This regulation was adopted in order to correct technical and typographical errors that were found in the preamble and addendum of two documents regarding hospital inpatient prospective payment: a final rule and the interim final rule. The final rule and interim final rule documents containing the errors are titled “Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System Changes and FY 2011 Rates; Provider Agreements and Supplier Approvals; and Hospital Conditions of Participation for Rehabilitation and Respiratory Care Services; Medicaid Program: Accreditation for Providers of Inpatient Psychiatric Services.” The regulation provides a summary of the errors and their corresponding corrections, which were effective beginning October 1, 2010.
Alert: CMS’s Stark Law Self-Referral Disclosure Protocol Raises Tough Decisions for Healthcare Providers
On September 23, 2010, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a disclosure protocol pertaining to Stark Law self-referrals in accordance with Section 6409 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The purpose of the Medicare self-referral disclosure protocol (SRDP) is to create a mechanism that affords both health care providers and suppliers the opportunity to disclose either real or potential violations of the Stark law. In the event of a violation, a provider’s or supplier’s submission of this information to CMS may potentially result in a reduction in the amount due for the self-referral violations. For additional information regarding the SRDP, please go to the following website: http://www.cms.gov/PhysicianSelfReferral/65_Self_Referral_Disclosure_Protocol.asp
Health Care Reform Insurance Web Portal Requirements
This regulation outlines the requirements for state insurance websites (“Web Portals”) that must be made public by July 1, 2010 to individuals and small business in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Currently, each web portal at minimum must contain the following information (to the extent practicable):
- Health insurance coverage offered by health insurance issuers
- Medicaid coverage
- Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage
- State health benefits high risk pool coverage
- Coverage under the high risk pool
- Coverage for small businesses and their employees (small group market)
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