The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a supplemental IPPS final rule in December. Among other things, the rule implements legislative changes to Medicare payments to teaching hospitals contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA).
Kicking off the new year are updates to the Provider Relief Fund reporting. First, the Health Resources Service and Administration’s (HRSA) Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting portal is now open for Period 2 reporting. Hospitals and other providers will have until March 31 to report on their use of PRF payments received between July 1,...
Hospital staff are reporting an increase in the frequency of violent acts in the emergency department, inpatient and outpatient settings. Increased community discord, stressed patients and their families, employee burnout after 20 months of the unprecedented COVID-19 public health emergency — all factors that may be contributing to a heightened incidence of violence in the workplace....
The 2021 legislative session officially ended when Governor Newson finished signing bills in the early weeks of October. While it is no surprise that COVID-19 continues to challenge California employers, new labor and employment legislation isn’t just about the pandemic. Health care professionals have several laws and regulations to be aware of and to implement...
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is transitioning all Medi-Cal managed care (MC) outpatient pharmacy services to the fee-for-service (FFS) delivery system on Jan. 1, 2022 — the much-anticipated implementation of Medi-Cal Rx is upon us. This transition will standardize the Medi-Cal outpatient pharmacy benefit statewide under one delivery system administered by DHCS and...
With the hospital fee program set to expire at the end of the year, CHA is preparing to work with state officials on the development of the next program, so it can be submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval. Ryan Witz, CHA’s Group Vice President, Policy, will share insights on...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its calendar year (CY) 2022 outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) proposed rule on July 19. CMS estimates that Medicare expenditures under OPPS will increase by $1.35 billion based on changes in the proposed rule. CMS also issued its calendar year (CY) 2022 physician fee schedule (PFS) proposed rule on July 13. CHA is hosting a members-only webinar to discuss updates to these proposed rules...
On July 1, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (tri-agencies) released an interim final rule implementing the No Surprises Act.
On Friday (6/11), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released updated Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting requirements. As requested by CHA and others, the revised guidance extends the time granted to recipients to use the funds. The updated reporting requirements and time frames apply to recipients of General, Targeted, and Skilled Nursing Facility and...
How familiar are you with “white bagging?” Maybe you’ve heard of it but aren’t sure what it is or how it affects your facility. Here’s a quick explanation: white bagging means payers reimburse third-party pharmacies, which then distribute the medications to outpatient medical providers, removing your ability to make changes to a patients’ medication. This...
