Viewing ‘CMS’ Category

CMS Publishes Medicare Provider Charge Data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has finally made  publicly available  hospital-specific charges for the more than 3,000 U.S. hospitals that receive Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) payments. The data represents almost 7 million discharges or 60 percent of total Medicare IPPS discharges. Hospitals have protected their price lists or “charge masters”  from public disclosure and by means of contractual confidentiality restrictions. CMS’s disclosure of this data were inspired in part by a March 2013 Time magazine investigative report on hospital charges authored by Steven Brill, which attracted extensive media attention and discussion.

CMS hopes that users of the data will be able to make comparisons between the amount charged by individual hospitals within local markets, and nationwide, for services that might be furnished in connection with a particular inpatient stay. CMS shared the data in advance with media outlets such as The Huffington Post, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Each of these outlets have published stories based on their analysis.   Entities such as ACO’s may find this data useful as they seek to deliver better patient care on limited budgets in order to produce shared savings.

Links:

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Medicare-Provider-Charge-Data/index.html

Shared Savings Program Application- Notice of Intent Filing Starts May 1, 2013

Downtown Tampa

The filing period for the Notice of Intent (NOI) to Apply for participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program 2014 program starts today May 1, 2013 and expires on May 30, 2013. The completed NOI  must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. EST May 31, 2013.  CMS only accepts NOIs submitted electronically and advises that processing time may vary, so applicants are instructed to plan to submit their NOI as early as possible.  Those submitting a completed NOI will get NOI Receipt Notice by e-mail that includes the ACO identification number (ACO ID) and detailed instructions on how to get a CMS User ID. CMS states that an applicant must have an ACO ID to apply to participate in the Shared Savings Program and • You must have a CMS User ID and password to submit your application using the online Health Plan Management System (HPMS.) Additional instructions on acquiring a CMS User ID and related due dates are set forth on the web site.

In June 2013, CMS will post the application for the 2014 program start date on its web site. Applicants may use the on-line application to begin compiling their responses; however, applicants must submit their actual application electronically when the system is available July 1 through July 31, 2013.

This blog will have regular updates and summaries on  the Medicare Shared Savings Program 2014 program and Accountable Care Organizations.

Link:

http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/sharedsavingsprogram/index.html