According to a study by researchers at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and Georgetown University, the number of doctors engaged in “concierge medicine” is on the rise. The study found that almost 1,000 physicians nationwide practice concierge medicine. Physicians with these types of practices offer…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a new rule affecting Durable Medical Equipment (DME) providers. The rule, effective September 27, 2010, strengthens Medicare’s standards for marketing and solicitations and expands enrollment requirements for DMEPOS providers. Important highlights from the rule include: – DME providers will be…
The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) recently announced that it has saved more than $5 million in costs in 2009 due to its system-wide Electronic Medical Records (EMR). This is the second consecutive year that the DMC has experienced cost-savings due to the EMR system. The system, which started to be…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued two Advisory Opinions. The first Advisory Opinion, AO 10-12, found that an arrangement between a grant program operated by a nonprofit, tax exempt charitable organization that provides grants to brain tumor patients who require financial…
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) named the first technology review bodies that are authorized to certify electronic health record (EHR) systems. The review bodies, The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) and the Drummond Group Inc. (DGI), will have the task of ensuring…
The RACs for Region D and Region C added medical necessity reviews to their lists of approved RAC audit issues. HealthDataInsights (HDI), the RAC for Region D, added ten medical necessity reviews to its list of approved issues, while Connolly Healthcare (Connolly), the RAC for Region C, posted 18 medical…
Physicians Health Plan will be the insurer to offer subsidized health coverage for chronically-ill Michigan residents. The insurer, based in Lansing, will offer health coverage through the health insurance pool that was created to provide an avenue for the uninsured chronically ill to buy coverage until state exchanges are active…
The Detroit Free Press reported that a Michigan doctor was sentenced to 14 years in prison for Medicare fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, the doctor will owe $9.4 million in restitution payments and is eligible for a three-year supervised release after his prison sentence. According to the Department…
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) published two reports targeting inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF). Most notable, however, is the CMS response to the OIG reports. The first report reviewed IRF transmission of patient assessment instruments for calendar years (CY) 2006 and 2007. This report showed that IRFs failed to timely…
As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), i.e., health care reform, states received more than $46 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Crain’s Detroit Business reported that Michigan has received $1 million of grants from HHS to go towards…