Thursday, November 9, 2023
- CMS Roundup (Nov 3, 2023)
- Marriage and Family Therapists & Mental Health Counselors: Enroll in Medicare Now
- American Indians or Alaska Natives: Help Your Patients Achieve Optimal Health
- CMS Hospice Forum — November 14
- Optimizing Healthcare Delivery to Improve Patient Lives Conference — November 15
- HCPCS Public Meeting — November 28–30
- Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System: Coverage Requirements Webinar — November 29
- ICD-10 & Other Coding Revisions to National Coverage Determinations: April 2024 Update
- Removal of a National Coverage Determination & Expansion of Coverage of Colorectal Cancer Screening — Revised
News
CMS Roundup (Nov 3, 2023)
You may be interested in these topics from the CMS Roundup:
- Strategy to Promote Health Equity for Underserved Populations
- Blog Outlines CMS’ Role Related to HHS Proposed Rule to Address Information Blocking
Marriage and Family Therapists & Mental Health Counselors: Enroll in Medicare Now
CMS will implement 2 new provider types on January 1:
- Marriage and family therapist
- Mental health counselor
You must enroll in Medicare to submit claims, and get paid for covered items or services. Enroll now. Find out how to become a Medicare provider, and take these steps to enroll:
- Review the application: electronic version in PECOS or paper CMS-855I (PDF)
- Gather your supporting documents
- Find your Medicare Administrative Contractor's website
- Sign up to get our weekly MLN Connects newsletter
Your effective enrollment date won’t be earlier than January 1.
More Information:
American Indians or Alaska Natives: Help Your Patients Achieve Optimal Health
Among American Indians or Alaska Natives:
- Leading diseases and causes of death include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke (see HHS Office of Minority Health)
- There are higher rates of obesity and smoking cigarettes (see CDC)
During Native American Heritage Month, help address the unique health care challenges facing this community, and recommend preventive services.
Medicare pays for preventive services. Find out when your patient is eligible (PDF). If you need help, contact your eligibility service provider.
More Information:
- Diabetes (PDF), Stroke (PDF), Obesity (PDF), and Tobacco Use (PDF) data snapshots: Learn about disparities in Medicare patients
- Coverage to Care Roadmap to Better Care (Tribal Version) (PDF)
- Preventive & Screening Services webpage: Get information for your patients
Claims, Pricers, & Codes
Home Health Prospective Payment System Grouper: January Update
Get the January 2024 release (v05.0.24) (ZIP). See Home Health Prospective Payment System Grouper Software for a summary of changes.
More Information:
- Section 80 Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 10 (PDF)
- Instruction to your Medicare Administrative Contractor (PDF)
Events
CMS Hospice Forum — November 14
Tuesday, November 14 from 1–2 pm ET
Register for this webinar.
Learn about hospice updates from the CY 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System final rule, including:
- Informal dispute resolution process
- Hospice Special Focus Program, including selection, public reporting, enforcement, completion, and termination
Optimizing Healthcare Delivery to Improve Patient Lives Conference — November 15
Wednesday, November 15 from 9 am – 4 pm ET
Register for this virtual conference.
Join leadership from federal government, health provider organizations, and the patient advocacy community to focus on opportunities across the healthcare enterprise to:
- Reduce administrative burden
- Strengthen access to quality care
- Make it easier for clinicians to provide care
More Information:
HCPCS Public Meeting — November 28–30
Tuesday, November 28 – Thursday, November 30 from 9 am – 5 pm ET
Attend a virtual public meeting for the second biannual 2023 HCPCS coding cycle. Visit the Downloads Section of HCPCS Public Meetings for more information, including:
- Meeting materials
- Guidelines (PDF)
- Zoom link: CMS will post on November 14
Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System: Coverage Requirements Webinar — November 29
Wednesday, November 29 from 1:30–2:30 pm ET
Register for this webinar.
During this webinar, CMS will:
- Review Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) coverage requirements from pre-admission to discharge
- Provide a refresher on existing payment requirements and answer common IRF PPS Helpdesk questions
After the webinar, we’ll post a recording on the IRF PPS webpage.
MLN Matters® Articles
ICD-10 & Other Coding Revisions to National Coverage Determinations: April 2024 Update
Learn about the April update. See MLN Matters Articles 13390 (PDF) and 13391 (PDF) for:
- New codes
- Recent changes
- How to find coding information
Removal of a National Coverage Determination & Expansion of Coverage of Colorectal Cancer Screening — Revised
Learn who should apply the -KX modifier (PDF) for screening colonoscopy in the context of a complete colorectal cancer screening.
Publications
Home Health & Hospice Resources
Medicare covers a wide range of home health and hospice services. During Home Care & Hospice Month, get familiar with these Medicare Learning Network resources:
- Medicare Payment Systems:
- Medicare Provider Compliance Tips:
- Creating an Effective Hospice Plan of Care (PDF)
- Enhancing Registered Nurse Supervision of Hospice Aide Services (PDF)
- Safeguards for Medicare Patients in Hospice Care (PDF)
Information for Patients:
- Care Compare: Search for home health services or hospice care
- Home Health:
- Home health services webpage
- Medicare & Home Health Care booklet
- Hospice:
- Hospice care webpage
- Medicare Hospice Benefits booklet
- Medicare & Hospice Benefits: Getting Started brochure
Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility — Revised
Learn what’s changed (PDF), including information about:
- Supervising physicians
- Interpreting physicians
- Technicians
CMS changed this link. If you previously bookmarked it, update your link.
Subscribe to the MLN Connects® newsletter, or read past editions.
View the Medicare Learning Network® Content Disclaimer and Department of Health & Human Services Disclosure.
The Medicare Learning Network®, MLN Connects®, and MLN Matters® are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).
