ACCC, CMS & Palmetto/J1MAC News

The following information has been received by ANCO.


****ACCC NEWS****
The Association of Community Cancer Center's (ACCC) Connect was published and is available online at http://www.accc-cancer.org/mediaroom/newsletters/2009/media_ACCConnect_12-2-2009.html. ANCO is an Institutional Member of ACCC. This edition features:

• Who Will Care for Tomorrow's Cancer Patients? ACCC Looks for Answers
• Next Week: Bring Out the Best in Your Cancer Service Line
• 2009 PQRI Conference Call on December 10
• Cancer Screenings Brochure Available From CMS
• Heard on ACCC's ListServ: Family Members in the Radiation Center
• Oncologists Optimistic about Future of Oncology Clinical Trials While Citing Cost as Barrier


****CMS NEWS****
MM6662 – Annual Update of HCPCS Codes Used for Home Health (HH) Consolidated Billing Enforcement
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6662.pdf

MM6728 – Quarterly Update to Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) Edits, Version 16.0, Effective January 1, 2010
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6728.pdf

MM6540 – Tracking the Hospice Attending Physician’s National Provider Identifier (NPI) for Validating Hospice Part B Payments
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6540.pdf

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would like to remind Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) participants that there is a “Verify Report Portlet” look-up tool available on the PQRI Portal for Eligible Professionals (EPs) to verify if a 2007 re-run and/or 2008 PQRI feedback report exists for your organization's Tax Identification Number (TIN) or National Provider Identifier (NPI). The TIN or NPI must be the one used by the EP to submit Medicare claims and valid PQRI quality data codes. This tool is available at (https://www.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt) on the internet.


If a report is available for your organization’s TIN or NPI there are two ways to access 2007 re-run and/or 2008 PQRI feedback reports:

1) An individual EP can simply call their respective Carrier or A/B MAC provider contact center to request confidential 2007 PQRI re-run and/or 2008 PQRI feedback reports that will contain information based on their individual NPI. If an EP is part of a group practice, each EP in the group practice must individually call their respective Carrier or A/B MAC provider contact center to request a feedback report based on the individual NPI. To obtain a list of Provider Contact Centers, visit (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/CallCenterTollNumDirectory.zip) on the CMS website. In addition to PQRI information, these reports will provide individual EPs with information on their Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule allowed charges for the 2007 or 2008 PQRI reporting period, upon which an incentive payment is based.

Additional information about this alternative feedback report request process can be found by accessing special edition Medicare Learning Network (MLN) article (SE0922) “Alternative Process for Individual Eligible Professionals to Access Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing) Feedback Reports.” Visit (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0922.pdf) on the CMS website.

or
2) EPs can logon to the secure PQRI Portal on QualityNet at (http://www.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt) to access their feedback report(s) based their TIN, or for a group. Access to the PQRI Portal requires registration in the Individuals Authorized Access to CMS Computer Services (IACS) system to obtain a userID and password.

Important Information on Updating IACS User Accounts and Passwords

CMS would like to remind users that the CMS Security policy requires IACS passwords to be changed every 60 days. An IACS user who has not changed his or her password in over 60 days will be prompted to do so at the next login attempt.

An IACS user who has not changed his or her password in over 120 days will first be prompted to answer the security questions established at registration. After successfully answering security questions, the user will then be prompted for a password change.

Updating IACS user accounts and passwords is essential to maintaining this access and functionality.

Resources
The IACS account management page is at (https://applications.cms.hhs.gov/category.html?name=acctmngmt).Click on “My Profile” to login, change your password, or use the “Forgot Password?” option.

If you are having difficulty with IACS registration or disabled accounts, follow the self-service instructions below on how to recover your IACS userId and/or password and/or change your IACS password.

Instructions for Retrieving Your IACS UserID
1. Go to the CMS Applications portal at (https://applications.cms.hhs.gov)
2. Enter the portal; select the Account Management tab, and then the “Forgot Your User ID?” link in the Account Management section. Follow the online instructions.
3. You will receive an email at the email address on record.

Instructions for Retrieving Your IACS Password
1. Go to the CMS Applications portal at (https://applications.cms.hhs.gov/warning.html)
2. Enter the portal; select the Account Management tab, and then “My Profile” link in the Account Management section.
3. Enter your UserID
4. Click on “Forgot Your Password?” button on the login page and follow the online instructions.
5. You will receive a onetime password in an email at the email address on record.

Instructions to Login and Change Your IACS Password:
1. Go to the CMS Applications portal at (https://applications.cms.hhs.gov)
2. Enter the portal; select the Account Management tab
3. Select the My Profile link
4. Login using your UserID and onetime temporary Password.
5. The system will prompt you to change your password.
6. Enter your new password in both the New Password and Confirm New Password fields and then select the Change Password button.
7. The system will take you back to the My Profile screen.
8. Log out.

Once you have successfully changed your password you may login and access your PQRI feedback report(s) on the PQRI portal at (https://www.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt).

If you are still having difficulty with IACS registration or disabled accounts, please contact the External Users Services (EUS) Help Desk
at 1-866-484-8049, TTY/TDD at 1-866-523-4759 (Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST) or via e-mail at EUSSupport@cgi.com.

The IACS home page for the Provider/Supplier user Community, which includes PQRI, is at (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/IACS/04_Provider_Community.asp#TopOfPage) on the CMS website. Provider Community users should direct questions or concerns to the External User Services (EUS) Help Desk at 1-866-484-8049, TTY/TDD at 1-866-523-4759 (Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST) or via email atEUSSupport@cgi.com.

The PQRI Portal is available at (https://www.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt) on the internet. Although the “Forgot Password” link on the PQRI Portal sends users to the IACS website, IACS and the PQRI Portal are two separate websites.

Additional information about PQRI can be found at (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI) on the CMS website. For more information on the 2007 re-run and 2008 PQRI feedback reports or incentive payments, see the "PQRI and eRx Quick-Reference Support Guide for Eligible Professionals" at (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/Downloads/PQRI-eRxEPQuickRefGuideDiagram_100209.pdf) on the CMS website.

Users who still have questions or need assistance should contact the QualityNet Help Desk at 1-866-288-8912 (Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. CST) or qnetsupport@sdps.org.


****PALMETTO/J1MAC NEWS****
December 2009 J1 A/B MAC Medicare Advisory
Updates and changes were made to the December 2009 J1 A/B MAC Medicare
Advisory. It is available on the Web site. Please be sure to share this
with your staff.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7Y5M4G5545?opendocument


Quarterly Update to Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) Edits, Version 16.0,
Effective January 1, 2010
This J1 Part B MLN Matters article (CR 6728) provides a reminder for
physicians to take note of the quarterly updates to Correct Coding
Initiative (CCI) edits. The last quarterly release of the edit module was
issued in October 2009. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
developed the National Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) to promote national
correct coding methodologies and to control improper coding that leads to
inappropriate payment in Part B claims. Please be sure to share with your
staff.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7YBT823658?opendocument


Annual Update of HCPCS Codes Used for Home Health (HH) Consolidated Billing
Enforcement
This J1 A/B MAC MLN Matters article (CR6662) provides the annual Home
Health (HH) consolidated billing update effective January 1, 2010. The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) periodically updates the
lists of Health Care Common Procedure Codes System (HCPCS) codes subject to
the consolidated billing provision of the Home Health Prospective Payment
System (HH PPS). Please be sure to share with your staff.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7YCN4K0087?opendocument


HIGLAS Transition: Impact on J1 Part B Medicare Providers
Palmetto GBA Jurisdiction 1 MAC has updated the Healthcare Integrated
General Ledger Accounting System (HIGLAS) transition time table posted on
our Web site. The HIGLAS transition will be completed December 16, 2009. At
the same time, processing backlogged files and issuing payments will begin.
From December 16 to December 30, 2009, providers may experience a
significant reduction in payments due to the early claim payments issued
immediately prior to the transition. Providers need to monitor and manage
their cash flows during this time period.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7Y3LRC5231?opendocument


J1 Provider Outreach and Education Event Calendar
What's new in December 2009? The updated Palmetto GBA J1 Event Calenar is
now available on our Web site!
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7TAL2C7131?opendocument


Technical Corrections To The Relative Value Units
This article reflects technical corrections to the relative value units,
including various CPT codes, and to the CY 2010 conversion factor contained
in the CY 2010 Medicare physician fee schedule final rule. Please be sure
to share with your staff.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7YBTF22165?opendocument


2010 J1 Part B Fee Schedules
The 2010 J1 Part B Fee Schedules for California are now available and are
effective January 1, 2010. The 2010 J1 Part B Fee Schedules for Nevada,
Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands will be
coming soon.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7Y3GZA7365?opendocument


J1 EDI Enrollment Packet
The Jurisdiction 1 A/B MAC EDI Enrollment Packet has been updated with a
new form. The Provider Authorization form must be completed by the provider
to authorize a clearinghouse and/or billing service as an electronic
submitter and recipient of electronic claims data. Please begin using this
updated packet immediately.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7XPTLJ4585?opendocument


Therapy Cap Values for Calendar Year (CY) 2010
This J1 A/B MAC MLN Matters article (CR6660a) describes the policy for
outpatient therapy caps for 2010 and announces that therapy caps for 2010
will be $1,860. This article was revised on November 24, 2009, to reflect a
revised CR 6660 that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
issued on November 23, 2009. As a result of the revised CR, the article was
revised to include Regional Home Health Intermediaries as an additional
contractor type involved with this issue. The CR release date, transmittal
number and Web address for accessing CR 6660 were also changed. Also,
carriers were added as a contractor type involved as they were
inadvertently not included in the original article. All other information
remains the same. Please be sure to share with your staff.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7YCMRD2255?opendocument


ACT Call: Medicare Updates - December 15, 2009
Join us for a J1 Part B Ask the Contractor Teleconference (ACT) regarding
Medicare Part B General Updates on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, at 12:30
p.m. PST.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7YERHB5637?opendocument


ACT Minutes: Top 10 Claim Submission Errors - November 19, 2009
The meeting minutes of the J1 Part A Ask the Contractor Teleconference on
November 19, 2009, is now available on our Web site.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7YESW92524?opendocument


J1 Provider Outreach and Education Event Calendar
Check out the new Palmetto GBA J1 Provider Outreach and Education events
added to our December 2009 online Events calendar!
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7TAL2C7131?opendocument


Tracking the Hospice Attending Physician’s National Provider Identifier
(NPI) for Validating Hospice Part B Payments
This J1 A/B MAC MLN Matters article (CR6540) is meant to ensure that the
hospice-reported data in the Notice of Election (NOE) and claims for the
attending physician, which may be a Nurse Practitioner (NP), meet the
definition of attending physician/NP in the Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR), while also reporting the hospice physician responsible for
certifying the terminal illness. Please be sure to share with your staff.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7YEMNL2613?opendocument


Webinar: Bundled Services December 16
Palmetto GBA J1 Part B providers, join us on Wednesday, December 16, 2009,
for a free Webinar on Bundled Services!
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7YERCG5273?opendocument


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