Welcome to the Weintraub Resources section. Here, you can find our Blogs, Videos, and Podcasts, in which Weintraub attorneys regularly provide insights and updates on legal developments. You can also find upcoming Weintraub Events, as well as firm and client News.
Published: February 1, 2013
by
Jeanne L. Vance
Healthcare Legal Updates
This piece is part of a series that will appear in the RAP Sheet over its next several issues that summarize hot topics in Medicaid enrollment on a state-by-state basis. In this issue, we bring you California, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Published: October 3, 2012
by
Jeanne L. Vance
Healthcare Legal Updates
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) recently announced that it awarded Noridian Administrative Services the contract for administration of Medicare Part A and Part B fee-for-service claims for California, Nevada, Hawaii and the American territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Noridian will also take over additional Medicare operational functions, including provider enrollment functions. According to CMS, the workload transfer is to be complete by early 2013. However, if Palmetto GBA protests the bid award, this could significantly delay implementation.
Published: June 29, 2012
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is constitutional. The decision came down in the cases entitled, National Federation of Independent Business et al. v. Sebelius, No. 11-393 (June 28, 2012), Department of Health and Human Services et al. v. Florida et al., No. 11-398, and Florida et al. v. Department of Health and Human Services et al., No. 11-400). There, the 5 to 4 majority decided that the law is constitutional as an exercise of Congress’ power to tax, despite the congressional record stating it is not a tax. In California, where statutes that say “penalty” are later determined by courts to be “wages” these types of word games come as no surprise.
The overall effect of the Court’s decision: all existing provisions of the Act, such as the coverage of adult children up to age 26 and the prohibitions on lifetime benefit limits, remain in effect. More importantly, the penalties on larger employers for failing to provide minimum essential coverage and availability of coverage through government-sponsored exchanges will become effective as scheduled, on January 1, 2014.
Published: March 30, 2012
American Health Lawyers Association, Institute on Medicare and Medicaid Payment Issues Conference, Fundamentals of Provider Enrollment.
When: March 28–30, 2012
Where: Baltimore, Maryland.
Published: March 15, 2012
American Bar Association’s Health Law Section, National Webinar, Medicare’s Revalidation Requirements: Update on Enrollment Procedures for Providers and Suppliers.
When: March 15, 2012
Where: Webinar
Published: February 7, 2012
by
Jeanne L. Vance
Healthcare Legal Updates
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has begun the process of revalidating most Medicare provider and supplier enrollments, which must be completed by 2015. This effort began making waves in the provider and supplier community when letters sent last fall from the Medicare Administrative Contractors (“MACs”) gave recipients 60 days to respond with a complete Medicare revalidation application. The consequences of failure to comply with a MAC request to revalidate include deactivation of a provider or supplier’s enrollment, which means that the Medicare revenue stream ceases.
Published: August 3, 2011
by
Jeanne L. Vance
Healthcare Legal Updates
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized changes for Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) payments for calendar year (CY) 2012. The final rule will be published in the August 8, 2011, Federal Register. CMS finalized an 11.1% decrease to SNF Medicare payments, reflecting the net effects of a downward recalibration of case-mix indexes, a market basket increase and a multi-factor productivity adjustment to the SNF prospective payment system (PPS) rates. In addition, CMS revised several SNF payment policies effective October 1, 2011.
Published: July 18, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes for Medicare home health agency (HHA) payments for calendar year (CY) 2012. The proposed rule, which was published in the July 12, 2011, Federal Register, results in a net 3.35% decrease to HHA Medicare payments after taking into account the effects of both market basket and wage index updates and reductions in the home health prospective payment system (PPS) rates.
Published: July 11, 2011
by
Jeanne L. Vance
Healthcare Legal Updates
On July 1, 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule with policy and payment changes for Hospital Outpatient Departments (HOPDs) and Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs). The proposed rule would affect Medicare payments commencing in calendar year (CY) 2012. The proposed rule will be published in the July 18, 2011, Federal Register.
Published: July 8, 2011
by
Jeanne L. Vance
Healthcare Legal Updates
On July 1, 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposed payment rate and policy changes for the Medicare physician fee schedule that would go into effect for calendar year (CY) 2012. The proposed rule will be published in the July 19, 2011, Federal Register. Highlights of the proposed changes are discussed below. Note that the proposed rule does not address CMS’ projected reduction of 29.5% to the conversion factor for CY 2012 that is based on the application of the sustainable growth rate (SGR). The reason is that this reduction can only be averted through a change in law. The President’s budget submission for fiscal year (FY) 2012 would extend current payment rates through Dec. 31, 2013.