On August 30, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published two compliance reports for Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities (IDTFs). The reports describe unannounced site visits conducted at all fixed location IDTFs in both the Miami and Los Angeles areas. As a result of the unannounced visits conducted in Miami and Los Angeles, the OIG has recommended that more unannounced visits be conducted. Both compliance reports include information regarding the IDTF standards and can serve as helpful tools for IDTFs looking to maintain compliance with CMS requirements.

According to a recent article from Kaiser Health News, new figures released by the Congressional Budget Office include the imposition of steep Medicare cuts for physicians. The CBO’s new baseline projections of the federal budget estimate that cumulative deficits will reach $3.5 trillion between 2012 and 2021 — a much shallower budget hole than the $6.7 trillion CBO projected in March.

On Tuesday, Aug. 9, the AASM sent a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining concerns regarding the 2012 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. AASM members also are encouraged to provide CMS with their own comments on the 2012 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. Comments to CMS are due by Aug. 30 using the contact information found on the first page of the Proposed Rule.

On Friday, Aug. 19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will expand the durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program, which is used to set prices for DME.  Among the product categories for Round Two are continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and respiratory assist devices (RADs) and related supplies and accessories.  Bidding for Round Two, which will expand the program from nine cities to 91 areas, will begin this fall.

Now more than ever, sleep medicine is on the radar of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The AASM strongly recommends that all sleep facilities develop a compliance program, including regular file audits, to help ensure appropriate documentation and billing. AASM members and their coding and billing staff are encouraged to attend the upcoming Compliance Program Development Workshop on Friday, Sept. 16 at the AASM national office in Darien, IL.

On Tuesday, Aug. 9, the AASM sent a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining concerns regarding the 2012 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. The AASM comment letter focuses on the four issues included in the full article. Comments to CMS are due by Aug. 30 using the contact information found on the first page of the Proposed Rule.

By Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, all HIPAA-covered entities are required to be compliant with Version 5010, the new version of the X12 standards for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) transactions. CMS has designated the week of Aug. 22-26, 2011, as National Version 5010 Testing Week to assist in the transition and to encourage providers to perform external testing (Level II) with their Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).

Is your office preparing for a smooth transition to ICD-10 on Oct. 1, 2013? To assist you in your preparation, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is going to host a national provider call on "ICD-10 Implementation Strategies for Physicians" on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. CMS subject matter experts will discuss ways that physician offices can prepare for the change to ICD-10 for medical diagnosis and inpatient procedure coding. A question and answer session will follow the presentations.