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MHA Update. MPAA March 15, 2013 Vickie R. Kunz Senior Director Health Finance. 1. Payer Issues. Hospitals are reminded that a role of the MHA is to assist you in resolving payer issues. We can’t resolve what we don’t know to be an issue so please keep us informed.
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MHA Update MPAA March 15, 2013 Vickie R. Kunz Senior Director Health Finance 1
Payer Issues • Hospitals are reminded that a role of the MHA is to assist you in resolving payer issues. • We can’t resolve what we don’t know to be an issue so please keep us informed. • Contact Marilyn Litka-Klein or Vickie Kunz at the MHA regarding various payer issues.
MHA Contact Info • Marilyn Litka-Klein, Vice President, Health Finance • Phone: (517) 703-8603 • Email: mklein@mha.org • Vickie Kunz, Senior Director, Health Finance • Phone: (517) 703-8608 • Email: vkunz@mha.org
Recent “Fiscal Cliff “ Bill • American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 included several significant Medicare payment cuts for hospitals in conjunction with averting the 27 percent cut to Medicare physician payments and delaying the 2% sequester from Jan.1 until March 1, 2013.
Medicare Cuts • IPPS coding adjustment reductions totaling at least 9.7% over a 4-year period, FY 2014 -17. • Projected to reduce IPPS payments to Michigan hospitals by $106 million in FY 2014 and $437 million over the 4-year period. • Takes effect Oct. 1, 2013.
2% Sequester • CMS e-News issued March 8. • Medicare fee-for-service claims with dates of service or dates of discharge on or after April 1 will be subject to a 2% reduction in Medicare payment. • $72 million cut for April 1 – Sept. 30, 2013. • 10-Year Impact: $1.4 billion. • The payment adjustment will be applied to all claims after determining coinsurance, any applicable Medicare secondary payment adjustments. • Impacts IPPS, OPPS, Rehab, Psych, HHA, LTCH, GME, and CAH payments.
Low Volume Adjustment • Extended the LVA through FY 2013. • Hospitals must submit request to their MAC/FI by March 22, in order for LV payment adjustment to be retro to Oct. 1, 2012. • See MHA email notification to impacted hospitals March 5.
Medicare Dependent Hospital • Extended the Medicare Dependent Hospital program until Oct. 1, 2013. • Expected to increase FY 2013 Medicare FFS payments to Michigan hospitals by $1.2 million. • Retro to Oct. 1, 2012.
Outpatient Therapy Services • 2013 collection of claims-based data on patient functional status over an episode of PT, OT and SLP services. • All therapists will be required to report new G-codes and modifiers on the claim form: • initial evaluation, every 10 visits and at discharge. • CMS will adopt testing period thru June 30.
RAC Update • See March 4 MHA Monday Report article and registration info for March 26 AHA RacTrac webinar. • Contact RacTrac Help Desk at (888)722-8712 if needed. • Webinar will provide an update on the CMS guidance regarding claims determinations by Administrative Law Judges. • AHA is pursuing clarification from CMS regarding the ALJs making timely and efficient determinations for payment rather than sending cases back to the Qualified Independent Contractors (QICs).
Revised Billing Policy – Denied Claims • CMS released two rules proposing to revise its position on rebilling for Medicare inpatient claims denied by Medicare contractors, including RACs. • Hospitals will generally be eligible to bill and receive payment for services re-billed to Medicare Part B for cases where services should have been provided in an outpatient setting.
Revised Readmission Adjustment Factors • Beginning in FY 2013, Medicare FFS inpatient payments are adjusted based on hospital performance on Medicare readmissions for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia. • CMS issued initial factors as part of FY 2013 IPPS final rule with revised factors released in October. • More revised factors released in March. • Factors revised for approximately 40 Michigan hospitals.
Medicare Advantage Plans • As of Jan 2013, 30 plans in Michigan, with 515,000 or approximately 30% of Michigan’s 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled. • MA enrollment up by 60,000 since Oct. 2012. • Up to 20 plans in some counties. • Review MA payment rate for all plans. • CAH entitled to Medicare cost reimbursement. • Each MA plan may determine own utilization model and is not required to maintain electronic transactions. • Many MA have instituted “RAC-like” utilization programs. • Matrix of MA plans by county available at MHA website – updated quarterly, with MHA Monday Report article. • See Jan. 28 MHA Monday Report for latest info
Reimbursement Reform Initiative • March 6 MSA correspondence to hospitals formally announcing that they will begin a formal project to review and redesign the Medicaid payment system. • March 7 - invitations sent to technical workgroup. • Target is to hold first meeting by March 29, with future meetings twice per month.
Cont., Medicaid Reform • MSA guiding principles: • More predictability • Less volatility • Efficiency • Cost Effectiveness • Simplicity
Examine Reimbursement for These Areas • Statewide Med/Surg Rate with Appropriate Adjustments • Outlier Reimbursement • Inpatient Capital • OPPS • Pool Payments
MSA Timeline • March – May Technical workgroup • April – June MSA staff modeling. • May – June Technical workgroup recommendations to steering committee. • June MSA staff completes software/systems request changes and draft SPAs.
Cont., MSA Timeline • July – Dec. MSA promulgates policy and completes final calculations. • Aug. – Dec. CMS approvals • Jan. 1, 2014 MSA begins phased implementation.
Medicaid Expansion • ACA allows states to voluntarily expand Medicaid to uninsured adults. • Gov. Snyder proposes to expand Medicaid to cover individuals up to 138% of federal poverty level effective Jan. 1, 2014. • State legislature must appropriate the federal funds when omnibus budget appropriation is passed later this spring.
Cont., Medicaid Expansion • Expected to cover about 450,000 low-income adults who are currently uninsured but fail to meet current eligibility requirements. • Who would qualify? • Individuals that are at least 19 years old. • Those that are single, working with annual earnings up to $15,856 or in a family of four with earnings up to $32,499. • Based on 138% of 2013 FPL
MHA Expansion Resources • MHA supports expansion and urges member hospitals to use resources to educate legislators, members of the community, etc. • Saves Money, Saves Lives • Many tools available at: www.expandmedicaid.com.
Health Insurance Exchange • Letter recently submitted to state Senate urging lawmakers to support appropriating the $30 million federal grant funding available to establish a federal-state health insurance exchange. • Letter submitted on behalf of the business community and collectively represents more than 100,000 employers across Michigan.
FY 2010 DSH Audits • Hospitals should sign and submit an FTP form to Myers and Stauffer today if they haven’t already done so. • Hospital surveys expected to be available March 29, with hospitals to have until April 30, to complete and submit to Myers and Stauffer. • Preliminary report due to MSA Sept. 30. • Final report due to CMS Dec. 31.
Health Care Advocacy Day • 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 17 in Lansing. • MHA • Michigan Association of Healthcare Advocates • Michigan Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals • Registration available on MHA website by March 15.
BCBSM Mutualization • As reported in the March 11 MHA Monday Report, the state Senate unanimously approved SBs 61 and 62 which would allow BCBSM to become a nonprofit mutual disability insurer. • These bills bring regulatory reform and set up a health and wellness fund to which BCBSM will contribute $1.6 billion over 18 years. • Legislation is necessary to help BCBSM transition as the ACA is implemented. • Gov. Snyder is expected to sign these bills into law.
BCBSM Fee Screens • Certain outpatient services currently paid as a percentage of charges will be converted to fee-based payments effective Oct. 1, in accordance with the BCBSM PHA. • Change affects emergency, observation, treat room, dialysis, general therapeutic, diabetes education, cardiac rehab, pulmonary rehab, clinic, urgent care, ambulance.
Cont., BCBSM Fee Screens • Fee screen payments available on Web-DENIS by HCPCS. • BSBSM intends to implement the change in a budget-neutral manner for first year of implementation.
Days in A/R • Based on 33 hospitals participating in MHA Monthly Financial Survey (MFS) • Jan – Dec 2012 versus 2011 • Medicare – down from 31 to 30 days • Medicaid - down from 45 to 40 days • BCBSM – down from 35 to 31 days • Overall – down fro 46 to 45 days
MHA Resources • Monday Report is available FREE to anyone and is distributed via email each Monday morning. • Go to website and select “Newsroom”, then Monday Report • MHA Monday Report – electronic publication issued weekly • Request password if you don’t have one. • Email Donna Conklin at dconklin@mha.org to obtain MHA member ID number • Advisory Bulletins – Extensive communications available only to MHA members, as needed. (Require password to obtain from website). • Hospital specific mailings as needed for various impact analyses, etc. • Periodic member forums • See mha.org for other resources. • Monthly Financial Survey provides free benchmarking of financial and utilization statistics. 30
???Questions??? Vickie Kunz , Senior Director, Health Finance Michigan Health & Hospital Association 110 West Michigan Avenue, Suite 1200 Lansing, MI 48933 Phone: (517) 703-8608 Fax: (517) 703-8637 email: vkunz@mha.org 31