This week’s Medicare updates include the announcement of the Part A and Part B premiums and deductibles for 2018, clarification on new Conditions of Participation regarding home health agency subunits, a proposed decision memo on conditions of coverage for implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and more!
This April, CMS made a switch, changing the volume of charts allowed for Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) short-stay audits. Prior to this change, the number of charts selected for audit ranged from 10 charts for small hospitals to 25 charts for larger hospitals. Now, the 175 hospitals with the highest volume of short stays will have 25 charts audited, while hospitals with a “Major Concern” rating on a previous audit will receive a request for 10 charts.
This week’s Medicare updates include an advisory opinion on using network hospitals for inpatient stays; annual updates to HCPCS codes used for home health consolidated billing and the therapy code list; the removal of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (topical application of oxygen) from an NCD; and more!