Computation of Annual Recovery Thresholds for Certain Liability Insurance, No-Fault Insurance, and Workers' Compensation Settlements, Judgments, Awards, or Other Payments for 2022 were announced this week.
Showing posts with label MSP Act. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MSP Act. Show all posts
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Monday, January 15, 2018
CMS to Host Webinar: Commercial Repayment Center Contractor Transition
Commercial Repayment Center Contractor Transition Webinar for Non-Group Health Plans on Thursday, January 18, 2018
Effective February 8, 2018, a new contractor will assume the responsibility of the Medicare Commercial Repayment Center (CRC) functions.
Effective February 8, 2018, a new contractor will assume the responsibility of the Medicare Commercial Repayment Center (CRC) functions.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
In the name of privacy...
After the massive US IRS data breach announcement this week, CMS has posted that it is establishing a more secure system for access to Medicare Secondary Payer Information. This is pretty consistent with President Obama's announcement to take Social Security Numbers off of Medicare Cards.
The real issue is that while workers' compensation records are supposedly confidential in State systems, the Federal government has consistently neglected to insure that privacy whether be: medical records under HIPPA; by integration of state's motor vehicle or workers' compensation records utilizing Social Security Numbers, or by Medicare Secondary Payer Act electronic data systems.
Additionally, the Federal government will probably be mandating the reporting workers' compensation payment information, in Federal Income Returns shortly. The batting record of the IRS this week on privacy has been dismal.
Time will only tell whether workers' compensation data can actually be shielded from intruders.
CMS announced today:
"As part of the Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be implementing optional MFA services on the MSPRP. MFA is the use of two or more different authentication factors to verify the identity of an end user. Verified users will have access to view unmasked claim data on the Portal.
"Non debtors will still need to have a Verified Proof of Representation or Consent to Release authorization to perform actions on cases. Please note that MFA and the associated identity proofing process will be optional to portal users. Portal users may continue to use the portal without going through the MFA process but will not have the benefit of viewing un-masked data.
"MFA is scheduled to be available beginning on July 13, 2015. Updated user guides and training materials will be available on CMS.gov and within the portal upon implementation.
The real issue is that while workers' compensation records are supposedly confidential in State systems, the Federal government has consistently neglected to insure that privacy whether be: medical records under HIPPA; by integration of state's motor vehicle or workers' compensation records utilizing Social Security Numbers, or by Medicare Secondary Payer Act electronic data systems.
Additionally, the Federal government will probably be mandating the reporting workers' compensation payment information, in Federal Income Returns shortly. The batting record of the IRS this week on privacy has been dismal.
Time will only tell whether workers' compensation data can actually be shielded from intruders.
CMS announced today:
"As part of the Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be implementing optional MFA services on the MSPRP. MFA is the use of two or more different authentication factors to verify the identity of an end user. Verified users will have access to view unmasked claim data on the Portal.
"Non debtors will still need to have a Verified Proof of Representation or Consent to Release authorization to perform actions on cases. Please note that MFA and the associated identity proofing process will be optional to portal users. Portal users may continue to use the portal without going through the MFA process but will not have the benefit of viewing un-masked data.
"MFA is scheduled to be available beginning on July 13, 2015. Updated user guides and training materials will be available on CMS.gov and within the portal upon implementation.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
CMS Comments: "No Comment" on The Forthcoming Smart Act Regulations
CMS is withholding comment about The Smart Act regulations for now. See the transcript below:
"CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES
Moderator: John Albert
07-25-13/1:00 p.m. ET
Confirmation # 11907630
Page 14
That’s all I have on that right now. Some of the areas sort of more high
arching as oppose to just a single question. As we received a number of
questions about the SMART Act and how it affects this process and what
regulations are out there.
In terms of regulations, when CMS is doing an advance notice of proposed
rulemaking, an ANPRM or NNPRM or final rules or even a federal registered
notice, we’re not allowed to comment whether we are or are not doing that
notice or the content of that until there is at least something on the unified
regulatory agenda at which point we still can’t tell you specifics but we can
tell you that document is in progress. The site you need to go to for that
generally is – if I can find the right thing – is www.reginfo.gov. And what
that – you can also find it simply by Googling the Unified Regulatory Agenda
and then the term CMS. But what it lives on that, it won’t – and want – those
are ones that are in our process – officially in the process.
And right now, the requirement in the SMART Act that an ANPRM be done
with respect to civil money penalties under Section 111 is on that Regulatory
Agenda. I believe there are at least two other MSP related regulations either –
whether it’s under something in the final rule, a pre rule or proposed rule. But
you can check that out and that’s a site that you may want to monitor every so
often if you have a question about whether or not we’re doing a particular
regulation.
Similar to that, because I mentioned the SMART Act before, is a lot of the
questions were asking specific facts about our specific actions we planned to
take with respect to what’s in the SMART Act. As we make any changes or
do anything related to the SMART Act, we – anytime instructions are going to
change, we will give appropriate notice. At this point, there’s nothing that we
have changed in our instructions that affects you at this time. So, we won’t be
addressing any specific SMART Act questions.
Last but not least, as we have said in most of these calls, the extent we
received questions that are related to MSP recoveries in the mailbox, those are
outside the scope of this call. And we won’t be addressing those.
Read more about The Smart Act
"CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES
Moderator: John Albert
07-25-13/1:00 p.m. ET
Confirmation # 11907630
Page 14
That’s all I have on that right now. Some of the areas sort of more high
arching as oppose to just a single question. As we received a number of
questions about the SMART Act and how it affects this process and what
regulations are out there.
In terms of regulations, when CMS is doing an advance notice of proposed
rulemaking, an ANPRM or NNPRM or final rules or even a federal registered
notice, we’re not allowed to comment whether we are or are not doing that
notice or the content of that until there is at least something on the unified
regulatory agenda at which point we still can’t tell you specifics but we can
tell you that document is in progress. The site you need to go to for that
generally is – if I can find the right thing – is www.reginfo.gov. And what
that – you can also find it simply by Googling the Unified Regulatory Agenda
and then the term CMS. But what it lives on that, it won’t – and want – those
are ones that are in our process – officially in the process.
And right now, the requirement in the SMART Act that an ANPRM be done
with respect to civil money penalties under Section 111 is on that Regulatory
Agenda. I believe there are at least two other MSP related regulations either –
whether it’s under something in the final rule, a pre rule or proposed rule. But
you can check that out and that’s a site that you may want to monitor every so
often if you have a question about whether or not we’re doing a particular
regulation.
Similar to that, because I mentioned the SMART Act before, is a lot of the
questions were asking specific facts about our specific actions we planned to
take with respect to what’s in the SMART Act. As we make any changes or
do anything related to the SMART Act, we – anytime instructions are going to
change, we will give appropriate notice. At this point, there’s nothing that we
have changed in our instructions that affects you at this time. So, we won’t be
addressing any specific SMART Act questions.
Last but not least, as we have said in most of these calls, the extent we
received questions that are related to MSP recoveries in the mailbox, those are
outside the scope of this call. And we won’t be addressing those.
Read more about The Smart Act
May 09, 2013
The SMART Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on January 10, 2013, amends and reforms the Medicare Secondary Payer Act to improve the reimbursement process. It is located in Title II of H.R. 1845 and ...
Feb 01, 2013
Enactment of The SMART Act, the reality of which is that the regulations will eat up the statute, and also their lunch. I plan to write more on The SMART Act in the coming weeks. Maybe that wasn't so smart after all for the ...
Jan 14, 2013
In additional to commenting on the new Strengthening Medicare And Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act, Judge Hickey will be discussing how the interaction of the workers' compensation claims process integrates with this ...
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Shifting the Blame: Doctors Look To Others To Play Biggest Role In Curbing Health Costs
Blame for increased medical costs is getting tossed around like a political football. Those deeply entrenched into the system are pointing their finger at "the other" party to shift responsibility. This reminds one of when CMS in 1980 urged the passage of the Medical Secondary Payer Act.
As this process continues, ultimately the US Government will be the final authority as Medicare ultimately rules the medical billing field and outcome based medicine seems to be the new goal.
Workers' Compensation system will ultimate adapt or be subsumed by the Medicare protocols in one fashion or another. Special interests will have little opportunity to cut out their specialized markets.
Today's post was shared by Kaiser Health News and comes from capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org
In a study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Mayo Clinic researchers surveyed more than 2,500 doctors to assess their views of different approaches to rein in the nation’s health care costs. The doctors were randomly selected from an American Medical Association database.
When it comes to controlling the country’s health care costs, doctors point their fingers at lawyers, insurance companies, drug makers and hospitals. But well over half acknowledge they have at least some responsibility as stewards of health care resources.Based on their findings, 59 percent of doctors believed they have some responsibility in holding down health care costs. Only 36 percent thought they have a major role.
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