Health Law

Published on: December 12, 2014

CMS Issues Proposed Rule Postponing ACO Penalties

On December 1, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would postpone penalties against accountable care organizations (ACOs) for three years. The proposed rule is one of the latest measures CMS has taken to encourage ACOs to stay in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. In 2012, as part of the rollout of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Medicare Shared Savings Program was initiated in an effort to curb spending, while improving quality of care. Since its enactment, industry stakeholders have pushed for leniency, primarily because the Medicare Shared Savings Program penalizes ACOs after the first three years unless the ACOs voluntarily take on financial risk earlier, in exchange for larger bonuses if they perform well. While policymakers supported the penalties as a means of incentivizing change in the healthcare market, providers, particularly less experienced providers, pushed back–arguing that a more moderate approach would ease the financial risk and foster more growth. Recently, the National Association of ACOs released the results of a survey, which reported that approximately 200 of the 300 ACOs in the program were somewhat or highly unlikely to continue if they were required to accept penalties.

With the issuance of the proposed rule, CMS conveyed that it wants less experienced ACOs to remain in the program. By postponing the penalties, CMS acknowledged that some ACOs might not be ready to accept the financial risks and fear these providers might exit the program in lieu of exposing their entity to liability.

However, ACOs must abide by specific criteria if they want to take advantage of the postponement. Under the proposed rule, ACOs must have reduced their spending in their first two years in the program and be prepared to assume the financial risk of penalties after six years. Additionally, CMS plans to encourage ACOs to exit the safer track and take on more risk by decreasing the safe track bonuses from fifty percent to forty percent. Furthermore, CMS proposed a third track, which would implement new methods to determine which patients are included in the ACO. Specifically, the ACOs would start the year with a list of patients, and manage those patients’ costs and care. This new system should benefit ACOs because CMS will identify the patients at the start of the year, allowing for more focused improvement efforts. Lastly, the third track will also include potential bonuses and penalties.

Published on: December 5, 2014

Deadlines for Certification with the American Board of Radiology Approaching Quickly

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

The American Board of Radiology’s (“ABR”) Board Eligibility Policy, implemented on January 1, 2012, limited the period of time that may elapse between the completion of residency training and achievement of Board Certification. Because a number of radiologists had completed their residencies but not yet achieved Board Certification when the policy went into effect, the ABR established a transitional phase-in period with specific time limits on the Board Eligibility period.

Importantly, the dates chosen by the ABR as the deadlines for achieving certification for certain radiologists are quickly approaching. For diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology, the termination dates for board eligibility status are as follows:

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As a result, radiologists who completed their training in 2004 or before but continue in the examination process are facing possible termination of “board eligibility” as soon as the end of this year. After the period of board eligibility expires, radiologists who have not achieved Board Certification will no longer be considered by the ABR to be “board eligible,” and will no longer be permitted to designate themselves as such for credentialing purposes.

Published on: November 12, 2014

CMS Announces Increased Reimbursement for Telehealth

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

On October 31, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its CY 2015 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. The rule included several important changes as it relates to telehealth services. With respect to reimbursement rates, in the final rule CMS increased Medicare payments to telehealth originating sites by 0.8 percent.

In addition, the final rule provides seven new procedure codes that cover the following telehealth services:

Psychotherapy services (CPT codes 90845, 90846, and 90847);
Prolonged services in the office (CPT codes 99354 and 99355); and
Annual wellness visits (HCPCS codes G0438 and G0239).

For billing purposes, the originating site fee will be $24.83. CMS also introduced new CPT code 99490, which allows physicians to bill Medicare for chronic care management. The monthly, unadjusted, non-facility fee will be $42.60. Most importantly, CPT 99490 is considered a physician service and is, therefore, available nationwide and not restricted to rural-only telehealth.

Although these changes in the final rule have been received by many telehealth advocates and providers as welcomed developments, CMS did not eliminate the requirement for patients to be located in a rural area in order to receive telehealth services, despite suggestions from many commenters in response to the 2015 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule to expand the reach of telehealth.

Published on: November 4, 2014

Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals Hosts Second Medicare Appellant Forum

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

On October 29th, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) hosted its second Appellant Forum in Washington, D.C. OMHA is responsible for the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) level of the Medicare administrative process, and thus operates the third level of appeals for Medicare audit denials. The Appellant Forum was intended to provide updates to Medicare audit appellants on the status of OMHA operations and to relay information regarding OMHA initiatives to reduce backlog in the processing of Medicare appeals.

Representatives from Wachler & Associates attended the Appellant Forum and gained valuable information for appellants facing delays in Medicare ALJ appeals. OMHA’s Chief ALJ, Hon. Nancy Griswold, explained the historical backdrop that led to OMHA’s current backlog in appeals and described OMHA’s attempts to find a “holistic solution” to ALJ workload.

Judge Griswold also updated providers on statistics regarding OMHA’s appellant workload. She explained that Medicare Part A and Part B appeals amount to 99% of the appeals pending at the ALJ level. Further, that despite increased productivity by ALJs, OMHA currently receives 4 times the amount of appeals per day as the ALJ’s are able to adjudicate per day. In January 2014, OMHA received 14,000 appeal receipts per week. The unprecedented amount of appeals has caused OMHA to fail to meet its 90-day statutory requirement for adjudication. As of September 2014, the average wait time for an ALJ decision was 514 days, which again marked a significant increase from the fiscal year 2013 average.

Published on: October 28, 2014

CMS Extends Fraud and Abuse Waivers for ACO Shared Savings Program

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

On October 17, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) extended its interim final rule regarding fraud and abuse waivers for accountable care organizations (ACOs) that participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The Medicare Shared Savings Program was one of the initial steps taken under the Affordable Care Act to both increase quality and lower costs in the Medicare program. ACOs that participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program can share in the savings generated to Medicare.

Originally, the interim final rule was published in the November 2, 2011 Federal Register, and had the typical three-year period before becoming a final rule. The continuation of the interim final rule extends the timeline for an additional year, establishing a new deadline of November 2, 2015. The interim final rule offers five waivers to ACOs, which allow healthcare entities to form and operate ACOs without fear of violating federal fraud and abuse laws. The ACO waivers include:

An ACO participation waiver;

Published on: October 13, 2014

OIG Releases Proposed Rule Affecting Anti-Kickback Statute Safe Harbors

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently published a proposed rule that affects providers and suppliers seeking to comply with the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) provisions. The proposed rule alters existing safe harbors, codifies statutory changes, and adds new protections for arrangements that the OIG believes present low risk to federal health care programs.

The AKS provides criminal penalties for individuals or entities that knowingly and willfully offer, pay, solicit, or receive remuneration in order to induce or reward the referral of business reimbursable under Federal health care programs. The law prohibits all types of remuneration, including kickbacks, bribes, and rebates. Due to the extremely broad reach of the statute, Congress authorized the OIG to develop safe harbor regulations that protect industry payment and business practices that, if structured properly, would not be treated as criminal offenses under the AKS even though they may induce referrals of business under the Federal health care programs. In authorizing these safe harbors, Congress intended that the safe harbor regulations be updated periodically to reflect changes in business practices and technology in the health care industry. The proposed rule will also codify statutory changes emanating from the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Specifically, the proposed rule applies to safe harbors or exceptions related to 1) referral services, 2) cost-sharing waivers, 3) agreements between Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), 4) the Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program, and 5) free or discounted local transportation services.

Published on: October 1, 2014

OCR Offers Guidance on HIPAA Privacy Rule and Same-sex Marriage

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

In September 2014, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released guidance to assist covered entities in understanding their obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule in light of the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in United States v. Windsor. In Windsor, the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which restricted interpretations of “spouse” and “marriage” in federal law to opposite-sex marriages, as a violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. As a result, OCR opined that covered entities and applicable business associates must take into account lawfully married same-sex couples when applying federal law.

OCR noted that the Privacy Rule’s definition of “family members” includes the terms “spouse” and “marriage.” Under the Privacy Rule, a spouse is defined as any individual who is in a legally valid marriage sanctioned by a state, territory, or foreign jurisdiction (assuming that the marriage performed in a foreign jurisdiction would be recognized by a U.S. jurisdiction). OCR clarified that “marriage” includes same-sex marriages, a family member includes dependents of that marriage, and that these terms apply to individuals who are legally married, “whether or not they live or receive services in a jurisdiction that recognizes their marriage.”

OCR also provided two examples how this clarified definition of a family member would be applied to specific provisions in the Privacy Rule. Specifically, §164.510(b) Standard: uses and disclosures for involvement in the individual’s care and notification purposes allows protected health information to be shared with a patient’s spouse and family members. OCR opined that in light of Windsor, covered entities must consider legally married same-sex spouses, regardless of where they live, to be family members.

Published on: September 29, 2014

Federation of State Medical Boards Releases Model Legislation to Expedite Physician Licensure in Lieu of Telemedicine Push

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

As the demand for telemedicine increases across the country, states continue to grapple with licensure issues arising from physicians working across state lines. In an effort to resolve the dilemma, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) published model legislation designed to assist in the implementation of a multistate compact, by which physicians from one state can be expeditiously licensed in another state to practice telemedicine.

FSMB’s model legislation requires a minimum of seven states to participate, with each state providing representatives for a governing commission. When at least seven states have joined, the commission would openly share disciplinary and credentialing information in a joint effort to quickly license physicians that are already licensed in one of the other participating states. This sharing of information would allow the participating states to license physicians without being saddled with the responsibility of independently collecting the large amount of paperwork required to license a physician. The governing commission of the compact would not have any licensing power itself, but rather would serve to facilitate the quick transfer of information between participating states. As an example, if Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana joined the multi-state compact, a physician licensed in Michigan, wishing to practice telemedicine in Illinois and Indiana, would have the compact commissioner obtain the necessary credentialing information and approval from the Michigan medical board, collect the licensing fees mandated in Illinois and Indiana, and then process an expedited license.

Members of the FSMB are hopeful for support of their model legislation because it ensures that licensure remains a state right and avoids federal intervention. A multi-state compact will hopefully solve the licensure dilemma, allowing physicians, for example, to use telemedicine technologies to offer specialized care to rural communities. One such state is Wyoming, which relies on telemedicine to care for its residents. The Executive Director of the Wyoming State Board of Medicine, Kevin Bohnenblust, stated that Wyoming has approximately 3,000 licensed physicians, but only 1,200 physicians that actually live in the state. As a prominent “importer” of telemedicine, Wyoming is hopeful that the FSMB policy takes effect. Bohnenblust also notes that states with renowned hospitals like Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio, could benefit as “exporters” of telemedicine.

Published on: September 25, 2014

CMS Final Rule Provides Greater Flexibility for Meeting EHR Meaningful Use Requirements

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

On August 29, 2014, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule allowing providers more flexibility in meeting the meaningful-use requirements for the electronic health records (EHR) incentive program. The final rule, which was an adoption of the May 2014 proposed rule, aims to assist providers in utilizing Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) by giving eligible providers another year to continue using the 2011 Edition CEHRT, or a combination of the 2011 and 2014 Edition CEHRT. However, providers should be aware that in 2015 they are required to use the 2014 Edition CEHRT software.

Additionally, the final rule extends Stage 2 of meaningful use through 2016, thus delaying implementation of Stage 3. For those providers who first became meaningful users of EHR in 2011 or 2012, Stage 3 of meaningful use is now scheduled to begin in 2017. According to CMS, the updates in the final rule will better enable providers to participate and meet meaningful use objectives, including:

Electronic prescribing;

Published on: August 29, 2014

Reports Show Increase in Individuals Participating in Employer-Based Health Plans

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, much of the media focus has been on individuals who were previously denied coverage because of preexisting conditions or financial barriers. Now, studies are focusing on the large group of individuals who, prior to the ACA, simply chose not to purchase health insurance. The reports demonstrate that due to the Individual Mandate portion of the ACA, which requires individuals to purchase health insurance, many more individuals are choosing to participate in their employers’ health plans.

The increased participation in employer health plans will inevitably cost employers. Most recently, Wal-Mart announced that a dramatic increase in employees signing up for insurance through the company will cost its stockholders $500 million — up from the company’s previous estimate of $330 million. Although Wal-Mart is experiencing the employer-based insurance shift on a large scale, many employers nationwide are expected to see a jump in participation in their health plans. Recently, the National Business Group on Health announced that large employers should expect to see a 6.5% rise in healthcare costs in 2015.

Although The New England Journal of Medicine and members of the Urban Institute both note a rise in individuals signing up for insurance through their employers, other analysts predict that employers’ costs will be too high, and that the employers will simply “dump” these employees into their state’s health insurance marketplace. Many experts, however, expect that if such dumping were to occur, it would come from small employers who merely cannot afford to offer adequate health plans.