Noteworthy

Quarterly Summaries Part of CMS ‘Culture of Responsiveness’: To help health care providers better understand complicated reimbursement requirements, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will issue a quarterly review summarizing all of the agency's important regulatory and program memoranda from the previous quarter. CMS expects to debut the review in the Federal Register or on the CMS Web site beginning the first working day of 2002. To learn more about CMS' efforts to educate providers, visit www.hcfa.gov/medlearn.

Health Care Experts Join JCAHO to Develop Disease-Specific Certification Program: Clinical experts from the National Chronic Care Consortium, the Disease Management Association of America, the Disease Management Purchasing Consortium and other health care leadership organizations will join the Oakbrook, Ill.-based Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in the development of its Disease-Specific Care Certification Program. The program will evaluate providers of comprehensive services for patients with chronic illnesses. JCAHO plans to begin offering Disease-Specific Care Certification in February for chronic care services provided by health plans, hospitals and disease-management service companies.

People & Places

ACRF Awards Research Fellowships: The American Respiratory Care Foundation has announced the winners of its 2001 ACRF Research Fellowship Awards. Lynda Thomas Goodfellow, Ed.D, RRT, was awarded the GlaxoWellcome Fellowship for Asthma Care Management Education; Adam Diebold, RRT, received the Monaghan/Trudell Fellowship for Aerosol Technique Development; Neila Altobelli, RRT, received the Respironics Fellowship in Non-Invasive Respiratory Care; Richard Rice, RRT, received the Respironics Fellowship in Mechanical Ventilation; and Jeanette Asselin, RRT, received the Viasys Healthcare Fellowship for Neonatal and Pediatric Therapists.

AAHomecare Appoints Two to Board of Directors: The American Association for Homecare, Alexandria, Va., has appointed Todd Christopher, CEO of Beaumont, Texas-based Home Care Supply, and Stephen Linehan, president of Orlando-based RoTech Medical, to its board of directors. The two bring more than 50 years of home care experience to the board.

Legislative

Ways and Means Committee Approves Regulatory Relief Bill: The House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved H.R. 2768, the Medicare Regulatory and Contract Reform Act of 2001, which calls for a more consistent and understandable regulatory scheme among the federal government, its contractors and health care providers, as well as a more collaborative relationship between providers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The bill could cost nearly $548 million between 2002 and 2006, according to a cost estimate released by the Congressional Budget Office.

RACER Approved by House Subcommittee: The House Energy and Commerce Committee's health subcommittee unanimously approved H.R. 3046, the Medicare Regulatory, Appeals, Contracting and Education Reform Act.

The Medicare RACER Act will open all Medicare contracts to competitive bidding by 2008; requires contractors to provide responses to written beneficiary and provider inquires within 45 days; ensures better communication between the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Medicare providers; creates an expedited process for appeals to claim denials; and provides an education and training program for Medicare contractors.

Regulatory

Medicare to Cover Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Oct. 19 that it will make ambulatory blood pressure monitoring available to Medicare beneficiaries with suspected white coat hypertension. According to CMS, ABPM can provide useful information to a physician to determine whether a patient is truly hypertensive or merely exhibiting white coat hypertension. CMS will announce at a later date when the coverage policy will become effective. For information, go to www.hcfa.gov/coverage/8b3-ff.htm.

Medicare to Expand Foot Care Coverage to Diabetics: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says it will expand foot care coverage for Medicare beneficiaries suffering from diabetic peripheral neuropathy with loss of protective sensation. These beneficiaries may receive two foot exams each year, provided they have not seen a foot care professional for some other reason. For information, go to www.hcfa.gov/coverage/8b3-o.htm.

New Forms Required for Medicare Enrollment: Beginning Dec. 31, Medicare contractors and state agencies no longer will accept old versions of Medicare enrollment form HCFA-855, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Instead, providers seeking to enroll in the Medicare program must use new forms, which are available in PDF format at www.hcfa.gov/MEDICARE/ENROLLMENT/forms. The forms must be printed, completed manually and mailed to the appropriate location. CMS plans to provide electronic versions of the forms, which can be completed online, in January.