New York Whistleblower Court First to Address What It Means to “Identify” Overpayment under ACA’s 60 Day Rule

Posted on January 21, 2015 by BSW

For the first time since its enactment as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, a federal court in a whistleblower action will consider a provision requiring providers to return overpayments within sixty days of when they are “identified.” The upcoming decision by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in U.S. ex rel. Kane v. HealthFirst Inc. et al will likely be just the first of many decisions on the subject. Providers and government regulators are poised for what could prove a lengthy dispute at both the trial and appellate levels around the ACA’s 60 day rule and its interplay with overpayments in the False Claims Act (FCA) context. Continue reading →

ICD-10 Delay Update

Posted on April 3, 2014 by BSW

The house bill (HR 4302) delaying implementation of ICD-10 moved quickly through the Senate on Monday and was signed by President Obama on Tuesday. The ICD-10 delay, which was included in a much broader bill to delay Medicare payment cuts to doctors, prohibits the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from enforcing any mandate to switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10 until at least October 1, 2015. Since the language focuses on preventing CMS from enforcing a mandate, several questions remain including whether October 1, 2015 is the new deadline for implementation.

Written by: Traci Thompson

The New Two-Midnight Rule – Scrutiny Delayed for 90 Days

Posted on October 7, 2013 by BSW

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released what has become known as the “Two Midnight Rule” on August 2, 2013 in the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). The Final Rule is available in the August 19, 2013 Federal Register.
Last week, in response to provider concerns and a letter from more than 100 members of Congress asking for postponement of the rule, CMS announced a 90 day implementation period beginning on October 1, 2013. Continue reading →