Medicaid

Published on: June 16, 2020

New Provider Relief Fund Targeted Allocations

On June 9, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced that two additional targeted allocations from the Provider Relief Fund will be made to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (“CHIP”) providers and to safety net hospitals. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted as a response to the ongoing 2019 Novel Coronavirus worldwide pandemic. The CARES Act has already dispersed a general distribution, as well as various targeted allocations.

The general distribution initially provided payments to around 62% of Medicaid and CHIP providers, and this new targeted allocation will provide payments to the remaining 38%. Approximately $15 billion will be distributed those Medicaid and CHIP providers who have not already received a payment from the general allocation of the Provider Relief Fund.

An enhanced Provider Relief Fund payment portal is now accessible to Medicaid and CHIP providers, where they will report their annual patient revenue. Each provider will receive a payment of at least 2% of reported gross revenue from patient care, subject to increase or decrease according to the amount of Medicaid patients the providers serve. In order to be eligible, these Medicaid and CHIP providers:

Published on: March 20, 2020

State Utilization of 1135 Waivers

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

The Coronavirus is causing many changes and uncertainties about how our healthcare is treated. With the utilization of 1135 waivers, states can assist enrollees in Social Security Act programs in obtaining sufficient health care items and services. Under the Stafford Act or National Emergencies Act, the President has the authority to declare a national disaster or emergency. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) can then temporarily waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (“CHIP”) requirements. Under these waivers, providers are expected to act in good faith, can be reimbursed for, and be exempted from sanctions—absent any determination of fraud and abuse.

1135 waivers last up until the termination of the emergency period, or 60 days from the date the waiver was approved, whichever comes first. The Secretary may extend the waiver for additional periods of up to 60 days if it is deemed necessary. While the 1135 waivers only apply to Federal program requirements, states should also consider altering their licensure or conditions or participation requirements.

On March 16, 2020, Florida was the first state to have an 1135 waiver approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”). Florida addressed concerns of federal requirements hindering the state’s ability to continue to deliver proper health care. The 1135 waiver changed five main things. First, Florida is temporarily allowed to enroll providers who are not currently enrolled with another State Medicaid Agency (“SMA”) or Medicare if the state meets some minimum requirements. Second, CMS is temporarily waiving all pre-approval requirements. Third, pre-admission screening and annual resident reviews (“PASRR”) for both Level 1 and Level 2 can be waived for the next 30 days. Fourth, facilities are temporarily allowed to be fully reimbursed for services rendered during an emergency evacuation to an unlicensed facility. And lastly, the fifth waiver is the temporary delay of scheduling Medicaid Fair Hearings and the issuance of Fair Hearing Decisions during the emergency period.

Published on: March 19, 2020

CMS Expanding Telehealth to Combat COVID-19

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

Beginning on March 6, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has temporarily expanded telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries and cut back on HIPAA enforcement to help combat the COVID-19. This expansion will last until the end of the public health emergency as declared by the Secretary of HHS. Telehealth, the remote delivery of healthcare services, often by video conference between patient and provider, is a growing frontier in the age of digital healthcare. However, Medicare was slow to adopt the new technology.

Until recently, Medicare only covered telehealth services provided to beneficiaries in designated rural areas and only if they received the services at a hospital, clinic, or other medical facility. Virtual check-ins and e-visits were reimbursed at a much lower rate. Virtual check-ins encompass brief communications between physicians and patients, such as text messages or emails, where a patient can send images and discuss symptoms and treatment options with their physician. E-visits are conducted through a patient portal and are not face-to-face. This temporary expansion will now reimburse physicians who perform virtual check-ins and e-visits at the rate of an in-person visit.

The expansion was made in pursuant to an 1135 waiver. The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, as signed into law on March 6, 2020 authorized the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to waive certain traditional Medicare telehealth requirements during this national emergency. Spurred by the calls for self-quarantine and social distancing, these waivers have led to an expansion of Medicare coverage for telehealth services.

Published on: December 30, 2019

CMS Final Rule on Affiliations for Provider Enrollment

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has released its Final Rule regarding the disclosure of affiliations in the provider enrollment process. This rule took effect on November 4, 2019. This rule permits the Secretary to revoke or deny enrollment based on the disclosure of any affiliations that CMS determines poses an undue risk of fraud, waste, or abuse. Although this rule will eventually be applicable to all providers, CMS is starting out with a phase-in approach, where the rule will only be applied to initially enrolling or revalidating providers that CMS has specifically determined may have one or more applicable affiliations.

The Final Rule requires providers and suppliers to disclose any current or previous direct or indirect affiliation with a provider or supplier that has a “disclosable event.” The Final Rule defined a disclosable event as: (1) when the provider or supplier has an uncollected debt; (2) the provider or supplier has been or is currently subject to a payment suspension under a federal health care program; (3) the provider or supplier has been or is currently excluded by the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) from Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP; or (4) the provider or supplier has had its Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP billing privileges denied or revoked.

If an entity or individual is affiliated with a provider or supplier with any of the above-mentioned disclosable events, the Secretary is authorized to deny enrollment when it is determined that this affiliation poses an undue risk of fraud, waste, or abuse. To determine the existence of undue risk, CMS will consider: (1) the length and period of the affiliation; (2) the nature and extent of the affiliation; and (3) the type of disclosable event and when it occurred.

Published on: August 31, 2018

Interstate Licensure for Providers Using Telemedicine

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

In order to deliver telemedicine services, providers must have a license issued to them by the state in which the patient receiving the telemedicine resides. Thus, providers offering telemedicine may have to get licensed in multiple states depending on where their patients live. Obtaining multiple licenses to practice interstate telemedicine is timely and costly, which may deter providers from using telemedicine; this is an issue for rural and underserved areas who rely on telemedicine for access to healthcare.

The TELE-MED Act of 2015 was intended to reduce licensing barriers for interstate telemedicine by making Medicare coverage and reimbursement available for interstate telemedicine services. However, the Act failed to get congressional approval when it was introduced three years ago. Its purpose was to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act so that Medicare participating providers could provide interstate telemedicine services to Medicare beneficiaries without having to get licensed in multiple states. This would have significantly aided Medicare beneficiaries who need telemedicine from providers out of state.

Though the TELE-MED Act did not pass, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) may still reduce the burden for providers wanting to use interstate telemedicine. Acknowledging the burden of applying to for a license in other states, especially when providers have patients across multiple states, the IMLC has created an expedited pathway for interstate licensure. The IMLC formed a Commission made up of two representatives from each adopting state, and the Commission reviews the applicants and determines whether they should be issued a license or not. The IMLC is an agreement with 24 states, 1 territory, and the 31 Medical and Osteopathic Boards in those states and territory. IMLC is streamlining the licensing process, but it is still expensive and does not solve the problem that physicians using telemedicine must be licensed wherever their patients are located.

Published on: July 24, 2018

Azar Proposes Significant Changes to 340B Drug Discount Program

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

The 340B drug discount program was originally created to provide affordable and comprehensive drug services to indigent patients. Manufacturers agree to provide prescription drugs to covered entities at significantly reduced prices, who can then offer the discounted prescription drugs to eligible patients. Covered entities include: HRSA-supported health centers, Ryan White clinics, State AIDS Drug Assistance programs, Medicare/Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals, Children’s Hospitals, and other safety net providers.

The Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar is concerned about the 340B program; he suggests that there has been abuse of the program by covered entities. Azar stated that “[t]he current nature of 340B is such that it is quite possible for the program’s benefits to be diverted to unintended purposes, unrelated to supporting care for low-income patients.” In fact, many 340B hospitals are able to receive drug discounts for all of their patients, even though there are only a small amount of uninsured and underserved patients at the hospital. A report by the OIG found that a majority of 340B entities do not even offer the reduced prices to uninsured patients, allowing them to profit off the program.

In a meeting with lawmakers, Azar proposed to cut the discount to 20% of the list price, which is significantly lower than the typical 40-60% discount. This effort by HHS coincides with the Trump administration’s goal to lower prescription drug prices.

Published on: June 27, 2018

House Passes Bill to Increase Opioid Addiction Treatment Access

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

On June 22, 2018, the House of Representatives passed “one of the most significant congressional efforts against a drug crisis in our nation’s history,” according to Representative Greg Walden (R-Oregon). The legislation makes it easier for providers to treat patients suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The bill passed with strong bipartisan support, with a vote of 396 to 14. The final bill, titled the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, combined 58 smaller bills to create one comprehensive package that includes improvements to Medicaid, Medicare, and other various ways to address the opioid crisis.

The bill expands the use of telehealth services for addiction treatment and increases the accessibility to providers offering medication-assisted treatment. In addition, the Institutes for Mental Disease exclusion, a law which blocked Medicaid from funding inpatient stays in mental/behavioral health facilities, was partially repealed under the bill, so that now state Medicaid programs may cover up to 30 days of inpatient care for eligible individuals with OUD. Also, privacy protections for addicts that forbade any physician or other medical provider from sharing a patient’s medical history with another practitioner were lessened. Thus, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish hospital protocol that makes doctors aware of a patient’s addiction history in order to prevent accidental opioid prescription to patients suffering from OUD.

Aside from those key provisions, the bill also addresses other solutions to the opioid crisis. It is expanding Medicare coverage for OUD by adding methadone clinics to the program, expanding access to Medicaid for former foster youth and those transitioning out of incarceration, and increasing money for states to fund more Medicaid providers who treat OUD. Furthermore, the bill will increase the availability of naloxone (a rescue shot for opioid overdoses), ramp up the fight against fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, and order the Food and Drug Administration to explore non-addictive pain treatments.

Published on: June 15, 2018

OMHA Releases Details on Long-Awaited Settlement Conference Facilitation Expansion

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

Settlement Conference Facilitation (SCF) is an alternative dispute resolution process which provides appellants and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) an opportunity to discuss a mutually agreeable resolution for claims appealed to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) or Medicare Appeals Council (Council) levels of appeal. SCF is a one-day mediation, in which an OMHA facilitator assists the appellant and CMS in negotiating a lump-sum settlement on eligible claims, without making official determinations of fact or law.

OMHA has modified the program’s eligibility criteria for appellants and appeals under the new expanded program, which was officially released June 15, 2018. For appellants, any Medicare Part A or Part B provider or supplier (with an assigned National Provider Identifier number) is eligible for participation, so long as that provider or supplier has not filed for bankruptcy or expects to file for bankruptcy in the future; does not have past or current False Claims Act litigation or investigations against them or other program integrity concerns such as civil, criminal or administrative investigations; and has either: (1) 25 or more eligible appeals pending at OMHA and the Council combined, or (2) less than 25 eligible appeals pending at OMHA or the Council and at least one appeal has more than $9,000 in billed charges.

The updated appeals eligibility criteria are as follows:

Published on: May 24, 2018

Rebranding of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentives Program

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

On May 7, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released a proposed rule that would rebrand the current Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (“EHR”) Incentives program into the Promoting Interoperability program (“PI”).

The EHR incentives program, created in 2011, encouraged eligible providers to adopt, implement, upgrade and demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record technology (“CEHRT”). This program awarded over 544,000 health care providers with payment by February 2018.

With the great success of the incentives program, CMS is proposing changes that would create more transparency between patients and providers through greater access to health care information. To relieve burden to patients, and increase the ability to exchange health information among providers and patients, sharing and extracting files across systems is a new CEHRT requirement. Moreover, it will support increased patient access to their personal health information through secure email transmissions. The proposed PI program would also provide patients access to hospital price information via the internet.

Published on: January 22, 2018

DOJ and Kmart Reach $32.3 Million Settlement to Pharmacy False Claims Suit

by Wachler & Associates, P.C.

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $32.3 million settlement (the Settlement) with Kmart Corporation, to settle False Claim Act (FCA) allegations against the company. The Settlement was based upon allegations that Kmart’s in-store pharmacies misled government payers by knowingly failing to report discounted prices and representing its drug prices as being higher than what was offered to the general public. Per the Settlement, Kmart does not admit to any wrongdoing.

The Settlement arises from a whistleblower suit filed in 2008. The suit alleged that Kmart failed to report discounted drug prices to Medicare Part D, Medicaid, and TRICARE. To determine reimbursement rates for medications, the government generally relies on a pharmacy’s “usual and customary prices” charged to consumers. According to the allegations, Kmart offered discounts to certain cash-paying customers but did not disclose those discounted prices when reporting its pricing to the government. Kmart argued that the special discount prices offered to a limited consumer base did not constitute “usual and customary” costs, but this argument was rejected in favor of increased transparency by pharmacies.

The Settlement sends a message to pharmacies regarding the importance of transparency, and that even prices offered only to a limited number of patients should be reported to the government. According to Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad Readler of the DOJ, “This settlement should put pharmacies on notice that there will be consequences if they attempt to improperly increase payments from taxpayer-funded health programs by masking the true prices that they charge the general public for the same drugs.” The whistleblower who brought the original suit will receive $9.3 million of the $32.3 million settlement, potentially sending a strong message to prospective whistleblowers as well.