You can’t make this stuff up. When CMS conducted a study to identify hospitals that game the quality data reporting system, it used an approach that made the data reporting look better than it actually was. That bottom line is indicated in the second half of the title of a May 4 study released by the Office of …
Qualifications for Artificial Limb Suppliers, After Only 16 Years
January 18, 2017 Leave a Comment
Bill Clinton was President when Congress enacted a law requiring CMS to come up with qualifications for those who make or supply artificial limbs to Medicare patients. It was January 11, 2017, when CMS finally unveiled the proposed qualifications. And, having taken over 16 years to produce the proposal, CMS …
Do CMS Ratings Punish Hospitals for Serving the Poor?
September 23, 2016 Leave a Comment
Does the CMS star rating system reward hospitals for serving the affluent and punish those that serve the poor? The answer is a resounding yes, according to a recently published analysis by Bloomberg BNA. The analysis compared star ratings of hospitals across the country with U.S. Census Bureau data for each …
The Law Doesn’t Forbid Submitting False Claims
August 24, 2016 Leave a Comment
An Eighth Circuit decision provides a reminder that the False Claims Act doesn’t forbid submitting false claims: it forbids knowingly submitting false claims. That made all the difference in an appeal of summary judgment in favor of a physician group that, according to the relator, failed to comply with …
Unplanned EHR Disruptions–Common for Hospitals
July 28, 2016 Leave a Comment
The prevalence of ransomware attacks is increasing. In fact, “[o]n average, more than 4,000 ransomware attacks have occurred daily since January 1, 2016,” according to a recent interagency government report. Given this known threat, contingency planning by hospitals becomes even more important. This …