part D Standard plan at the low premiums available in the current market. However, there is a significant risk that many eligible seniors, particularly low-income elderly with poor health or cognitive impairment, will make poor enrollment and plan choices. PMID:16682629

The ESRD Quality Incentive Program—Can We Bridge the Chasm?

PubMed Central

Weiner, Daniel

2017-01-01

The ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP) is the first mandatory federal pay for performance program launched on January 1, 2012. The QIP is tied to the ESRD prospective payment system and mandated by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand the payment bundle for renal dialysis services and legislated that payment be tied to quality measures. The QIP links 2% of the payment that a dialysis facility receives for Medicare patients on dialysis to the facility’s performance on quality of care measures. Quality measures are evaluated annually for inclusion on the basis of importance, validity, and performance gap. Other quality assessment programs overlap with the QIP; all have substantial effects on provision of care as clinicians, patients, regulators, and dialysis organizations scramble to keep up with the frequent release of wide-ranging regulations. In this review, we provide an overview of quality assessment and quality measures, focusing on the ESRD QIP, its effect on care, and its potential future directions. We conclude that a patient-centered, individualized, and parsimonious approach to quality assessment needs to be maintained to allow the nephrology community to further bridge the quality chasm in dialysis care. PMID:28298324

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.

PubMed

2011-11-30

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.

75 FR 49215 - Medicare Program; End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-12

... new feature on http://www.medicare.gov that was modeled after Nursing Home Compare and continues to be... for the three finalized measures. We believe that this is the performance period that best balances...

Health care utilization among Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles: a count data analysis.

PubMed

Moon, Sangho; Shin, Jaeun

2006-04-05

Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles are the beneficiaries of both Medicare and Medicaid. Dual eligibles satisfy the eligibility conditions for Medicare benefit. Dual eligibles also qualify for Medicaid because they are aged, blind, or disabled and meet the income and asset requirements for receiving Supplement Security Income (SSI) assistance. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between dual eligibility and health care utilization among Medicare beneficiaries. The household component of the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 1996-2000 is used for the analysis. Total 8,262 Medicare beneficiaries are selected from the MEPS data. The Medicare beneficiary sample includes individuals who are covered by Medicare and do not have private health insurance during a given year. Zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model is used to analyse the count data regarding health care utilization: office-based physician visits, hospital inpatient nights, agency-sponsored home health provider days, and total dental visits. Dual eligibility is positively correlated with the likelihood of using hospital inpatient care and agency-sponsored home health services and the frequency of agency-sponsored home health days. Frequency of dental visits is inversely associated with dual eligibility. With respect to racial differences, dually eligible Afro-Americans use more office-based physician and dental services than white duals. Asian duals use more home health services than white duals at the 5% statistical significance level. The dual eligibility programs seem particularly beneficial to Afro-American duals. Dual eligibility has varied impact on health care utilization across service types. More utilization of home healthcare among dual eligibles appears to be the result of delayed realization of their unmet healthcare needs under the traditional Medicare-only program rather than the result of overutilization in response to the expanded benefits of the dual eligibility program. The dual eligibility program is particularly beneficial to Asian and Afro-American duals in association with the provision of home healthcare and dental benefits.

Medicare Contracting Risk/Medicare Risk Contracting: A Life-Cycle View from Twelve Markets

PubMed Central

Hurley, Robert E; Grossman, Joy M; Strunk, Bradley C

2003-01-01

Objective To examine the evolution of the Medicare HMO program from 1996 to 2001 in 12 nationally representative urban markets by exploring how the separate and confluent influences of government policy initiatives and health plans' strategic aims and operational experience affected the availability of HMOs to Medicare beneficiaries. Data Source Qualitative data gathered from 12 nationally representative urban communities with more than 200,000 residents each, in tandem with quantitative information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other sources. Study Design Detailed interview protocols, developed as part of the multiyear, multimethod Community Tracking Study of the Center for Studying Health System Change, were used to conduct three rounds of interviews (1996, 1998, and 2000–2001) with health plans and providers in 12 nationally representative urban communities. A special focus during the third round of interviews was on gathering information related to Medicare HMOs' experience in the previous four years. This information was used to build on previous research to develop a longitudinal perspective on health plans' experience in Medicare's HMO program. Principal Findings From 1996 to 2001, the activities and expectations of health plans in local markets underwent a rapid and dramatic transition from enthusiasm for the Medicare HMO product, to abrupt reconsideration of interest corresponding to changes in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, on to significant retrenchment and disillusionment. Policy developments were important in their own right, but they also interacted with shifts in the strategic aims and operational experiences of health plans that reflect responses to insurance underwriting cycle pressures and pushback from providers. Conclusion The Medicare HMO program went through a substantial reversal of fortune during the study period, raising doubts about whether its downward course can be altered. Market-level analysis reveals that virtually all momentum for the program has been lost and that enrollment is shrinking back to the levels and locations found in the mid-1990s. PMID:12650373

Medicare contracting risk/Medicare risk contracting: a life-cycle view from twelve markets.

PubMed

Hurley, Robert E; Grossman, Joy M; Strunk, Bradley C

2003-02-01

To examine the evolution of the Medicare HMO program from 1996 to 2001 in 12 nationally representative urban markets by exploring how the separate and confluent influences of government policy initiatives and health plans' strategic aims and operational experience affected the availability of HMOs to Medicare beneficiaries. Qualitative data gathered from 12 nationally representative urban communities with more than 200,000 residents each, in tandem with quantitative information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other sources. Detailed interview protocols, developed as part of the multiyear, multimethod Community Tracking Study of the Center for Studying Health System Change, were used to conduct three rounds of interviews (1996, 1998, and 2000-2001) with health plans and providers in 12 nationally representative urban communities. A special focus during the third round of interviews was on gathering information related to Medicare HMOs' experience in the previous four years. This information was used to build on previous research to develop a longitudinal perspective on health plans' experience in Medicare's HMO program. From 1996 to 2001, the activities and expectations of health plans in local markets underwent a rapid and dramatic transition from enthusiasm for the Medicare HMO product, to abrupt reconsideration of interest corresponding to changes in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, on to significant retrenchment and disillusionment. Policy developments were important in their own right, but they also interacted with shifts in the strategic aims and operational experiences of health plans that reflect responses to insurance underwriting cycle pressures and pushback from providers. The Medicare HMO program went through a substantial reversal of fortune during the study period, raising doubts about whether its downward course can be altered. Market-level analysis reveals that virtually all momentum for the program has been lost and that enrollment is shrinking back to the levels and locations found in the mid-1990s.

42 CFR 423.466 - Timeframes for coordination of benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Section 423.466 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Coordination of Part D...) Retroactive claims adjustments, underpayment refunds, and overpayment recoveries. Whenever a sponsor receives...

42 CFR 423.150 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Scope. 423.150 Section 423.150 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality Improvement Requirements...

42 CFR 423.168 - Accreditation organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accreditation organizations. 423.168 Section 423.168 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality...

75 FR 43178 - Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Imaging Demonstration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-23

..., medical specialty societies, physician groups, integrated health care delivery systems, independent practice associations, radiology benefit managers, health plans, information technology vendors, and... societies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) worked with medical specialty societies and...

The first 3 years of Medicare prospective payment: An overview

PubMed Central

Guterman, Stuart; Eggers, Paul W.; Riley, Gerald; Greene, Timothy F.; Terrell, Sherry A.

1988-01-01

This article provides a synopsis of the available evidence on the impact of the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for hospitals over the first 3 years of its implementation. The impact of PPS on hospitals, Medicare beneficiaries, post-hospital care, other payers for inpatient hospital services, other health care providers, and Medicare program operations and expenditures is examined. PMID:10312519

Improving Medicare coverage of psychological services for older Americans.

PubMed

Karlin, Bradley E; Humphreys, Keith

2007-10-01

Professional psychology's ability to meet older Americans' psychological needs and to simultaneously thrive as a profession will be closely tied to the federal Medicare program over the coming decades. Despite legislative changes in the 1980s providing professional autonomy to psychologists and expanding coverage for mental health services, Medicare coverage policies, reimbursement mechanisms, and organizational traditions continue to limit older Americans' access to psychological services. This article describes how psychologists can influence Medicare coverage policy. Specifically, the authors examine widely unrecognized policy processes and recent political developments and analyze the recent creation of a new Medicare counseling benefit, applying J. W. Kingdon's (1995) well-known model of policy change. These recent developments offer new opportunities for expanding Medicare coverage of psychological services, particularly in the areas of prevention, screening, and early intervention. The article provides an analysis to guide psychologists in engaging in strategic advocacy and incorporating psychological prevention and early intervention services into Medicare. As Medicare policy entrepreneurs, psychologists can improve the well-being of millions of Americans who rely on the national health insurance program and, in so doing, can help shape the future practice of psychology. Copyright 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse regulations.

PubMed

Liang, F Z; Black, B L

1991-11-01

Specific business arrangements that are protected under legislation and regulations governing parties doing business with Medicare or Medicaid are discussed. Regulations implementing the Medicare and Medicaid Patient Protection Act of 1987 specify practices and activities that are not subject to criminal penalties under the antikickback provisions of the Social Security Act or to exclusion from Medicare or state health-care programs. As of July 29, 1991, all organized health-care settings that receive payments from either Medicare or state health-care programs must comply with these regulations. The final rule sets forth "safe harbors"--exceptions to prohibitions against (1) kickbacks, bribes, rebates, and other illegal activities involving remunerations for patient referrals and (2) inducements to purchase or lease goods paid for by Medicare or state health-care programs. The safe harbors comprise 11 broad categories--investment interests, space rental, equipment rental, personal services and management contracts, purchase of a medical practice, referral services, warranties, discounts, employees, group purchasing organizations, and waiver of deductibles and coinsurance. Implications for pharmacy are discussed. These regulations will affect the purchase of pharmaceuticals by institutional pharmacies. Each institution should review its current practices to determine whether they are within the safe harbors.

Competitive pricing and the challenge of cost control in medicare.

PubMed

Coulam, Robert F; Feldman, Roger D; Dowd, Bryan E

2011-08-01

The Medicare program faces a serious challenge: it must find ways to control costs but must do so through a system of congressional oversight that necessarily limits its choices. We look at one approach to prudent purchasing - competitive pricing - that Medicare has attempted many times and in various ways since the beginning of the program, and in all but one case unsuccessfully due to the politics of provider opposition working through Congress and the courts. We look at some related efforts to change Medicare pricing to explore when the program has been successful in making dramatic changes in how it pays for health care. A set of recommendations emerges for ways to respond to the impediments of law and politics that have obstructed change to more efficient payment methods. Except in unusual cases, competitive pricing threatens too many stakeholders in too many ways for key political actors to support it. But an unusual case may arise in the coming Medicare fiscal crisis, a crisis related in part to the prices Medicare pays. At that point, competitive pricing may look less like a problem and more like a solution coming at a time when the system badly needs one.

Physician Quality Reporting System Program Updates and the Impact on Emergency Medicine Practice

PubMed Central

Wiler, Jennifer L.; Granovsky, Michael; Cantrill, Stephen V.; Newell, Richard; Venkatesh, Arjun K.; Schuur, Jeremiah D.

2016-01-01

In 2007, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) created a novel payment program to create incentives for physician’s to focus on quality of care measures and report quality performance for the first time. Initially termed “The Physician Voluntary Reporting Program,” various Congressional actions, including the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA) and Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) further strengthened and ensconced this program, eventually leading to the quality program termed today as the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS). As a result of passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the PQRS program has expanded to include both the “traditional PQRS” reporting program and the newer “Value Modifier” program (VM). For the first time, these programs were designed to include pay-for-performance incentives for all physicians providing care to Medicare beneficiaries and to measure the cost of care. The recent passage of the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act in March of 2015 includes changes to these payment programs that will have an even more profound impact on emergency care providers. We describe the implications of these important federal policy changes for emergency physicians. PMID:26973757

42 CFR § 510.320 - Treatment of incentive programs or add-on payments under existing Medicare payment systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2017-10-01

... INFRASTRUCTURE AND MODEL PROGRAMS COMPREHENSIVE CARE FOR JOINT REPLACEMENT MODEL Pricing and Payment § 510.320 Treatment of incentive programs or add-on payments under existing Medicare payment systems. The CJR model... 42 Public Health 5 2017-10-01 2017-10-01 false Treatment of incentive programs or add-on payments...

42 CFR § 510.320 - Treatment of incentive programs or add-on payments under existing Medicare payment systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2016-10-01

... INFRASTRUCTURE AND MODEL PROGRAMS COMPREHENSIVE CARE FOR JOINT REPLACEMENT MODEL Pricing and Payment § 510.320 Treatment of incentive programs or add-on payments under existing Medicare payment systems. The CJR model... 42 Public Health 5 2016-10-01 2016-10-01 false Treatment of incentive programs or add-on payments...

Physician Reimbursement in Medicare Advantage Compared With Traditional Medicare and Commercial Health Insurance.

PubMed

Trish, Erin; Ginsburg, Paul; Gascue, Laura; Joyce, Geoffrey

2017-09-01

Nearly one-third of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, yet little is known about the prices that MA plans pay for physician services. Medicare Advantage insurers typically also sell commercial plans, and the extent to which MA physician reimbursement reflects traditional Medicare (TM) rates vs negotiated commercial prices is unclear. To compare prices paid for physician and other health care services in MA, traditional Medicare, and commercial plans. Retrospective analysis of claims data evaluating MA prices paid to physicians and for laboratory services and durable medical equipment between 2007 and 2012 in 348 US core-based statistical areas. The study population included all MA and commercial enrollees with a large national health insurer operating in both markets, as well as a 20% sample of TM beneficiaries. Enrollment in an MA plan. Mean reimbursement paid to physicians, laboratories, and durable medical equipment suppliers for MA and commercial enrollees relative to TM rates for 11 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding Systems (HCPCS) codes spanning 7 sites of care. The sample consisted of 144 million claims. Physician reimbursement in MA was more strongly tied to TM rates than commercial prices, although MA plans tended to pay physicians less than TM. For a mid-level office visit with an established patient (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] code 99213), the mean MA price was 96.9% (95% CI, 96.7%-97.2%) of TM. Across the common physician services we evaluated, mean MA reimbursement ranged from 91.3% of TM for cataract removal in an ambulatory surgery center (CPT 66984; 95% CI, 90.7%-91.9%) to 102.3% of TM for complex evaluation and management of a patient in the emergency department (CPT 99285; 95% CI, 102.1%-102.6%). However, for laboratory services and durable medical equipment, where commercial prices are lower than TM rates, MA plans take advantage of these lower commercial prices, ranging from 67.4% for a walker (HCPCS code E0143; 95% CI, 66.3%-68.5%) to 75.8% for a complete blood cell count (CPT 85025; 95% CI, 75.0%-76.6%). Traditional Medicare's administratively set rates act as a strong anchor for physician reimbursement in the MA market, although MA plans succeed in negotiating lower prices for other health care services for which TM overpays. Reforms that transition the Medicare program toward some premium support models could substantially affect how physicians and other clinicians are paid.

76 FR 26341 - Medicaid Program; Methods for Assuring Access to Covered Medicaid Services

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-06

... Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Part 447 Medicare Program; Methods for Assuring Access to Covered... Services 42 CFR Part 447 [CMS 2328-P] RIN 0938-AQ54 Medicaid Program; Methods for Assuring Access to... design the procedures for enrolling providers of such care, and to set the methods for establishing...

75 FR 73090 - Medicare Program; Listening Session on Development of Additional Imaging Efficiency Measures for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-29

... Hospital Outpatient Quality Data Reporting Program AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS... Quality Data Reporting Program (HOP QDRP), which is authorized under section 1833(t)(17) of the Social... participate either in person or via teleconference. The meeting is open to the public, but attendance is...

77 FR 33547 - Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Computer Matching Program (SSA/Centers for Medicare and Medicaid...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-06

... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION [Docket No. SSA 2012-0015] Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Computer Matching Program (SSA/ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS))--Match Number 1094 AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA). ACTION: Notice of a new computer matching program that will expire...

78 FR 26036 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Application From the Accreditation Commission for Health Care for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-03

...] Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Application From the Accreditation Commission for Health Care for Continued... from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for continued recognition as a national... program every 6 years or as determined by CMS. The Accreditation Commission for Health Care's (ACHC's...

75 FR 70013 - Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-16

... Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare-- Supplementary Medical Insurance Program) Dated: November 9...: Correction notice. SUMMARY: This document corrects a technical error that appeared in the notice published in... of July 22, 2010 (75 FR 42836), there was a technical error that we are identifying and correcting in...

78 FR 57857 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application from the Compliance Team for Initial CMS-Approval of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-20

...] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application from the Compliance Team for Initial CMS-Approval of its Rural... Compliance Team for initial recognition as a national accrediting organization for rural health clinics (RHCs... Compliance Team's request for initial CMS approval of its RHC accreditation program. This notice also...

42 CFR 420.204 - Principals convicted of a program-related crime.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... the identity of any person who: (1) Has an ownership or control interest in the provider or part B... to involvement in the Medicare, Medicaid, title V or title XX social services program, since the... Medicare, Medicaid, title V or title XX social services programs. In making this decision, CMS considers...

42 CFR 403.300 - Basis and purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS Recognition of State Reimbursement Control Systems § 403.300 Basis... control system must meet in order to be approved by CMS; (2) A description of CMS's review and evaluation...

42 CFR 422.566 - Organization determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Organization determinations. 422.566 Section 422... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Grievances, Organization Determinations and Appeals § 422.566 Organization determinations. (a) Responsibilities of the MA organization. Each MA organization...

42 CFR 414.908 - Competitive acquisition program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

.... (J) Beneficiary Medicare information/Health insurance (HIC) number. (K) Supplementary insurance... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Competitive acquisition program. 414.908 Section 414.908 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN...

42 CFR 414.908 - Competitive acquisition program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

.... (J) Beneficiary Medicare information/Health insurance (HIC) number. (K) Supplementary insurance... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Competitive acquisition program. 414.908 Section 414.908 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN...

Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Large-Scale Readmission Reduction Program.

PubMed

Jenq, Grace Y; Doyle, Margaret M; Belton, Beverly M; Herrin, Jeph; Horwitz, Leora I

2016-05-01

Feasibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of large-scale readmission reduction efforts are uncertain. The Greater New Haven Coalition for Safe Transitions and Readmission Reductions was funded by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce readmissions among all discharged Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) patients. To evaluate whether overall Medicare FFS readmissions were reduced through an intervention applied to high-risk discharge patients. This quasi-experimental evaluation took place at an urban academic medical center. Target discharge patients were older than 64 years with Medicare FFS insurance, residing in nearby zip codes, and discharged alive to home or facility and not against medical advice or to hospice; control discharge patients were older than 54 years with the same zip codes and discharge disposition but without Medicare FFS insurance if older than 64 years. High-risk target discharge patients were selectively enrolled in the program. Personalized transitional care, including education, medication reconciliation, follow-up telephone calls, and linkage to community resources. We measured the 30-day unplanned same-hospital readmission rates in the baseline period (May 1, 2011, through April 30, 2012) and intervention period (October 1, 2012, through May 31, 2014). We enrolled 10 621 (58.3%) of 18 223 target discharge patients (73.9% of discharge patients screened as high risk) and included all target discharge patients in the analysis. The mean (SD) age of the target discharge patients was 79.7 (8.8) years. The adjusted readmission rate decreased from 21.5% to 19.5% in the target population and from 21.1% to 21.0% in the control population, a relative reduction of 9.3%. The number needed to treat to avoid 1 readmission was 50. In a difference-in-differences analysis using a logistic regression model, the odds of readmission in the target population decreased significantly more than that of the control population in the intervention period (odds ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99; P = .03). In a comparative interrupted time series analysis of the difference in monthly adjusted admission rates, the target population decreased an absolute -3.09 (95% CI, -6.47 to 0.29; P = .07) relative to the control population, a similar but nonsignificant effect. This large-scale readmission reduction program reduced readmissions by 9.3% among the full population targeted by the CMS despite being delivered only to high-risk patients. However, it did not achieve the goal reduction set by the CMS.

The Role of Geography in the Assessment of Quality: Evidence from the Medicare Advantage Program.

PubMed

Soria-Saucedo, Rene; Xu, Peng; Newsom, Jack; Cabral, Howard; Kazis, Lewis E

2016-01-01

The Affordable Care Act set in motion a renewed emphasis on quality of care evaluation. However, the evaluation strategies of quality by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services do not consider geography when comparisons are made among plans. Using an overall measure of a plan's quality in the public sector--the Medicare Advantage (MA) star ratings--we explored the impact of geography in these ratings. We identified 2,872 U.S counties in 2010. The geographic factor predicted a larger fraction of the MA ratings' compared to socio-demographic factors which explained less. Also, after the risk adjustments, almost half of the U.S. states changed their ranked position in the star ratings. Further, lower MA star ratings were identified in the Southeastern region. These findings suggest that the geographic component effect on the ratings is not trivial and should be considered in future adjustments of the metric, which may enhance the transparency, accountability, and importantly level the playing field more effectively when comparing quality across health plans.

The Role of Geography in the Assessment of Quality: Evidence from the Medicare Advantage Program

PubMed Central

Soria-Saucedo, Rene; Xu, Peng; Newsom, Jack; Cabral, Howard; Kazis, Lewis E.

2016-01-01

The Affordable Care Act set in motion a renewed emphasis on quality of care evaluation. However, the evaluation strategies of quality by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services do not consider geography when comparisons are made among plans. Using an overall measure of a plan’s quality in the public sector—the Medicare Advantage (MA) star ratings—we explored the impact of geography in these ratings. We identified 2,872 U.S counties in 2010. The geographic factor predicted a larger fraction of the MA ratings’ compared to socio-demographic factors which explained less. Also, after the risk adjustments, almost half of the U.S. states changed their ranked position in the star ratings. Further, lower MA star ratings were identified in the Southeastern region. These findings suggest that the geographic component effect on the ratings is not trivial and should be considered in future adjustments of the metric, which may enhance the transparency, accountability, and importantly level the playing field more effectively when comparing quality across health plans. PMID:26727371

The welfare impact of Medicare HMOs.

PubMed

Town, Robert; Liu, Su

2003-01-01

We estimate the welfare associated with the Medicare HMO program, now known as Medicare+Choice (M+C). We find that the creation of the M+C program resulted in approximately $15.6 billion in consumer surplus and $52 billion in profits from 1993 to 2000 (in 2000 dollars). This program most likely generated significant net social welfare. However, we find that consumer surplus is geographically unevenly distributed. Prescription drug coverage accounts for approximately 45% of the estimated consumer surplus for 2000. Consumer surplus increases in the number of plans in a county, and most of the increase in welfare is due to increased premium competition.

42 CFR 423.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Appeal rights. 423.1006 Section 423.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 423.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Appeal rights. 423.1006 Section 423.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 423.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Appeal rights. 423.1006 Section 423.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money Penalties...

42 CFR 423.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Appeal rights. 423.1006 Section 423.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money Penalties...

42 CFR 423.1006 - Appeal rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Appeal rights. 423.1006 Section 423.1006 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 423.156 - Consumer satisfaction surveys.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Consumer satisfaction surveys. 423.156 Section 423.156 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality...

42 CFR 423.162 - Quality improvement organization activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quality improvement organization activities. 423.162 Section 423.162 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control...

42 CFR 423.774 - Eligibility determinations, redeterminations, and applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Eligibility determinations, redeterminations, and applications. 423.774 Section 423.774 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT...

42 CFR 417.400 - Basis and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) MEDICARE PROGRAM HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS Qualifying Conditions for Medicare Contracts § 417.400 Basis and scope. (a) Statutory basis. The... CMPs that contract with CMS to furnish covered services to Medicare beneficiaries. (b) Scope. (1) This...

Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Short Inpatient Hospital Stays; Transition for Certain Medicare-Dependent, Small Rural Hospitals Under the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System; Provider Administrative Appeals and Judicial Review. Final rule with comment period; final rule.

PubMed

2015-11-13

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 2016 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 and the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program. Further, this document includes certain finalized policies relating to the hospital inpatient prospective payment system: Changes to the 2-midnight rule under the short inpatient hospital stay policy; and a payment transition for hospitals that lost their status as a Medicare-dependent, small rural hospital (MDH) because they are no longer in a rural area due to the implementation of the new Office of Management and Budget delineations in FY 2015 and have not reclassified from urban to rural before January 1, 2016. In addition, this document contains a final rule that finalizes certain 2015 proposals, and addresses public comments received, relating to the changes in the Medicare regulations governing provider administrative appeals and judicial review relating to appropriate claims in provider cost reports.

Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2017 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Graduate Medical Education; Hospital Notification Procedures Applicable to Beneficiaries Receiving Observation Services; Technical Changes Relating to Costs to Organizations and Medicare Cost Reports; Finalization of Interim Final Rules With Comment Period on LTCH PPS Payments for Severe Wounds, Modifications of Limitations on Redesignation by the Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board, and Extensions of Payments to MDHs and Low-Volume Hospitals. Final rule.

PubMed

2016-08-22

We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems for FY 2017. Some of these changes will implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Reform Act of 2013, the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014, the Notice of Observation Treatment and Implications for Care Eligibility Act of 2015, and other legislation. We also are providing the estimated market basket update to apply to the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits for FY 2017. We are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for FY 2017. In addition, we are making changes relating to direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education payments; establishing new requirements or revising existing requirements for quality reporting by specific Medicare providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, LTCHs, and inpatient psychiatric facilities), including related provisions for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; updating policies relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program; implementing statutory provisions that require hospitals and CAHs to furnish notification to Medicare beneficiaries, including Medicare Advantage enrollees, when the beneficiaries receive outpatient observation services for more than 24 hours; announcing the implementation of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project Demonstration; and making technical corrections and changes to regulations relating to costs to related organizations and Medicare cost reports; we are providing notice of the closure of three teaching hospitals and the opportunity to apply for available GME resident slots under section 5506 of the Affordable Care Act. We are finalizing the provisions of interim final rules with comment period that relate to a temporary exception for certain wound care discharges from the application of the site neutral payment rate under the LTCH PPS for certain LTCHs; application of two judicial decisions relating to modifications of limitations on redesignation by the Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board; and legislative extensions of the Medicare-dependent, small rural hospital program and changes to the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals.

Medicare prescription drug discount cards.

PubMed

Bryant, Natasha

2004-01-01

With the passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 came the creation of a Part D drug benefit through Medicare. Until that benefit is implemented, Medicare has established a drug discount card program to help your clients save money on their outpatient prescription drug expenses. In this brief, we discuss the Medicare-approved discount cards--who is eligible, how they work, how your clients can best make important decisions about them, and what help is out there for people with low incomes.

78 FR 78802 - Medicare Program; Right of Appeal for Medicare Secondary Payer Determination Relating to...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-27

...This proposed rule would implement provisions of the Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2012 (SMART Act) which require us to provide a right of appeal and an appeal process for liability insurance (including self-insurance), no-fault insurance, and workers' compensation laws or plans when Medicare pursues a Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) recovery claim directly from the liability insurance (including self-insurance), no fault insurance, or workers' compensation law or plan.

Impacts of a disease management program for dually eligible beneficiaries.

PubMed

Esposito, Dominick; Brown, Randall; Chen, Arnold; Schore, Jennifer; Shapiro, Rachel

2008-01-01

The LifeMasters Supported SelfCare demonstration program provides disease management (DM) services to Florida Medicare beneficiaries who are also enrolled in Medicaid and have congestive heart failure (CHF), diabetes, or coronary artery disease (CAD). The population-based program provides primarily telephonic patient education and monitoring services. Findings from the randomized, intent-to-treat design over the first 18 months of operations show virtually no overall impacts on hospital or emergency room (ER) use, Medicare expenditures, quality of care, or prescription drug use for the 33,000 enrollees. However, for beneficiaries with CHF who resided in high-cost South Florida counties, the program reduced Medicare expenditures by 9.6 percent.

Association Between Medicare Accountable Care Organization Implementation and Spending Among Clinically Vulnerable Beneficiaries

PubMed Central

Colla, Carrie H.; Lewis, Valerie A.; Kao, Lee-Sien; O’Malley, A. James; Chang, Chiang-Hua; Fisher, Elliott S.

2016-01-01

IMPORTANCE Accountable care contracts hold physician groups financially responsible for the quality and cost of health care delivered to patients. Focusing on clinically vulnerable patients, those with serious conditions who are responsible for the greatest proportion of spending, may result in the largest effects on both patient outcomes and financial rewards for participating physician groups. OBJECTIVE To estimate the effect of Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) contracts on spending and high-cost institutional use for all Medicare beneficiaries and for clinically vulnerable beneficiaries. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS For this cohort study, 2 study populations were defined: the overall Medicare population and the clinically vulnerable subgroup of Medicare beneficiaries. The overall Medicare population was based on a random 40% sample drawn from continuously enrolled fee-for-service beneficiaries with at least 1 evaluation and management visit in a calendar year. The clinically vulnerable study population included all Medicare beneficiaries 66 years or older who had at least 3 Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs). Beneficiaries entered the cohort during the quarter between January 2009 to December 2011 when they first had at least 3 HCCs and remained in the cohort until death. Cohort entry was restricted to the preperiod to account for potential changes in coding practices after ACO implementation. Difference-in-difference estimations were used to compare changes in health care outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries attributed to physicians in ACOs with those attributed to non-ACO physicians from January 2009 to December 2013. EXPOSURES Medicare ACOs beginning contracts in January 2012, April 2012, July 2012, and January 2013 through the Pioneer and Medicare Shared Savings Programs. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Total spending per beneficiary-quarter, spending categories, use of hospitals and emergency departments, ambulatory care sensitive admissions, and 30-day readmissions. RESULTS Total spending decreased by $34 (95% CI, −$52 to −$15) per beneficiary-quarter after ACO contract implementation across the overall Medicare population (n = 15 592 600) and decreased $114 in clinically vulnerable patients (n = 8 673 823) (95% CI, −$178 to −$50). In the overall Medicare cohort, hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased by 1.3 and 3.0 events per 1000 beneficiaries per quarter, respectively (95% CIs: −2.1 to −0.4 and −4.8 to −1.3), and hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased in the clinically vulnerable cohort by 2.9 and 4.1 events per 1000 beneficiaries per quarter, respectively (95% CIs: −5.2 to −0.7 and −7.1 to −1.2). Changes in total spending associated with ACOs did not vary by clinical condition of beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Medicare ACO programs are associated with modest reductions in spending and use of hospitals and emergency departments. Savings were realized through reductions in use of institutional settings in clinically vulnerable patients. PMID:27322485

76 FR 18766 - Early Retiree Reinsurance Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-05

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS-9996-N] Early Retiree Reinsurance Program AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces that CMS is exercising its authority under section 1102(f) of the...

42 CFR 422.102 - Supplemental benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Supplemental benefits. 422.102 Section 422.102... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Benefits and Beneficiary Protections § 422.102 Supplemental benefits. (a) Mandatory supplemental benefits. (1) Subject to CMS approval, an MA...

42 CFR 422.102 - Supplemental benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Supplemental benefits. 422.102 Section 422.102... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Benefits and Beneficiary Protections § 422.102 Supplemental benefits. (a) Mandatory supplemental benefits. (1) Subject to CMS approval, an MA...

42 CFR 422.102 - Supplemental benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Supplemental benefits. 422.102 Section 422.102... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Benefits and Beneficiary Protections § 422.102 Supplemental benefits. (a) Mandatory supplemental benefits. (1) Subject to CMS approval, an MA...

Care coordination for children with special needs in Medicaid: lessons from Medicare.

PubMed

Stewart, Kate A; Bradley, Katharine W V; Zickafoose, Joseph S; Hildrich, Rachel; Ireys, Henry T; Brown, Randall S

2018-04-01

To provide actionable recommendations for improving care coordination programs for children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) in Medicaid managed care.  Literature review and interviews with stakeholders and policy experts to adapt lessons learned from Medicare care coordination programs for CSHCN in Medicaid managed care. We reviewed syntheses of research on Medicare care coordination programs to identify lessons learned from successful programs. We adapted findings from Medicare to CSHCN in Medicaid based on an environmental scan and discussions with experts. The scan focused on Medicaid financing and eligibility for care coordination and how these intersect with Medicaid managed care. The expert discussions included pediatricians, Medicaid policy experts, Medicaid medical directors, and a former managed care executive, all experienced in care coordination for CSHCN. We found 6 elements that are consistently associated with improved outcomes from Medicare care coordination programs and relevant to CSHCN in Medicaid: 1) identifying and targeting high-risk patients, 2) clearly articulating what outcomes programs are likely to improve, 3) encouraging active engagement between care coordinators and primary care providers, 4) requiring some in-person contact between care coordinators and patients, 5) facilitating information sharing among providers, and 6) supplementing care coordinators' expertise with that of other clinical experts. States and Medicaid managed care organizations have many options for designing effective care coordination programs for CSHCN. Their choices should account for the diversity of conditions among CSHCN, families' capacity to coordinate care, and social determinants of health.

42 CFR 423.1062 - Dismissal for cause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dismissal for cause. 423.1062 Section 423.1062 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 423.1062 - Dismissal for cause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dismissal for cause. 423.1062 Section 423.1062 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 423.160 - Standards for electronic prescribing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standards for electronic prescribing. 423.160 Section 423.160 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost Control and Quality...

42 CFR 423.773 - Requirements for eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Requirements for eligibility. 423.773 Section 423.773 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Premiums and Cost-Sharing Subsidies...

42 CFR 423.1014 - Charge for transcripts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Charge for transcripts. 423.1014 Section 423.1014 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 423.1046 - Conduct of hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Conduct of hearing. 423.1046 Section 423.1046 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money...

42 CFR 403.310 - Reduction in payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS Recognition of State Reimbursement Control Systems § 403.310... amount by which the Medicare payments under the system exceed the amount of Medicare payments to such...

42 CFR 417.456 - Refunds to Medicare enrollees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS Enrollment, Entitlement, and Disenrollment under Medicare Contract § 417.456 Refunds to... accordance with paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section by the end of the contract period following the...

The financial status of Medicare.

PubMed Central

Foster, R S

1998-01-01

Medicare is the largest health care program in the country, providing medical care to 38 million aged and disabled Americans. Concerns over rapid cost increases and the imminent insolvency of the Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund led to enactment of sweeping Medicare legislation as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Preliminary estimates indicate that this legislation will result in program savings of $150 billion in the first five years and will postpone the depletion of the Hospital Insurance fund from the year 2001 until about 2010. While the Balanced Budget Act significantly reduces Hospital Insurance expenditure in the long range, serious deficits are still expected when the "baby boom" generation reaches retirement. The Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance trust fund is automatically in financial balance, but policy makers remain concerned about continuing rapid cost increases. A new National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare will attempt to determine effective solutions to these long-range problems. Images p110-a p111-a p111-b PMID:9719810

Choice Inconsistencies Among the Elderly: Evidence from Plan Choice in the Medicare Part D Program

PubMed Central

Abaluck, Jason; Gruber, Jonathan

2010-01-01

We evaluate the choices of elders across their insurance options under the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan, using a unique data set of prescription drug claims matched to information on the characteristics of choice sets. We document that elders place much more weight on plan premiums than on expected out of pocket costs; value plan financial characteristics beyond any impacts on their own financial expenses or risk; and place almost no value on variance reducing aspects of plans. Partial equilibrium welfare analysis implies that welfare would have been 27% higher if patients had all chosen rationally. PMID:21857716

76 FR 42771 - Medicare Program; Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-19

...--Association of Freestanding Radiation Oncology Centers AFS--Ambulance Fee Schedule AHA--American Heart...) Update Committee AMA-DE--American Medical Association Drug Evaluations AMI--Acute Myocardial Infarction.../Low-density lipoprotein HDRT--High dose radiation therapy HEMS--Helicopter Emergency Medical Services...

42 CFR 457.720 - State plan requirement: State assurance regarding data collection, records, and reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... data collection, records, and reports. 457.720 Section 457.720 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE... PROGRAMS (SCHIPs) ALLOTMENTS AND GRANTS TO STATES Strategic Planning, Reporting, and Evaluation § 457.720 State plan requirement: State assurance regarding data collection, records, and reports. A State plan...

76 FR 42169 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment; Ambulatory Surgical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-18

...This proposed rule would revise the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this proposed rule, we describe the proposed changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare hospital outpatient services paid under the OPPS. These proposed changes would be applicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 2012. In addition, this proposed rule would update 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 proposed rule, we set forth the proposed relative payment weights and payment amounts for services furnished in ASCs, specific HCPCS codes to which these proposed changes would apply, and other proposed ratesetting information for the CY 2012 ASC payment system. These proposed changes would be applicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 2012. We are proposing to revise the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program, add new requirements for ASC Quality Reporting System, and make additional changes to provisions of the Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. We also are proposing to allow 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. In addition, we are proposing to make 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.

75 FR 65282 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Requirements for Long Term Care Facilities; Hospice Services

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-22

... to qualify to participate as a skilled nursing facility (SNF) in the Medicare program, or as a nursing facility (NF) in the Medicaid program. We are proposing these requirements to ensure that long... According to CMS data, at any point in time, approximately 1.4 million elderly and disabled nursing home...

78 FR 25013 - Medicare Program; Requirements for the Medicare Incentive Reward Program and Provider Enrollment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-29

...This proposed rule would revise the Incentive Reward Program provisions in Sec. 420.405 and certain provider enrollment requirements in part 424, subpart P. The most significant of these revisions include: changing the Incentive Reward Program potential reward amount for information on individuals and entities who are or have engaged in acts or omissions which resulted in the imposition of a sanction from 10 percent of the overpayments recovered in the case or $1,000, whichever is less, to 15 percent of the final amount collected applied to the first $66,000,000 for the sanctionable conduct; expanding the instances in which a felony conviction can serve as a basis for denial or revocation of a provider or supplier's enrollment; if certain criteria are met, enabling us to deny enrollment if the enrolling provider, supplier, or owner thereof had an ownership relationship with a previously enrolled provider or supplier that had a Medicare debt; enabling us to revoke Medicare billing privileges if we determine that the provider or supplier has a pattern or practice of submitting claims for services that fail to meet Medicare requirements; and limiting the ability of ambulance suppliers to ``backbill'' for services performed prior to enrollment. We believe this proposed rule would--increase the incentive for individuals to report information on individuals and entities that have or are engaged in sanctionable conduct; improve our ability to detect new fraud schemes; and help us ensure that fraudulent entities and individuals do not enroll in or maintain their enrollment in the Medicare program.

Cancer Stage at Diagnosis and Survival among Persons with Social Security Disability Insurance on Medicare

PubMed Central

McCarthy, Ellen P; Ngo, Long H; Chirikos, Thomas N; Roetzheim, Richard G; Li, Donglin; Drews, Reed E; Iezzoni, Lisa I

2007-01-01

Objective To examine stage at diagnosis and survival for disabled Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer under age 65 and compare their experiences with those of other persons diagnosed under age 65. Data Sources Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data and SEER-Medicare linked data for 1988–1999. SEER-11 Program includes 11 population-based tumor registries collecting information on all incident cancers in catchment areas. Tumor registry and Medicare data are linked for persons enrolled in Medicare. Study Design 307,595 incident cases of non-small cell lung (51,963), colorectal (52,092), breast (142,281), and prostate (61,259) cancer diagnosed in persons under age 65 from 1988 to 1999. Persons who qualified for Social Security Disability Insurance and had Medicare (SSDI/Medicare) were identified from Medicare enrollment files. Ordinal polychotomous logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate adjusted associations between disability status and later-stage diagnoses and mortality (all-cause and cancer-specific). Principal Findings Persons with SSDI/Medicare had lower rates of Stages III/IV diagnoses than others for lung (63.3 versus 69.5 percent) and prostate (25.5 versus 30.8 percent) cancers, but not for breast or colorectal cancers. After adjustment, they remained less likely to be diagnosed at later stages for lung and prostate cancers. Nevertheless, persons with SSDI/Medicare experienced higher all-cause mortality for each cancer. Cancer-specific mortality was higher among persons with SSDI/Medicare for breast and colorectal cancer patients. Conclusions Disabled Medicare beneficiaries are diagnosed with cancer at similar or earlier stages than others. However, they experience higher rates of cancer-related mortality when diagnosed at the same stage of breast and colorectal cancer. PMID:17362209

Health Insurance Knowledge Among Medicare Beneficiaries

PubMed Central

McCormack, Lauren A; Garfinkel, Steven A; Hibbard, Judith H; Keller, Susan D; Kilpatrick, Kerry E; Kosiak, Beth

2002-01-01

Objective To assess the effect of new consumer information materials about the Medicare program on beneficiary knowledge of their health care coverage under the Medicare system. Data Source A telephone survey of 2,107 Medicare beneficiaries in the 10-county Kansas City metropolitan statistical area. Study Design Beneficiaries were randomly assigned to a control group and three treatment groups each receiving a different set of Medicare informational materials. The “handbook-only” group received the Health Care Financing Administration's new Medicare & You 1999 handbook. The “bulletin” group received an abbreviated version of the handbook, and the “handbook + CAHPS” group received the Medicare & You handbook plus the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans (CAHPS)® survey report comparing the quality of health care provided by Medicare HMOs. Beneficiaries interested in receiving information were oversampled. Data Collection Methods Data were collected during two separate telephone surveys of Medicare beneficiaries: one survey of new beneficiaries and another survey of experienced beneficiaries. The intervention materials were mailed to sample members in advance of the interviews. Knowledge for the treatment groups was measured shortly after beneficiaries received the intervention materials. Principal Findings Respondents' knowledge was measured using a psychometrically valid and reliable 15-item measure. Beneficiaries who received the intervention materials answered significantly more questions correctly than control group members. The effect on beneficiary knowledge of providing the information was modest for all intervention groups but varied for experienced beneficiaries only, depending on the intervention they received. Conclusions The findings suggest that all of the new materials had a positive effect on beneficiary knowledge about Medicare and the Medicare + Choice program. While the absolute gain in knowledge was modest, it was greater than increases in knowledge associated with traditional Medicare information sources.

42 CFR 460.68 - Program integrity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Program integrity. 460.68 Section 460.68 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... of criminal offenses related to their involvement in Medicaid, Medicare, other health insurance or...

42 CFR 460.68 - Program integrity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Program integrity. 460.68 Section 460.68 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... of criminal offenses related to their involvement in Medicaid, Medicare, other health insurance or...

42 CFR 460.68 - Program integrity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Program integrity. 460.68 Section 460.68 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... of criminal offenses related to their involvement in Medicaid, Medicare, other health insurance or...

42 CFR 460.68 - Program integrity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Program integrity. 460.68 Section 460.68 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... of criminal offenses related to their involvement in Medicaid, Medicare, other health insurance or...

42 CFR 460.68 - Program integrity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Program integrity. 460.68 Section 460.68 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... of criminal offenses related to their involvement in Medicaid, Medicare, other health insurance or...

42 CFR 425.700 - General rules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... privacy of individually identifiable health information and comply with the terms of the data use...) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE SHARED SAVINGS PROGRAM Data Sharing With ACOs § 425.700 General rules. (a) CMS shares aggregate reports with the ACO. (b) CMS shares beneficiary identifiable data with ACOs...

42 CFR 422.158 - Procedures for approval of accreditation as a basis for deeming compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Quality... the accreditation organization, including— (i) The size and composition of accreditation survey teams... and procedures regarding coordination of these activities with appropriate licensing bodies and...

76 FR 48563 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-January Through March 2011...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-08

...-7205 Ventricular Assist Device (Destination Therapy) Facilities. XIII Medicare-Approved Lung JoAnna...-Approved Ventricular Assist Device (Destination Therapy) Facilities, Addendum XIII: Lung Volume Reduction...-Approved Ventricular Assist Device (Destination Therapy) Facilities (January Through March 2011) Addendum...

Quality compensation programs: are they worth all the hype? A comparison of outcomes within a Medicare advantage heart failure population.

PubMed

Esse, Tara; Serna, Omar; Chitnis, Abhishek; Johnson, Michael; Fernandez, Nelson

2013-05-01

Quality compensation programs (QCPs), also known as pay-for-performance programs, are becoming more common within managed care entities. QCPs are believed to yield better patient outcomes, yet the programs lack the evidence needed to support these claims. We evaluated a QCP offered to network primary care physicians (PCPs) within a Medicare managed care plan to determine if a positive correlation between outcomes and the program exists. To compare outcomes of heart failure members under the care of PCPs enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) Plan QCP with those who are not affiliated with a QCP. Retrospective analysis was conducted on the heart failure population of a MAPD in Texas. Heart failure members were identified using ICD-9-CM codes from inpatient and outpatient claims for 2010. These members must have been continuously eligible all 12 months of the year to be included in the analysis. The primary intervention was enrollment by the member's PCP into the QCP. Measurable outcomes included acute (hospital) admits, emergency room (ER) visits, appropriate laboratory tests, and prescriptions of medications that are evidence based and guideline driven. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) risk scores and comorbidities were used to risk-adjust outcomes. A total of 4,240 members was included in the analysis. From that population, 1,225 members (28.8%) were followed by PCPs enrolled in a QCP; 3,015 members (71.1%) were followed by PCPs not enrolled in a QCP. The adjusted analysis showed that none of the drug comparisons statistically differed between the QCP and non-QCP groups, whereas all of the lab tests, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), hemoglobin A1c, creatinine, and microalbumin, as well as the acquisition of the flu vaccine, occurred more frequently in the QCP group. Acute admits and ER visits in the QCP and non-QCP groups were similar before and after adjustment. The QCP group was significantly older with a statistically significant higher prevalence of renal failure and higher CMS risk scores. After evaluation of our QCP's impact on the quality of care provided to our Medicare beneficiaries, we have concluded that there is potential for health care improvement through pay-for-performance programs. We have observed in our MAPD heart failure population, enrolled in a QCP during the year of 2010, an increase in age and CMS risk scores, a decline in renal function, and noted the group to have a more female presence. Yet, the outcomes of this group (hospitalizations, ER visits, acquisition of lab tests, etc.) were similar when compared with younger, healthier members not enrolled in a QCP. We feel the clinical relevance of the data indicates that, overall, the quality of care is somewhat improved for QCP-enrolled providers when compared with non-QCP providers in regards to achieving certain quality metrics. (i.e., immunizations, HgA1c, LDL-C, etc.) Further research is definitely needed to determine if health care costs and clinical outcomes, in the long term, are improved for members enrolled in these QCP programs, as well as their impact upon a health plan's Medicare Star rating.

42 CFR 423.1092 - Revision of reopened decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Revision of reopened decision. 423.1092 Section 423.1092 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Appeal Procedures for Civil Money...

76 FR 28196 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Opportunities for Alignment Under Medicaid and Medicare

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-16

... nation's health care expenditures in 2006.\\7\\ Furthermore, dual eligibles account for a..., Federal Coordinated Health Care Office, at (410) 786-8911 or [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY... Coordinated Health Care Office (``Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office'') and charged the new office with...

42 CFR 423.104 - Requirements related to qualified prescription drug coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Requirements related to qualified prescription drug coverage. 423.104 Section 423.104 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT...

42 CFR 423.771 - Basis and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Basis and scope. 423.771 Section 423.771 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Premiums and Cost-Sharing Subsidies for Low...

42 CFR 423.886 - Retiree drug subsidy amounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Retiree drug subsidy amounts. 423.886 Section 423.886 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Payments to Sponsors of Retiree...

42 CFR § 414.1435 - Qualifying APM participant determination: Medicare option.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2017-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) PAYMENT FOR PART B MEDICAL AND OTHER HEALTH SERVICES Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Alternative Payment Model Incentive § 414.1435 Qualifying APM participant determination: Medicare option. (a) Payment amount method. The...

Impact of a Telehealth and Care Management Program on All-Cause Mortality and Healthcare Utilization in Patients with Heart Failure.

PubMed

Kao, David P; Lindenfeld, JoAnn; Macaulay, Dendy; Birnbaum, Howard G; Jarvis, John L; Desai, Urvi S; Page, Robert L

2016-01-01

Telehealth has the potential to improve chronic disease management and outcomes, but data regarding direct benefit of telehealth in patients with heart failure (HF) have been mixed. The objective of this study was to determine whether the Health Buddy Program (HBP) (Bosch Healthcare, Palo Alto, CA), a content-driven telehealth system coupled with care management, is associated with improved outcomes in Medicare beneficiaries with HF. This was a retrospective cohort study of 623 Medicare beneficiaries with HF offered HBP enrollment compared with a propensity score-matched control group of Medicare beneficiaries with HF from the Medicare 5% sample. Associations between availability of the HBP and all-cause mortality, hospitalization, hospital days, and emergency department visits were evaluated. Beneficiaries offered enrollment in the HBP had 24.9% lower risk-adjusted all-cause mortality over 3 years of follow-up (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63-0.89; p = 0.001). Patients who used the HBP at least once (36.9%) had 57.2% lower mortality compared with matched controls (HR = 0.43; 95% CI, 0.31-0.60; p < 0.001), whereas patients who did not use the HBP had no significant difference in survival (HR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.78-1.19; p = 0.69). Patients offered the HBP also had fewer hospital admissions following enrollment (Δ = -0.05 admissions/quarter; p = 0.011), which was primarily observed in patients who used the HBP at least once (Δ = -0.10 admissions/quarter; p < 0.001). The HBP, a content-driven telehealth system coupled with care management, was associated with significantly better survival and reduced hospitalization in Medicare beneficiaries with HF. Prospective study is warranted to determine the mechanism of this association and opportunities for optimization.

Medicare Advantage Plans Pay Hospitals Less Than Traditional Medicare Pays.

PubMed

Baker, Laurence C; Bundorf, M Kate; Devlin, Aileen M; Kessler, Daniel P

2016-08-01

There is ongoing debate about how prices paid to providers by Medicare Advantage plans compare to prices paid by fee-for-service Medicare. We used data from Medicare and the Health Care Cost Institute to identify the prices paid for hospital services by fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, and commercial insurers in 2009 and 2012. We calculated the average price per admission, and its trend over time, in each of the three types of insurance for fixed baskets of hospital admissions across metropolitan areas. After accounting for differences in hospital networks, geographic areas, and case-mix between Medicare Advantage and FFS Medicare, we found that Medicare Advantage plans paid 5.6 percent less for hospital services than FFS Medicare did. Without taking into account the narrower networks of Medicare Advantage, the program paid 8.0 percent less than FFS Medicare. We also found that the rates paid by commercial plans were much higher than those of either Medicare Advantage or FFS Medicare, and growing. At least some of this difference comes from the much higher prices that commercial plans pay for profitable service lines. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Identifying the Transgender Population in the Medicare Program

PubMed Central

Proctor, Kimberly; Haffer, Samuel C.; Ewald, Erin; Hodge, Carla; James, Cara V.

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose: To identify and describe the transgender population in the Medicare program using administrative data. Methods: Using a combination of International Classification of Diseases ninth edition (ICD-9) codes relating to transsexualism and gender identity disorder, we analyzed 100% of the 2013 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) “final action” claims from both institutional and noninstitutional providers (∼1 billion claims) to identify individuals who may be transgender Medicare beneficiaries. To confirm, we developed and applied a multistage validation process. Results: Four thousand ninety-eight transgender beneficiaries were identified, of which ∼90% had confirmatory diagnoses, billing codes, or evidence of a hormone prescription. In general, the racial, ethnic, and geographic distribution of the Medicare transgender population tends to reflect the broader Medicare population. However, age, original entitlement status, and disease burden of the transgender population appear substantially different. Conclusions: Using a variety of claims information, ranging from claims history to additional diagnoses, billing modifiers, and hormone prescriptions, we demonstrate that administrative data provide a valuable resource for identifying a lower bound of the Medicare transgender population. In addition, we provide a baseline description of the diversity and disease burden of the population and a framework for future research. PMID:28861539

77 FR 53967 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program-Stage 2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-04

...This final rule specifies the Stage 2 criteria that eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to qualify for Medicare and/or Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments. In addition, it specifies payment adjustments under Medicare for covered professional services and hospital services provided by EPs, eligible hospitals, and CAHs failing to demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT) and other program participation requirements. This final rule revises certain Stage 1 criteria, as finalized in the July 28, 2010 final rule, as well as criteria that apply regardless of Stage.

42 CFR 411.384 - Disclosing advisory opinions and supporting information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM EXCLUSIONS FROM MEDICARE AND LIMITATIONS ON MEDICARE PAYMENT... Department of Justice, or any other Department or agency of the United States in connection with an advisory..., and will not be made publicly available. (d) Documents submitted by the requestor to CMS in connection...

42 CFR 424.530 - Denial of enrollment in the Medicare program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... enrollment application to the type of provider or supplier enrolling, and has not submitted a plan of... the provider or supplier is not operational, or is not meeting Medicare enrollment requirements to... A provider is no longer operational to furnish Medicare covered items or services, or the provider...

42 CFR 417.531 - Hospice care services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hospice care services. 417.531 Section 417.531... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS Medicare Payment: Cost Basis § 417.531 Hospice care services. (a) If a Medicare enrollee of...

75 FR 36610 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Changes to the Hospital and Critical Access Hospital Conditions...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Parts 482... Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation To Ensure Visitation Rights for All Patients AGENCY...) to ensure the visitation rights of all patients. Medicare- and Medicaid- participating hospitals and...

42 CFR 405.809 - Opportunity to submit evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Opportunity to submit evidence. 405.809 Section 405.809 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAM FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE AGED AND DISABLED Appeals Under the Medicare Part B...

42 CFR 423.165 - Compliance deemed on the basis of accreditation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Compliance deemed on the basis of accreditation. 423.165 Section 423.165 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Cost...

42 CFR 423.2110 - MAC reviews on its own motion.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false MAC reviews on its own motion. 423.2110 Section 423.2110 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Reopening, ALJ Hearings, MAC review...

42 CFR 460.180 - Medicare payment to PACE organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Medicare payment to PACE organizations. 460.180... FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) Payment § 460.180 Medicare payment to PACE organizations. (a) Principle of payment. Under a PACE program agreement, CMS makes a prospective monthly payment to the PACE organization...

42 CFR 423.2276 - Employer group retiree marketing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Employer group retiree marketing. 423.2276 Section 423.2276 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Part D Marketing Requirements § 423.2276 Employer group retiree...

78 FR 31283 - Medicare Program; Medical Loss Ratio Requirements for the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-23

... organizations, insurance industry trade groups, provider associations, pharmacist and pharmacy associations, beneficiary advocacy groups, private citizens, and others. Overall, commenters supported our decision to model... enrollees, for 3 consecutive years, it will be forced to stop enrolling new individuals in such Part D...

42 CFR 424.102 - Situations that do not constitute an emergency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... themselves indicate a need for emergency services: (a) Lack of care at home. (b) Lack of transportation to a....102 Section 424.102 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM CONDITIONS FOR MEDICARE PAYMENT Special Conditions...

77 FR 5213 - Medicare Program; Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA): Applicability to Hospital...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-02

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Part 489... & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION: Request for comments. SUMMARY: This request for comments addresses... comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and...

42 CFR 424.80 - Prohibition of reassignment of claims by suppliers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM CONDITIONS FOR MEDICARE PAYMENT Limitations on Assignment and Reassignment of Claims § 424.80 Prohibition of reassignment of claims by suppliers. (a) Basic... the basic rule—(1) Payment to employer. Medicare may pay the supplier's employer if the supplier is...

77 FR 31618 - Medicaid Program; Announcement of Requirements and Registration for CMS Provider Screening...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-29

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) [CMS-2382-N... Challenge AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is announcing the launch of the ``CMS Provider Screening...

42 CFR 422.158 - Procedures for approval of accreditation as a basis for deeming compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM... surveys for the accreditation organization, including— (i) The size and composition of accreditation... policies and procedures regarding coordination of these activities with appropriate licensing bodies and...

42 CFR 422.158 - Procedures for approval of accreditation as a basis for deeming compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM... surveys for the accreditation organization, including— (i) The size and composition of accreditation... policies and procedures regarding coordination of these activities with appropriate licensing bodies and...

42 CFR 422.158 - Procedures for approval of accreditation as a basis for deeming compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM (CONTINUED) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM... surveys for the accreditation organization, including— (i) The size and composition of accreditation... policies and procedures regarding coordination of these activities with appropriate licensing bodies and...

77 FR 37680 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application From the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

...] Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application From the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care... of an application from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care for continued... by CMS. The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) current term of approval for...

78 FR 66364 - Medicare & Medicaid Programs: Application From the Accreditation Commission for Health Care for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-05

...] Medicare & Medicaid Programs: Application From the Accreditation Commission for Health Care for Continued... Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for continued recognition as a national accrediting organization...) announcing Accreditation Commission for Health Care's request for approval of its hospice accreditation...

42 CFR 424.502 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... officer, general partner, chairman of the board, or direct owner) to whom the organization has granted the legal authority to enroll it in the Medicare program, to make changes or updates to the organization's status in the Medicare program, and to commit the organization to fully abide by the statutes...

Medicare part D data: major changes on the horizon.

PubMed

Greenwald, Leslie M

2007-10-01

The 3 primary administrative data sets developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) to support the Medicare Part D program implementation represent a valuable source of data for health services researchers. This paper describes the structure of the Medicare Part D program and the related databases, and discusses their utilization for research purposes. The Medicare Part D administrative data include information on plan benefits (integrated into the Health Plan Management System), beneficiary enrollment files, and prescription drug event (PDE) claims-type data. The enrollment data may be of use in investigating the benefits and plan types that appeal to beneficiaries, but their application is limited by the fact that, although individual beneficiaries' enrollment choices are recorded, only summary enrollment data are currently publicly available. PDE data are likely to be of most interest to researchers as they are detailed (including beneficiary identifiers, contract identifiers pharmacy provider information on drugs provided, drug cost, and insurance status), beneficiary-specific (allowing them to be linked to beneficiary characteristics), and an unusual output for a program reimbursed under a capitation-based system. Because PDE data are highly sensitive, only summary data on the number of Part D prescriptions filled are publicly available. Although the data collected in relation to the Medicare Part D program could be applied to many questions of interest to health services researchers, their utility is limited by the sensitive natures of many of these data, making it difficult currently to obtain access for research purposes.

Medicare Advantage Penetration and Hospital Costs Before and After the Affordable Care Act.

PubMed

Henke, Rachel Mosher; Karaca, Zeynal; Gibson, Teresa B; Cutler, Eli; White, Chapin; Wong, Herbert S

2018-04-01

Research has suggested that growth in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program indirectly benefits the entire 65+-year-old population by reducing overall expenditures and creating spillover effects of patient care practices. Medicare programs and innovations initiated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have encouraged practices to adopt models applying to all patient populations, which may influence the continued benefits of MA program growth. This study investigated the relationship between MA program growth and inpatient hospital costs and utilization before and after the ACA. Primary data sources were 2005-2014 Health Care Cost and Utilization Project hospital data and 2004-2013 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services enrollment data. County-year-level regression analysis with fixed effects examined the relationship between Medicare managed care penetration and hospital cost per enrollee. We decomposed results into changes in utilization, severity, and severity-adjusted inpatient resource use. Analyses were stratified by whether the admission was urgent or nonurgent. A 10% increase in MA penetration was associated with a 3-percentage point decrease in inpatient cost per Medicare enrollee before the ACA. This effect was more prominent in nonurgent admissions and diminished after the ACA. Results suggest that MA enrollment growth is associated with diminished spillover reductions in hospital admission costs after the ACA. We did not observe a strong relationship between MA enrollment and inpatient days per enrollee. Future research should examine whether spillover effects still are observed in outpatient settings.

The geographic distribution of the otolaryngology workforce in the United States.

PubMed

Lango, Miriam N; Handorf, Elizabeth; Arjmand, Ellis

2017-01-01

To describe the deployment of otolaryngologists and evaluate factors associated with the geographic distribution of otolaryngologists in the United States. Cross-sectional study. The otolaryngology physician supply was defined as the number of otolaryngologists per 100,000 in the hospital referral region (HRR). The otolaryngology physician supply was derived from the American Medical Association Masterfile or from the Medicare Enrollment and Provider Utilization Files. Multiple linear regression tested the association of population, physician, and hospital factors on the supply of Medicare-enrolled otolaryngologists/HRR. Two methods of measuring the otolaryngology workforce were moderately correlated across hospital referral regions (Pearson coefficient 0.513, P = .0001); regardless, the supply of otolaryngology providers varies greatly over different geographic regions. Otolaryngologists concentrate in regions with many other physicians, particularly specialist physicians. The otolaryngology supply also increases with regional population income and education levels. Using AMA-derived data, there was no association between the supply of otolaryngologists and staffed acute-care hospital beds and the presence of an otolaryngology residency-training program. In contrast, the supply of otolaryngology providers enrolled in Medicare independently increases for each HRR by 0.8 per 100,000 for each unit increase in supply of hospital beds (P < .0001) and by 0.49 per 100,000 in regions with an otolaryngology residency-training program (P = .006), accounting for all other factors. Irrespective of methodology, the supply of otolaryngologists varies widely across geographic regions in the United States. For Medicare beneficiaries, regional hospital factors-including the presence of an otolaryngology residency program-may improve access to otolaryngology services. NA Laryngoscope, 127:95-101, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Steps to reduce favorable risk selection in medicare advantage largely succeeded, boding well for health insurance exchanges

PubMed Central

Newhouse, Joseph P.; Price, Mary; Huang, Jie; McWilliams, J. Michael; Hsu, John

2012-01-01

Managing competition among health plans that attract different risks has been a challenging policy problem. Within Medicare, the Medicare Advantage (MA) program historically attracted better risks than did Traditional Medicare (TM). This favorable selection resulted in Medicare’s paying more for persons enrolled in MA than if they had been enrolled in TM. We studied whether policies Medicare implemented in the past decade to reduce favorable selection in the MA program succeeded, in particular improved matching of reimbursement with a beneficiary’s expected cost and restricting when beneficiaries could switch from MA to TM. We found they did. Differences in predicted spending between those switching from TM to MA relative to those who remained in TM markedly narrowed, as did adjusted mortality rates. Because insurance exchanges will employ similar policies to combat selection, our results give reason for optimism about managing competition among health plans. PMID:23213145

Medicare Advantage reforms: comparing House and Senate bills.

PubMed

Biles, Brian; Arnold, Grace

2009-12-01

The Medicare Advantage (MA) program, which enables Medicare beneficiaries to enjoy private health plan coverage, is a major element of the current health care reform discussion on Capitol Hill--in large part because payments to MA plans in 2009 are expected to run at least $11 billion more than traditional Medicare would have cost. While the pending Senate and House bills both endeavor to reduce these extra MA payments, their approaches are different. The bills also differ on other aspects of reforming the MA program, such as plans' allowable geographic areas, their risk-adjustment systems and reporting requirements, their potential bonuses for achieving high-quality care and providing good management, and their beneficiary protections. This issue brief compares the above and other provisions in the House and Senate bills, which have a common overall goal to improve the value that Medicare obtains for the dollars it spends

Predictable Unpredictability: the Problem with Basing Medicare Policy on Long-Term Financial Forecasting.

PubMed

Glied, Sherry; Zaylor, Abigail

2015-07-01

The authors assess how Medicare financing and projections of future costs have changed since 2000. They also assess the impact of legislative reforms on the sources and levels of financing and compare cost forecasts made at different times. Although the aging U.S. population and rising health care costs are expected to increase the share of gross domestic product devoted to Medicare, changes made in the program over the past decade have helped stabilize Medicare's financial outlook--even as benefits have been expanded. Long-term forecasting uncertainty should make policymakers and beneficiaries wary of dramatic changes to the program in the near term that are intended to alter its long-term forecast: the range of error associated with cost forecasts rises as the forecast window lengthens. Instead, policymakers should focus on the immediate policy window, taking steps to reduce the current burden of Medicare costs by containing spending today.

Measuring Provider Performance for Physicians Participating in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System.

PubMed

Squitieri, Lee; Chung, Kevin C

2017-07-01

In 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began requiring all eligible providers to participate in the Quality Payment Program or face financial reimbursement penalty. The Quality Payment Program outlines two paths for provider participation: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models. For the first performance period beginning in January of 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that approximately 83 to 90 percent of eligible providers will not qualify for participation in an Advanced Alternative Payment Model and therefore must participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System program. The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System path replaces existing quality-reporting programs and adds several new measures to evaluate providers using four categories of data: (1) quality, (2) cost/resource use, (3) improvement activities, and (4) advancing care information. These categories will be combined to calculate a weighted composite score for each provider or provider group. Composite Merit-Based Incentive Payment System scores based on 2017 performance data will be used to adjust reimbursed payment in 2019. In this article, the authors provide relevant background for understanding value-based provider performance measurement. The authors also discuss Merit-Based Incentive Payment System reporting requirements and scoring methodology to provide plastic surgeons with the necessary information to critically evaluate their own practice capabilities in the context of current performance metrics under the Quality Payment Program.

76 FR 9503 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Requirements for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-18

... nursing facility (SNF) in the Medicare program, or a nursing facility (NF) in the Medicaid program. These..., as of April 2010, there are 15,713 long-term care (LTC) facilities (commonly referred to as nursing homes) in the U.S. LTC facilities are also referred to as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in the...

Recent Health Care Use and Medicaid Entry of Medicare Beneficiaries.

PubMed

Keohane, Laura M; Trivedi, Amal N; Mor, Vincent

2017-10-01

To examine the relationship between Medicaid entry and recent health care use among Medicare beneficiaries. We identified Medicare beneficiaries without full Medicaid or use of hospital or nursing home services in 2008 (N = 2,163,387). A discrete survival analysis estimated beneficiaries' monthly likelihood of entry into the full Medicaid program between January 2009 and June 2010. During the 18-month study period, Medicaid entry occurred for 1.1% and 3.7% of beneficiaries who aged into Medicare or originally qualified for Medicare due to disability, respectively. Among beneficiaries who aged into Medicare, 49% of new Medicaid participants had no use of inpatient, skilled nursing facility, or nursing home services during the study period. Individuals who recently used inpatient, skilled nursing facility or nursing home services had monthly rates of 1.9, 14.0, and 38.1 new Medicaid participants per 1,000 beneficiaries, respectively, compared with 0.4 new Medicaid participants per 1,000 beneficiaries with no recent use of these services. Although recent health care use predicted greater likelihood of Medicaid entry, half of new Medicaid participants used no hospital or nursing home care during the study period. These patterns should be considered when designing and evaluating interventions to reform health care delivery for dual-eligible beneficiaries. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Has Medicare Part D Reduced Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Prescription Drug Use and Spending?

PubMed Central

Mahmoudi, Elham; Jensen, Gail A

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate whether Medicare Part D has reduced racial/ethnic disparities in prescription drug utilization and spending. Data Nationally representative data on white, African American, and Hispanic Medicare seniors from the 2002–2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey are analyzed. Five measures are examined: filling any prescriptions during the year, the number of prescriptions filled, total annual prescription spending, annual out-of-pocket prescription spending, and average copay level. Study Design We apply the Institute of Medicine's definition of a racial/ethnic disparity and adopt a difference-in-difference-in-differences (DDD) estimator using a multivariate regression framework. The treatment group consists of Medicare seniors, the comparison group, adults without Medicare aged 55–63 years. Principal Findings Difference-in-difference-in-differences estimates suggest that for African Americans Part D increased the disparity in annual spending on prescription drugs by $258 (p = .011), yet had no effect on other measures of prescription drug disparities. For Hispanics, DDD estimates suggest that the program reduced the disparities in annual number of prescriptions filled, annual total and out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs by 2.9 (p = .077), $282 (p = .019) and $143 (p < .001), respectively. Conclusion Medicare Part D had mixed effects. Although it reduced Hispanic/white disparities related to prescription drugs among seniors, it increased the African American/white disparity in total annual spending on prescription drugs. PMID:24102408

Changes in the Medicare home health care market: the impact of reimbursement policy.

PubMed

Choi, Sunha; Davitt, Joan K

2009-03-01

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 introduced 2 new reimbursement structures, the Interim Payment System (IPS, 1997-2000) and the Prospective Payment System (PPS, begun October 2000) for Medicare home health agencies (HHAs) under the fee-for-service program. This article describes and compares the impact of these changes on the Medicare home health market from a period before the BBA through the IPS and PPS in relation to agency characteristics. A secondary analysis of 1996, 1999, and 2002 Provider of Services data was conducted on all Medicare-certified HHAs. Frequencies and rates of change were calculated by agency characteristics to describe changes in the number of active agencies through those years. Logistic regression models were used to compare factors associated with market exits under different payment systems. The results indicate dramatic but disproportional changes in response to the IPS and the PPS among Medicare home health care agencies. Agency closures were greater and market entries fewer during the IPS, but more branch offices/subunits were closed during the PPS. Proprietary and freestanding agencies experienced greater volatility throughout, with the greatest number of closures seen in Region VI (Dallas). These results demonstrate the direct impact of policy changes on the home health care market and highlight the need to evaluate policy changes to understand both intended and unintended impacts on health markets. Future research should analyze the effect of these policy changes on other healthcare providers and systems and their impact on health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries.

42 CFR 417.430 - Application procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS Enrollment, Entitlement, and Disenrollment under Medicare Contract § 417.430 Application...

42 CFR 424.535 - Revocation of enrollment in the Medicare program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... the Medicare program. (a) Reasons for revocation. CMS may revoke a currently enrolled provider or... the following reasons: (1) Noncompliance. The provider or supplier is determined not to be in...— (A) Felony crimes against persons, such as murder, rape, assault, and other similar crimes for which...