Tag: face-to-face requirement

WASHINGTON - CMS has updated its website to reflect a new law that allows a nurse practitioner, physician assistant or clinical nurse specialist to document a written order for DME following a face-to-face encounter. Originally, they could conduct the face-to-face encounter, but they needed a sign-off from a physician. CMS also stated on its website: “CMS will not start actively enforcing or expect full compliance with the DME face-to-face requirement until further notice.” The delay...

DUBLIN, Ohio - Cardinal Health now offers certain products direct to the consumer through a new “Hospital Quality at Home” brand.The brand offers products in advanced wound care, first aid, personal care and home healthcare.“We remain committed to keeping the quality of patient care at the forefront, which is why Hospital Quality at Home products are a natural next step for our business,” said Heather O'Sullivan, vice president of clinical operations for Cardinal Health. “We...

WASHINGTON - A new bill in the House of Representatives paves the way for CMS to start enforcing the face-to-face requirement.Industry stakeholders say the agency has been waiting for Congress to expand the types of healthcare providers who can document the face-to-face encounter required for DME prescriptions.Reps. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Jim McDermott, D-Wash., ranking member of the committee, introduced a bill Feb. 24 that would do just that.“CMS...

When we get started on a new issue, we spend a couple of days calling providers, consultants, attorneys…you name it. Not everything we hear makes it into print, but often what we hear is interesting nonetheless. Here are a few bits and pieces from my conversations with folks in the past few weeks: AAHomecare's Kim Brummett says CMS won't likely start enforcing the face-to-face requirement until legislation is passed that allows nurse practitioners to conduct exams without having physicians sign off...

WASHINGTON - CMS has instructed its contractors not to retrospectively audit providers for compliance with the face-to-face requirement. The news comes via an Aug. 20 letter sent by CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to Rep. David Roe, R-Tenn., who inquired about audit activities related to the requirement after meeting with members of ATHOMES. “The delay in enforcement on the face-to-face encounter requirements applies to reviews conducted by the DME MACs, Recovery Auditors, the Zone Integrity...

WASHINGTON - CMS has instructed its contractors not to retrospectively audit providers for compliance with the face-to-face requirement.The news comes via an Aug. 20 letter sent by CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to Rep. David Roe, R-Tenn., who inquired about audit activities related to the requirement after meeting with members of ATHOMES.“The delay in enforcement on the face-to-face encounter requirements applies to reviews conducted by the DME MACs, Recovery Auditors, the Zone Integrity...

YARMOUTH, Maine - HME providers need to be more diligent about making sure oxygen contents, which are now subject to the face-to-face requirement, are included on original orders, say industry stakeholders.If they're not, a new exam and a new order are needed if providers want to bill for contents after the equipment caps, between months 37 and 60, says AAHomcare's Kim Brummett.“Providers have been giving the content to the patient all along and now suddenly the equipment caps and they have...

WASHINGTON - Industry stakeholders recommend that HME providers learn the ins and outs of the face-to-face rule well before CMS starts enforcement on Oct. 1.Stakeholders remind providers that the rule has not one, but two major requirements: a face-to-face exam and a detailed written order.“Providers are still surprised at how much detailed information they need to have—all before they can deliver any equipment,” said Asela Cuervo, a private practice attorney in Washington, D.C....

BALTIMORE - The HME industry got a small reprieve June 27 when CMS announced it would not enforce the new face-to-face requirement until Oct. 1.The rule was slated to go into effect July 1, along with Round 2 of competitive bidding.In a letter to Congress on June 27, the Office of Legislation at CMS stated:“CMS is concerned that some may need additional time to establish operational protocols to comply with this new law. As such, CMS expects that during the next several months, suppliers and...

YARMOUTH, Maine - A resounding 95% of respondents to a recent HME NewsPoll say CMS's new face-to-face requirement will significantly impact patient access.“Most likely (beneficiaries) will have to return to the doctor or practitioner, sometimes numerous times, in an attempt to obtain proper documentation,” said Shannon Turchik of Health Aid in Parma, Ohio.The rule, which is set to take effect July 1, requires patients to have a face-to-face exam with a physician within 90 days for certain...