The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced plans to expand the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. This program is an essential tool to help Medicare set appropriate payment rates for DMEPOS items and services. Except in nine areas of the country where the program is now in effect for certain items, Medicare pays for DMEPOS items using a fee schedule that is generally based on historic supplier charges from the 1980s, increased by an annual covered item update factor. Numerous studies from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office have shown that the fee schedule amounts for certain DMEPOS items are excessive; taxpayers and Medicare beneficiaries bear the burden of these excessive payments.
Author: DME INFO
Current Orthopedic and DME news and resources.
View the HEAT Provider Compliance Training Webcast
Hear from the Office of Inspector General and other government experts as they educate local health care providers, compliance officers, and their legal counsel about the realities of Medicare fraud and the importance of implementing an effective compliance program.
- Get the Facts. Understand the law and the consequences of violating it.
- Make a Plan. Cultivate a culture of compliance within your health care organization.
- Know Where to Go. Learn what to do when a compliance issue arises.
This free compliance training is offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. No registration is required to view this event. Please follow this link for more information HEAT
Effective March 25, 2011: Implementation of Provider Screening and Risk Based Categories for Provider/Supplier Enrollment
It is the continuing goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse through all available avenues. The Affordable Care Act requires CMS to determine the level of screening to be conducted during provider and supplier enrollment based on the level of risk posed to the Medicare system. With the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, we have the increased ability to focus our efforts on prevention, rather than simply acting after the fact. The use of risk categories and associated screening levels will help ensure that only legitimate providers and suppliers are enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP, and that only legitimate claims are paid.
Effective Friday, March 25, 2011, newly-enrolling and revalidating providers and suppliers will be placed in one of three screening categories – limited, moderate, or high. These categories represent the level of risk for fraud, waste, and abuse to the Medicare program for the particular category of provider/supplier, and determine the degree of screening to be performed by the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) processing the enrollment application. For more information please click here: CMS Please refer to the regulation published to the Federal Register
DJO Global Orthotic Fitter Course
DJO Global is proud to announce the April 11-14, 2011 DJO: Orthotic Fitter Course. This course is an ABC and BOC approved entry-level educational course for any practitioner wishing to become a Certified Orthotic Fitter (COF). This course provides a wonderful balance between lecture and laboratory experiences. Anatomy, physiology of injury, and symptoms requiring brace usage are discussed during lecture, while the laboratory sessions provide attendees hands-on experience fitting, donning and doffing various orthopedic braces.
Don’t miss your opportunity to increase your knowledge base and become one step closer to becoming a Certified Orthotic Fitter. Feel free to extend an invitation to all of your accounts as an opportunity for their employees to become a COF. For more information and registration form, please click here OrthoticFitterCourseBrochure
New Tools to Fight Fraud, Strengthen Medicare and Protect Taxpayer Dollars
The Affordable Care Act improves and expands consumer protections, strengthens Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and reduces health care costs. One important way it achieves these goals is by improving government-wide efforts to fight fraud, waste and abuse. The new law contains some critical new tools to improve and enhance the Administration’s efforts to prevent and detect fraud, and crack down on individuals who attempt to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP as well as private insurance. Please click here for more information: New Tools to Fight Fraud
