Gustave and Ike Waivers Expire Gustav and Ike Waivers Expire In September 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance that discussed the statutory requirement under Medicare's Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) benefit for a 3-day prior hospital stay, and the inability of beneficiaries who were evacuated or transferred as a result of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike to meet this requirement. This guidance provided temporary emergency coverage of SNF services that are not post-hospital SNF services under our authority in section 1812(f) of the Social Security Act (the Act), for those beneficiaries who are evacuated, transferred, or otherwise dislocated as a result of the hurricanes. In addition, for beneficiaries who (prior to the hurricanes) had been recently discharged from an SNF after utilizing some or all of their available SNF benefits, this guidance addressed the inability to meet the requirement to end an existing Medicare benefit period (or "spell of illness") before renewing SNF benefits. Under the authority of section 1812(f) of the Social Security Act (the Act), this policy enabled such beneficiaries to receive up to an additional 100 days of SNF Part A benefits for care needed as a result of the hurricanes, without first having to end a spell of illness by being discharged to custodial or non-institutional care for a 60-day period. Unlike the general waivers issued in response to the hurricanes under the authority of section 1135 of the Act, these two SNF-related policies were not limited to States designated as emergency areas. Rather, they would apply to all beneficiaries who were evacuated from an emergency area as a result of the hurricanes, regardless of where the "host" SNF providing post-hurricane care was located. In addition, these two SNF‑related policies would remain in effect until such time as CMS issued a notification that normal procedures would resume. We hereby announce the termination of these SNF-related policies concurrently with the 90-day expiration of the Public Health Emergencies (PHEs) declared for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The waivers and modifications granted under the section 1135 waiver authority also terminate concurrently with the expiration of the PHEs. The expiration dates for the PHEs are shown below. Accordingly, effective with SNF admissions occurring on or after the termination dates listed below, the Internet-Only Manual instructions for determining compliance with the SNF benefit's prior hospitalization and benefit period requirements shall apply. Finally, all program policies and Questions and Answers that implemented modifications to program requirements under the section 1135 waiver authority for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike are no longer applicable on and after the dates stated below. Therefore, claims with dates of service on or after the termination dates cited below will follow all normal program requirements. Hurricane(s) State(s) Section 1812(f)/1135 Waiver Term. Dates Gustav Mississippi, Alabama November 29, 2008 Gustav and Ike Texas December 10, 2008 Gustav and Ike Louisiana December 12, 2008 November 18, 2008 Cont'd Reminder Notice: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) National Provider Call Reminder Notice: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) National Provider Call Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. EST, November 19, 2008, or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please be sure to register prior to this time. 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative National Provider Question & Answer Session The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Provider Communications Group will host the eighth in a series of national provider conference calls that began in November of 2007 on the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). This toll-free call will take place from 1:30 p.m. " 3:30 p.m., EST, on Thursday, November 20, 2008. Following a short presentation, the lines will be opened to allow participants to ask questions of CMS PQRI subject matter experts. Educational products are available on the PQRI dedicated web page located at, http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI on the CMS website, in the Educational Resources section. Feel free to download the resources prior to the call so that you may ask questions of the presenters, Dr. Michael Rapp and Dr. Daniel Green. Conference call details: Date: November 20, 2008 Conference Title: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative National Provider Call Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m. EST In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for the call. It is important to note that if you are planning to sit in with a group, only one person needs to register to receive the call-in data. This registration is solely to reserve a phone line, NOT to allow participation. If you cannot attend the call, replay information is available below. Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. EST on November 19, 2008, or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please be sure to register prior to this time. 1. To register for the call participants need to go to: http://www2.eventsvc.com/palmettogba/112008 2. Fill in all required data. 3. Verify your time zone is displayed correctly the drop down box. 4. Click "Register". You will be taken to the "Thank you for registering" page and will receive a confirmation email shortly thereafter. Note: Please print and save this page, in the event that your server blocks the confirmation emails. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please check your spam/junk mail filter as it may have been directed there. For those of you who will be unable to attend, a replay option will be available shortly following the end of the call. This replay will be accessible from 2:30 p.m. EST 11/20/2008 until 11:59 p.m. EST 11/27/2008. The call in data for the replay is (800) 642-1687 or (706) 645-9291 and the passcode is 69793299. If you require services for the hearing impaired please send an email to Medicare.TTT@PalmettoGBA.com.
| | | Downloads |
There are no Downloads
| | Related Links Inside CMS |
There are no Related Links Inside CMS
| | Related Links Outside CMS |  |
There are no Related Links Outside CMS
|
| 
Email
Print