CMS MLN Connects™ Weekly Provider eNews

The MLN Connects™ Provider eNews contains important news, announcements, and updates for health care professionals. Thursday, July 31, 2014

View the MLN Connects™ Provider eNews                                                        Unable to view this link? See the archive. In This Edition: MLN Connects™ National Provider Calls How to Interpret Your 2012 Supplemental Quality and Resource Use Report — Registration Now Open National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes: Improved Care Transitions —Register Now New MLN Connects™ National Provider Call Audio Recordings and Transcripts Announcements Get Ready for DMEPOS Competitive Bidding – Get Licensed Hospice Item Set Record Submission Begins Don’t Forget to Complete Open Payments System Registration Complete Review and Dispute Process for Open Payments by August 27 Open Payments: Review Available Education Resources Groups: Remember to Register for 2014 PQRS GPRO Participation by September 30 ICD-10 Resources Spotlight: Road to 10 Review the Combined 2015 CMS QRDA Implementation Guide Claims, Pricers, and Codes Mass Adjustment of OPPS Claims July OPPS Provider Specific Files Now Available MLN Educational Products MLN Web-Based Training Courses With Continuing Education Credits New Continuing Education Association Now Accepting MLN Web-Based Training Courses MLN Products Available In Electronic Publication Format New MLN Provider Compliance Fast Fact Is the eNews meeting your needs? Give us your feedback!

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ICD-10 Resources Spotlight: Road to 10

News Updates | July 25, 2014
ICD-10 Resources Spotlight: Road to 10 Looking for help planning and executing your ICD-10 transition? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed the Road to 10, a free online resource built with the help of physicians in small practices. Available on the Provider Resources page at cms.gov/ICD10, this tool is intended to help small medical practices jumpstart their ICD-10 transition. The Road to 10 can help you: Understand the basics of ICD-10 Build an ICD-10 action plan to map out your transition Answer frequently asked questions Learn how ICD-10 affects your practice with tailored clinical scenarios and documentation tips for Family Practice and Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopedics, Cardiology, and Pediatrics The Road to 10 is regularly updated, so check back frequently for new information. Keep Up to Date on ICD-10Visit the CMS ICD-10 website for the latest news and resources to help you prepare. Sign up for CMS ICD-10 Industry Email Updates and follow us on Twitter.
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		This service is provided to you by the Office of E-Health Standards & Services, ICD-10.

 

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CMS MLN Connects™ Weekly Provider eNews

The MLN Connects™ Provider eNews contains important news, announcements, and updates for health care professionals. Thursday, July 24, 2014

View the MLN Connects™ Provider eNews                                                      Unable to view this link? See the archive. In This Edition: MLN Connects™ National Provider Calls National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes: Improved Care Transitions —Register Now Announcements CMS Launches Next Phase of New Quality Improvement Program Group Practices Should Access PY 2012 Supplemental QRURs from CMS Physician Compare e-Newsletter Comment Period Has Begun for CY 2015 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule Review Your 2014 PQRS Interim Claims Feedback Data EHR Incentive Programs: Learn More about Clinical Decision Support Interventions Claims, Pricers, and Codes Correction to SNF Consolidated Billing Code Lists MLN Educational Products “Internet-based PECOS Contact Information” Fact Sheet — Revised MLN Products Available in Electronic Format New MLN Educational Web Guides Fast Fact Is the eNews meeting your needs? Give us your feedback!

Please share this important information with your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe to the eNews.  Previous issues are available in the archive.

Physician Compare Update E-Newsletter

Physician Compare Update Welcome to Physician Compare Update from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS will use this publication to regularly communicate news, updates, alerts, and announcements about Physician Compare. We want to hear from you about topics of interest, so please email the team at PhysicianCompare@Westat.com.  Current Topics of Interest: Physician Compare Quarterly Enhancement Public Reporting of Quality Measures Physician Compare Town Hall Physician Compare Technical Expert Panel Physician Compare Quarterly Enhancement On July 17, 2014, CMS launched a Physician Compare quarterly enhancement. The focus of this enhancement was to address edits suggested by consumers and stakeholders. One of the improvements made to the website was reordering the search options. Since primary care is generally the principal point of consultation for Medicare patients, a link to search for all generalist and group practices is always offered to users. However, since the implementation of this search functionality, stakeholders have raised concerns that including this link in the search results could confuse consumers and be detrimental to beneficiaries who are unfamiliar with the health care system.  As a result of this feedback, consumer testing, and internal discussions, CMS moved the search all generalists and group practices links to the bottom of the search results list. This ensures that the specialties most relevant to the search term appear first. Additional labeling of each section was also included to help further clarify the results list for site users.   Additional enhancements released in July include: Refining the “Is this you?” link to provide more actionable information to assist group practices and health care professionals in updating their information on Physician Compare. Adding a full Google Mash-Up on the profile page Location tab to improve usability and accuracy.  We encourage you to visit Physician Compare to view these improvements and provide feedback. Back to Top Public Reporting of Quality Measures On February 21, 2014, CMS posted the first set of quality measures on the Physician Compare website. These data include a subset of the 2012 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) measures for the 66 group practices and 141 Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that successfully reported via the web interface. The data are reported at the group practice and ACO level. The group practice quality measure scores are displayed using stars, which are graphical representations of the percent. Each star represents 20 percentage points. CMS chose this measure display to make the information more usable for consumers. Stars are familiar to consumers, as they are used everywhere from travel sites to shopping sites to other health care sites. They are also consumer-friendly because they are easily scanned to get an overall idea of the information being presented. In response to stakeholder feedback, to further assist users and for full transparency, the actual percentage score is also listed to the right of the star display. CMS will phase in additional quality measures on Physician Compare over the next several years. The 2013 and 2014 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rules further expand on the public reporting plan by including PQRS GPRO and ACO GPRO measures collected via the web interface, registries, and EHRs; PQRS individual measures collected through an EHR, registry, or claims; and patient experience survey measures, specifically the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) for PQRS and CAHPS for ACOs.  For more information about the public reporting plan, please visit the Physician Compare Initiative webpage.  A more detailed outline of the Physician Compare public reporting plan can also be foundhere. Back to Top Physician Compare Town Hall On February 24, 2014, CMS hosted a Town Hall meeting to solicit input on the future of Physician Compare. Nearly 300 individuals representing a wide range of stakeholder organizations registered to attend. Representatives provided statements and questions in person and via phone during the event. CMS also accepted written statements until March 3, 2014. All meeting materials, including transcripts are available on the Physician Compare Initiative webpage.  Back to Top Physician Compare Technical Expert Panel In October 2013, CMS first convened the Physician Compare Quality Measurement Technical Expert Panel (TEP) to provide expert input regarding public reporting via the Physician Compare website. The TEP is comprised of 16 individuals representing the perspectives of patients/caregivers and purchasers as well as technical experts. The goal of the first meeting was to get expert input on the publication of the 2012 PQRS GPRO quality measures that CMS was evaluating for public reporting in February 2014. CMS also sought the TEP’s recommendations regarding future plans for public reporting. The TEP convened for a second time on March 3, 2014 to gather input on the future of public reporting on Physician Compare, mirroring the goal of the Town Hall meeting held on February 24.  Summaries from both the 2013 and the 2014 TEP meetings are available on the Physician Compare Initiative webpage. Back to Top

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Reminder: Join Tomorrow’s eHealth Provider Webinar on Administrative Simplification Initiatives

Register Now to Learn about Administrative Simplification Initiatives By improving standardization and increasing the efficiency of administrative processes, Administrative Simplification initiatives can reduce the administrative burden on providers. The end result is that providers can spend more time seeing patients and less time filling out forms. To learn more about how Administrative Simplification can help simplify your practice, join subject matter experts from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and NACHA—The Electronic Payments Association for the next eHealth provider webinar tomorrow, July 22, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET to hear about: Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Remittance Advice (ERA) Operating Rules Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network Health care EFT Standard Resources and Additional Information A portion of the webinar will be dedicated to Q&A. Registration Information Space is limited. Register now to secure your spot for this eHealth Provider Webinar. Once your registration is complete, you will receive a follow-up email with step-by-step instructions on how to log-in to the webinar. Previous webinar presentations and recordings can be accessed on the Resources page of the CMS eHealth website. Subscriber Services: Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent this update. To contact Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) go to our contact us page.

CMS MLN Connects™ Weekly Provider eNews

The MLN Connects™ Provider eNews contains important news, announcements, and updates for health care professionals. Thursday, July 17, 2014

View the MLN Connects™ Provider eNews                                                      Unable to view this link? See the archive. In This Edition: MLN Connects™ National Provider Calls Open Payments (the Sunshine Act): Registration, Review, and Dispute — Last Chance to Register ESRD Quality Incentive Program: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for PY 2017 and 2018 — Last Chance to Register 2015 Medicare PFS Proposals for PQRS, Value Modifier, EHR Incentive Program, and the Physician Compare Website— Last Chance to Register National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes: Improved Care Transitions —Registration Now Open CMS Events PERM Cycle 3 Provider Education Webinar/Conference Call Session Announcements DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Round 2 Recompete and National Mail-Order Recompete Announced World Hepatitis Day – July 28 Health Care Innovation Awards to Provide Better Health Care and Lower Costs Open Payments System Registration Began July 14 Open Payments Review and Dispute Process Began July 14 and Ends August 27 EHR Incentive Programs: Summary of Care Meaningful Use Requirements in Stage 2 New PQRS FAQs Available FAQs on PQRS MAV Process Available Claims, Pricers, and Codes Update to the CWF Qualifying Stay Edit C7123 for Inpatient SNF Claims Hold Any Adjustments to Method II CAH Claims that Include Services for a Surgical Assistant Correction to Inappropriately Returned Hospice Claims July 2014 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Pricer File Update MLN Educational Products "Medicare Billing: 837I and Form CMS-1450” Web-Based Training Course — Released "Medicare Secondary Payer for Providers, Physicians, Other Suppliers, and Billing Staff” Fact Sheet — Revised “Advance Payment Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model” Fact Sheet — Revised “Summary of Final Rule Provisions for Accountable Care Organizations under the Medicare Shared Savings Program” Fact Sheet — Revised “Methodology for Determining Shared Savings and Losses under the Medicare Shared Savings Program” Fact Sheet — Revised “Accountable Care Organizations: What Providers Need to Know” Fact Sheet — Revised “Improving Quality of Care for Medicare Patients: Accountable Care Organizations” Fact Sheet — Revised “Medicare Shared Savings Program and Rural Providers” Fact Sheet — Revised "Diagnosis Coding: Using the ICD-9-CM” Web-Based Training Course — Reminder New Continuing Education Association Now Accepting MLN Web-Based Training Courses MLN Products Available In Electronic Publication Format MLN Products Now Available In Hardcopy Format Is the eNews meeting your needs? Give us your feedback!

Please share this important information with your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe to the eNews.  Previous issues are available in the archive.

Join the eHealth Provider Webinar on July 22nd on Administrative Simplification Initiatives

Register Now to Learn about Administrative Simplification Initiatives By improving standardization and increasing the efficiency of administrative processes, Administrative Simplification initiatives can reduce the administrative burden on providers. The end result is that providers can spend more time seeing patients and less time filling out forms. To learn more about how Administrative Simplification can help simplify your practice, join subject matter experts from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and NACHA—The Electronic Payments Association for the next eHealth provider webinar on Tuesday, July 22, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET to hear about: Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Remittance Advice (ERA) Operating Rules Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network Health care EFT Standard Resources and Additional Information A portion of the webinar will be dedicated to Q&A. Registration Information Space is limited. Register now to secure your spot for this eHealth Provider Webinar. Once your registration is complete, you will receive a follow-up email with step-by-step instructions on how to log-in to the webinar. Previous webinar presentations and recordings can be accessed on the Resources page of the CMS eHealth website. Subscriber Services: Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent this update. To contact Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) go to our contact us page.

NCVHS Standards Subcommittee Panel Focuses on a Successful ICD-10 Transition

News Updates | July 11, 2014
NCVHS Standards Subcommittee Panel Focuses on a Successful ICD-10 Transition Last month, ICD-10 was a featured topic at a meeting of the Standards Subcommittee of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS). Representatives from both the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and medical and trade associations testified during the panel “ICD-10: Achieving a Successful Transition.” In light of the recently enacted legislation that delays the ICD-10 compliance date until at least October 1, 2015, several panelists urged the various components of the U.S. health care community to work together for a successful transition. They pointed to a need to rebuild credibility around the message that ICD-10 is coming and health care professionals need to prepare. Panelists from trade associations urged CMS to communicate its commitment to ICD-10 and to robust end-to-end testing with providers and clearinghouses. They also noted that collaboration across groups like payers, clearinghouses, and providers will be essential to successfully testing ICD-10. CMS Commitment to ICD-10 and Testing Denesecia Green, acting director of the Administrative Simplification Group, assured attendees that CMS is committed to ICD-10, including Medicare testing with providers and clearinghouses. She emphasized that CMS Medicare testing plans have been postponed—not canceled—saying “There will be testing.” To help mitigate risks around the ICD-10 transition, CMS is regularly bringing together payers, software/IT vendors, clearinghouses, and providers to collaborate on sharing best practices and overcoming challenges. Representing Medicare fee-for-service (FFS), John Evangelist shared details about the Medicare acknowledgment testing that took place March 3-7. He noted that testers submitted more than 127,000 claims with ICD-10 codes to the Medicare FFS claims systems and received electronic acknowledgements confirming that their claims were accepted. Approximately 2,600 participating providers, suppliers, billing companies, and clearinghouses participated in the testing week, representing about five percent of all submitters. Clearinghouses that submit claims on behalf of providers comprised the largest group of testers, submitting 50 percent of all test claims. Other testers included large and small physician practices, large and small hospitals, labs, ambulatory surgical centers, dialysis facilities, home health providers, and ambulance providers. Nationally, CMS accepted 89 percent of the test claims, with some regions reporting acceptance rates as high as 99 percent. The normal FFS Medicare claims acceptance rates average 95-98 percent. Testing did not identify any issues with the Medicare FFS claims systems. AAPC Study of Transition Costs Rhonda Buckholtz, AAPC vice president for ICD-10 training and education, also testified to the ICD-10 panel about results from a study that her organization conducted of its members and others in the health care community. Among AAPC’s findings: ICD-10 transition costs were lower than previously estimated in other studies—an average of $1,600 per provider. Of the 5,000 AAPC clients that responded via phone or online, 220 answered a question about their actual investment in ICD-10—a question that Ms. Buckholtz noted could be answered only by those who were “truly ready.” Respondents were asked to answer the question based on how much their vendors charged, how much they spent on education, and how much they spent on consultants. (These actual costs do not include staff time spent on training and education.) Here’s how the costs broke down by practice size: Small practices (fewer than 10 providers) = $750 per provider Medium practices (10 – 49 providers) = $575 per provider Large practices (50 or more providers) = $3,500 per provider The costs do not account for additional expenses that may be incurred as a result of legislation delaying the ICD-10 compliance date. If additional studies help to confirm that AAPC’s results reflect the actual costs for the transition to ICD-10 for diagnosis coding, it could alleviate concerns providers have expressed about costs. Keep Up to Date on ICD-10Visit the CMS ICD-10 website for the latest news and resources to help you prepare. Sign up for CMS ICD-10 Industry Email Updates and follow us on Twitter.
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