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Home Health & Hospice Week

Compliance:

DON'T LET THESE 2 ESSENTIALS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS

Published on Tue Apr 10, 2007

Open Door listeners get NPI reminder.

As you scramble to come to terms with new payment realities, don't let these concerns drop off your radar screen.

Medicare's new competitive bidding program dominated the last Home Health, Hospice and DME Open Door Forum, but officials speaking at the April 25 audioconference also noted this news essential to home health agencies and hospice providers: • NPIs. CMS officials reiterated to forum listeners that the agency released an NPI contingency guidance plan on April 2, noting that the plan permits providers to establish contingency plans for complying with the NPI requirement.

Clarification: The plan does not extend the May 23 compliance date for obtaining and using NPIs on transactions, but if providers have shown good faith in their steps toward compliance, CMS will waive related penalties (see Eli's HCW, Vol. XVI, No. 14).

Providers not in full compliance with the NPI requirement must have a contingency plan by May 23 when the NPI deadline hits, CMS says.

CMS released NPI guidance dated April 24 online at www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/downloads/R1227CP.pdf. A related MLN Matters article is online at www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM555.pdf. • New general ABN. Hospice providers and suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies should look for a final version of Medicare's Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN).

CMS proposed changes to the general ABN in a Federal Register notice published Feb. 23. Once CMS reviews and analyzes all comments, the agency will publish a final Federal Register notice for the new ABN form, CMS officials told forum participants. HHAs use a different ABN form.

• P4P.  An overview of the pay for performance demonstration slated to begin this October is at www.cms.hhs.gov/DemoProjectsEvalRpts/downloads/HHPP_Presentation.pdf.

Note: The next home health Open Door Forum is May 23. More information is at www.cms.hhs.gov/OpenDoorForums/17_ODF_HHHDME.asp.
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