CAHs Encouraged to Participate in MBQIP

The Federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) recently kicked off a new CAH initiative, MBQIP, the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project. With more national attention on quality and reporting, this initiative takes a proactive and visionary approach to ensure CAHs are well-equipped and prepared to measure and demonstrate quality. Through this program, CAHs agree to give ORHP access to the data their hospital is submitting to CMS. This data will be aggregated to benchmark, demonstrate improvements, share best practices, and to generate reports to aid CAHs and states in quality improvement activities. There is information about MBQIP in this YouTube video from HRSA’s Senior Health Policy Advisor, Paul Moore. To join MBQIP, contact jd@coruralhealth.org or mm@coruralhealth.org.

Version 5010 – Where Are We Now?

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

WHEN: March 6, 2012

TIME: Will vary by region

WHO: Hosted by your Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Regional Office.

WHAT: Please join CMS staff for an informative webinar for healthcare providers, clearinghouses and vendors on Version 5010. 

 

Version 5010 refers to the standards that HIPAA-covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses, and certain health care providers) must use when electronically conducting certain health care administrative transactions, such as claims, remittance, eligibility, and claims status requests and responses.

All covered entities should have been fully compliant with Version 5010 by January 1, 2012.

 In this webinar, we’ll cover:

• Current conversion statistics
• Top 10 concerns impacting the 5010 transition
• Status of current Version 5010 Standard System Maintainer fixes
• Top 10 Version 5010 edits
• Medicaid update
• Resources and contact information

Stay tuned for further information on the time of your region’s session and registration information.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free TeamSTEPPS Patient Safety Training

Hospitals and other health care providers can register online to attend free master trainer courses for TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety), an evidence-based program being implemented nationally by the American Hospital Association's Health Research & Educational Trust under a three-year contract with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Standard and advanced training sessions are available through Sept. 1 at six regional training centers. For more information, contact the HRET National Implementation Team at AHRQTeamSTEPPS@aha.org or (312) 422-2609.

Commentary: Payment Cuts to Critical Access Hospitals 'Inevitable'

Commentary: Payment Cuts to Critical Access Hospitals 'Inevitable'
By: John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, February 8, 2012
Many rural hospital leaders lack contingency plans for what one expert in healthcare strategy calls an inevitability—Medicare critical access funding cuts within the next three years.
More Analysis

Last Chance to Apply for Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program!

There is still time to get your application in for the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program! Eligible projects support the rural health infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of rural entities to provide outpatient primary care services now and in the future. Organizations must be located outside of Colorado's urbanized areas and provide outpatient primary care services--including medical, oral, and mental health services. The maximum award amount is $50,000 per applicant. Completing an Intent to Apply form prior to the full application is highly recommended. Applications are due by Noon on Wednesday February 15th.


Important Application Dates
Applications Due: Noon February 15, 2012
Notification of Grant Awards: June 2012

More Information
Read more about this funding opportunity
Fill out an Intent to Apply form
Download the grant guidance
Download the application

130 - Charges Imposed by Immediate Relatives of the Patient or Members of the Patient’s Household

A. General
These are expenses that constitute charges by immediate relatives of the beneficiary or by members of their household. The intent of this exclusion is to bar Medicare payment for items and services that would ordinarily be furnished gratuitously because of the relationship of the beneficiary to the person imposing the charge. This exclusion applies to items and services rendered by providers to immediate relatives of the owner(s) of the provider. It also applies to services rendered by physicians to their immediate relatives and items furnished by suppliers to immediate relatives of the owner(s) of the supplier.

B. Immediate Relative
The following degrees of relationship are included within the definition of immediate relative.
Husband and wife;
Natural or adoptive parent, child, and sibling;
Stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, and stepsister;
Father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law;
Grandparent and grandchild; and
Spouse of grandparent and grandchild.

For more information and please see  Section 130

Job Posting for Billing Specialist

Billing Specialist: Full time billing specialist needed for established medical billing service located in Arvada, CO. 2-3 years experience with Rural Health Clinic, FQHC, and/or hospital billing required. CPC a plus but not required. Excellent benefits offered. Please email resume and 3 professional references to jh@rtwelter.com.