The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is reporting these events, updates and deadlines for providers. These items focus on the agency’s financial and payment responsibilities to providers. Read and sign up for the CMS weekly newsletter MLN Connects® Provider eNews for the most current news.
Medicare Fee-for-Service utilization and payment data available for Home Health Agencies
As part of our efforts to improve care delivery, payments to providers, and the sharing and utilization of information, the CMS released a public data set that provides information on services provided to Medicare beneficiaries by home health agencies. The Home Health Agency Utilization and Payment Public Use File (Home Health Agency PUF) contains information on utilization, payments, and submitted charges organized by provider, state and home health resource group. Read the fact sheet.
Accountable Health Communities Model Announced
The Department of Health and Human Services announced a new funding opportunity of up to $157 million to test whether screening beneficiaries for health-related social needs and associated referrals to and navigation of community-based services will improve quality and affordability in Medicare and Medicaid. Two webinars will be held on the registration process.
- Thursday, January 21, 2016 from 2:00 – 3:30pm EST – Register
- Wednesday, January 27, 2016 from 3:00 – 4:30pm EST | Register
ICD-10 Post-Implementation: Coding Basics Revisited MLN Connects® Video
In this Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ICD-10 video, Sue Bowman from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and Nelly Leon-Chisen from the American Hospital Association (AHA) discuss the unique characteristics and features of the ICD-10 coding system.
Self-Nomination for 2016 Qualified Registries and Qualified Clinical Data Registries Open Now Through January 31, 2016
Entities interested in becoming a PQRS qualified registry or QCDR for 2016 must submit a self-nomination to CMS electronically using a self-nomination form on JIRA prior to the 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 31, 2016. For additional information on becoming a 2016 qualified registry, please see the 2016 PQRS: Qualified Registry Criteria Toolkit posted on the Registry Reporting page.
CMS Seeking Comment on MACRA Episode Groups
As required by Section 101(f) of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), enacted April 16, 2015, CMS is soliciting comment on episode groups, and on specific clinical criteria and patient characteristics to classify patients into care episode and patient condition groups. The purpose is to provide background and context to solicit stakeholder input on the episode groups that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed pursuant to section 3003 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Comments should be sent to episodegroups@cms.hhs.gov by 11:59 pm EST on February 15, 2016. Please note that comments will not be accepted after this date.