New quality measures, tight deadline mark CMS payment rule for ASCs
It sounds like déjà vu all over again, as Yogi Berra used to say. That is likely to be the first reaction of many ambulatory surgery center (ASC) administrators to the Calendar Year 2014 Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Proposed Rule. Pay formula unchanged Medicare payment updates would continue at…
Can your OR documentation stand up to a RAC audit?
A column on managing the OR revenue cycle. Audits of Medicare payments to hospitals are up dramatically. In all, 89% of hospitals reported activity by recovery audit contractors (RACs) in the third quarter of 2012, according to an American Hospital Association (AHA) survey. Here are tips on how your OR…
Practice now applying the new ASC quality codes
While the deadline for beginning to report quality measures on Medicare claim forms is not until October 1, 2012, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can start practicing. On April 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a set of reporting codes for the first 5 measures. The…
Surgery is front and center in new Medicare value-based purchasing
This year, the quality movement takes a big step with the start of Medicare’s value-based purchasing (VBP) program. Beginning October 1, 2012, part of your hospital’s Medicare payments will be based on your hospital’s performance on a set of quality measures, usually referred to as the core measures and HCAHPS…
Hospitals losing on physician preference items
An analysis by Premier of data from 323 of its member hospitals shows they are losing $1.82 billion annually for 12 orthopedic and cardiac case categories because of Medicare reimbursement shortfalls. Lack of evidence-based outcomes data and the rising cost of physician preference items (PPIs) are also cited as reasons…
SCIP measures to weigh in Medicare pay starting in 2013
The dawn of hospital pay for quality has arrived. Hospitals have been reporting Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) measures and other quality measures to Medicare for public display. Now starting in fiscal year 2013, how well they perform on 7 of the SCIP measures and 18 other measures will determine…
Medicare to collect infection data
For the first time, all hospitals will have to report data on infections to receive their full payment update from Medicare in future years. Data will be collected on 2 types of infection: central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) starting January 1, 2011, for a full payment update in 2013 surgical…
Payments and penalties for outcomes
Under the health care reform law, starting in 3 years, hospitals will stand to be paid more for meeting quality and outcome measures. They will also be penalized for hospital-acquired conditions and readmissions. Pilot projects will be launched to test new ways to deliver and pay for care to Medicare…
Advice on keeping up with C-codes
C-codes, HCPCS, APCs, OPPS, IPPS—OR business managers need to master an intricate and sometimes mysterious set of Medicare regulations in charging for surgical services. In this column, Keith Siddel, MBA, an expert on health care business operations, responds to questions posed by members of OR Manager's OR Business Management Listserv.…
Self-administered drugs (SAD): Who pays?
There are certain drugs Medicare will not reimburse your facility for— even if they are given to a patient during surgery. These medications fall in the confusing category of self-administered drugs, or SAD. It's wise to know your organization's policy on SAD. If the policy is to bill patients for…
Free Daily News
- Mental health, violence top list of concerns in biennial nursing report
- Joint Commission identifies most cited certification performance requirements
- Special rates extended for OR Manager event, publication subscription
- OR Manager survey-takers earn gift cards, free event passes
- FDA warns of continued cardiac pump safety concerns after series of recalls
- Study: Knee arthritis surgery neither delays nor hastens total replacement
- Study: Reverse total shoulder replacement long-term outcomes similar to traditional surgery
- Wearables could help surgeons maintain healthy posture during lengthy procedures
- Robotic-assisted total knee replacements: Improved outcomes, higher costs
- Analyzing impact of long COVID on cognitive health, surgical outcomes