Home Health & Hospice Week

• If you're owed more money on a claim that was submitted and processed before PPACA payment instructions could be implemented, don't rush to resubmit the claim for more money. For example: The 3 percent rural add-on for HHAs was effective April 1, but the Medicare claims system wasn't ready by that date. "We continue to work on the best way to address the many claims that are paid at the rates that were in place before the current corrections and updates are made," CMS tells providers in a May 13 e-mail. "Please be on the alert for further information about how CMS will address past claims." Warning: "Until then, providers should NOT resubmit previously-processed claims affected by the payment changes, as it is likely that these resubmissions may be denied as duplicate claims," CMS says.