Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Arkansas and Michigan will each get another chance to argue for state plan amendments previously shot down by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Arkansas' SPA, 02-17, proposed to supplemental payments to physicians at the Faculty Group Practices associated with the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. CMS rejected the SPA citing the fact that Razorback docs were asking for twice the going rate for similar services provided by other private providers. The administrative hearing will be held on June 25 in Dallas. Michigan's SPA, 02-021, sought to impose prior authorization requirements in the Medicaid program on drugs made by manufacturers who declined to offer rebates to two state-funded non-Medicaid programs. The hearing will be held on July 10 in Chicago. In other Federal Register notices, CMS asked for comments on proposed extension of four information collection activities, including:
prospective payments for hospital outpatient services;
end-stage renal disease network business proposal forms and ESRD network semi-annual cost report forms; and
a targeted beneficiary survey on access to physician services among Medicare beneficiaries.