Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rang in the new year with a flurry of provider outreach materials. In a series of one-time notifications issued Jan. 2, CMS released provider education articles on the physician fee schedule (change request 3040), the moratorium on the therapy cap (CR 3045) and changes to the Medicare Choice program (CR 3044).
           
In other recent transmittals, CMS:
            issues coding instructions for darbepoetin alfa and epoetin alfa (CR 2963);
            lays out policies on the April quarterly update to the 2004 durable medical equipment, orthotics and supplies fee schedule (CR 3014); and
            addresses claims processing problems with home health PPS claims that contained service lines reporting supply charges (CR 2993).
           
To see the transmittals, go to http://cms.hhs.gov/manuals/transmittals/comm_date_dsc.asp.