Your Friday Reading Materials CMS asks that you share this important information with all of your association members and State and local chapters. Thanks! Happy Friday everyone! Information items today include:
Fourth Quarter 2008 Hospital OPPS Pricer Downloads
New From the Medicare Learning Network
CMS Enhances Program Integrity Efforts to Fight Fraud, Waste and Abuse in Medicare
CMS Hosts National Conference to Promote Electronic Prescribing
CMS To Host Conference on Compliance with DMEPOS Quality Standards
Medicare's Online Tools Will Help Beneficiaries with Prescription Drug and Health Plan Choices for 2009
Fourth Quarter 2008 Hospital OPPS Pricer Downloads The Fourth Quarter 2008 Hospital Outpatient PPS Pricer downloads have been posted on the CMS website. You may go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PCPricer/08_OPPS.asp#TopOfPage to view the latest update in the Downloads section. New From the Medicare Learning Network
The ICD-10-Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System Bookmark is now available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Learning Network. This bookmark explains the ICD-10-Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System (CM/PCS) including the benefits of adopting the system, recommended steps to be taken in order to plan and prepare for implementation of the system, and where additional information about the system can be found. To place your order, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/01_Overview.asp , scroll down to "Related Links Inside CMS" and select "MLN Product Ordering Page." If you have problems accessing this hyperlink, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. CMS ENHANCES PROGRAM INTEGRITY EFFORTS TO FIGHT
FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE IN MEDICARE The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced aggressive new steps to find and prevent waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare. CMS is working closer with beneficiaries and providers; consolidating its fraud detection efforts; strengthening its oversight of medical equipment suppliers and home health agencies; and launching the national recovery audit contractor (RAC) program. The new national RACs can be found at www.cms.hhs.gov/RAC/Downloads/RAC%20Expansion%20Schedule%20Web.pdf
For more information, visit the CMS RAC Website at: www.cms.hhs.gov/RAC
The CMS Press release issued 10/06/08, as well as the RAC fact sheet, are attached for your convenience.
MEDICARE HOSTS NATIONAL CONFERENCE
TO PROMOTE ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING
Widespread Use of E-prescribing Would Eliminate Thousands of Annual Medication Errors Boston, MA " October 7, 2008 " More than 1,400 health care professionals and industry leaders convened in Boston today at the National E prescribing Conference hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and 34 co-sponsoring organizations. Featuring U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Mike Leavitt, CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems, Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri, and Health Evolution Partners Chairman David Brailer, M.D., Ph.D., the conference addressed the potential of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) to improve health care in the United States. For more information, visit www.hhs.gov/valuedriven or www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri . National E-prescribing Conference presentations can be downloaded at www.e-prescribeconference.com. To read the CMS press release issued 10/7/08, click here: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp JOIN THE CMS CONFERENCE!
Compliance with the DMEPOS Quality Standards: What You Need To Know
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
1:00-5:30 PM EST
CMS Auditorium, Baltimore, MD 21244 On October 14, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will conduct an on-site conference that will provide guidance to the DMEPOS suppliers on how to comply with the DMEPOS quality standards. Goal
The goal of this conference is to provide non-accredited DMEPOS suppliers with technical guidance on the new DMEPOS quality standards. Section I- Supplier Business Service Requirements
Section II- Supplier Product-Specific Service Requirements
Appendices A, B & C
Speaker
Sandra Bastinelli, Director,
Division of Medical Review & Education,
Program Integrity Group
Office of Financial Management, CMS
Target Audience
Non-accredited DMEPOS suppliers Web Registration (on-site conference only)
CMS Website: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/events/default.asp
Select "upcoming events,"
Find the conference (listed by name/date), and
Click on "Register" Audio Line
Call-In-Number: 1-877-357-7851
Conference Id Number: 57781268 MEDICARE'S ONLINE TOOLS WILL HELP BENEFICIARIES WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND HEALTH PLAN CHOICES FOR 2009 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that beneficiaries, their caregivers, and family members can begin to review 2009 Medicare prescription drug plan and health plan information online through the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder and Medicare Options Compare at www.medicare.gov. "This year it is especially important, now and throughout the upcoming open enrollment period, for beneficiaries to use our online tools to compare their current drug and health plan coverage to the options available for 2009 and take action to choose a plan that best meets their needs," said CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems. "Some beneficiaries may see significant premium increases or changes, such as reduced coverage in the gap, if they stay in the same prescription drug plan in 2009. Yet, almost 97 percent of beneficiaries enrolled in a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) will have access to Medicare drug and health plans in 2009 whose premiums would be the same or less than their coverage in 2008." Beneficiaries will find contact information for their state's SHIPs in their handbook or at http://www.medicare.gov/Contacts/Include/DataSection/Results/Results.asp?language=English&Organizations=F%7CSHIP+--+State+Health+Insurance+Assistance+Program&State=Select+All+States&Type=ORGANIZATION. For more information and to view the plan finder tool please visit:
http://www.medicare.gov/MPDPF. The LIS Outreach Toolkit can be accessed at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/limitedincomeandresources/ To read more of the CMS press release issued 10/10/08, click here: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp I hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend and Columbus Day holiday! With best regards ~ Valerie October 10, 2008 Cont'd One More Item Regarding Inpatient PPS PC Pricers for FY 2008 and 2009 Due to an issue with Medicare provider data, the Inpatient PPS PC Pricers for FY 2008 and FY 2009 have been updated. If you use the INP PPS PC Pricers, visit the CMS web page at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PCPricer/03_inpatient.asp#TopOfPage and download the FY 2008 and FY 2009 versions posted on 10/02/2008. | 
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