Riverbend

ListServ Message 01/04/2008

January 2, 2008

Riverbend would like to thank you for completing the Provider Customer Service Department Survey. Your feedback is important to us as we strive to continuously improve our service to you.

Riverbend’s Provider Customer Service Team looks forward to serving you in 2008!

 

Sincerely,

Laura, Lisa, Becka, Ashley, Sherry, Terry, Karen, Amy, Renee and Keith

RGBA has the following Webinars available for enrollment at: http://www.rgbagov.com/Education/Schedule-Events/Workshop-Registration/event.do

SNF Billing

Description: SNF Part A & B Consolidated Billing

Time: 2:00 PM

Date: 2008-01-09

More

 

Emergency Department Visits

Description: ED visit levels and medical review process

Time: 2:00 PM EST

Date: 2008-01-10

More

 

Important Information from The CMS.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released the following Special Edition MLN Matters article, SE0752 Medicare Provides Coverage for Many Preventive Services and Screenings, located at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0752.pdf on the CMS website.

This article serves as a reminder of the many preventive services and screenings now covered by Medicare and provides a list of related provider educational resources developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to inform FFS health care professionals and their staff about the preventive services and screenings now covered by Medicare.

Visit the Medicare Learning Network ~ it’s free!

January 3, 2008

Important Information from The CMS.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released the following Special Edition MLN Matters article, SE0752 Medicare Provides Coverage for Many Preventive Services and Screenings, located at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0752.pdf on the CMS website.

This article serves as a reminder of the many preventive services and screenings now covered by Medicare and provides a list of related provider educational resources developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to inform FFS health care professionals and their staff about the preventive services and screenings now covered by Medicare.

Visit the Medicare Learning Network ~ it’s free!

Information from The CMS.
New:

SE0753 Individuals Authorized Access to CMS Computer Services - Provider Community (IACS-PC): THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THE IACS http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0753.pdf

SE0754 Individuals Authorized Access to CMS Computer Services - Provider Community (IACS-PC): THE THIRD IN A SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THE IACS-PC
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0754.pdf

MM5813 2008 Annual Update for Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and Laboratory Services Subject to Reasonable Charge Payment http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5813.pdf

MM5770 Handling Personally Identifiable Information (PII) on the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5770.pdf

MM5829 Annual Update of Healthcare Common Procedure Codes System (HCPCS) Codes Used for Home Health Consolidated Billing Enforcement http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5829.pdf

MM5830 Update to Medicare Deductible, Coinsurance and Premium Rates for 2008 http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5830.pdf

MM5839 Quarterly Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP) Drug and Annual CAP Drug Price Updates http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5839.pdf

MM5846 The Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Medicare Beneficiary Data for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 for Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Hospitals, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), and Long Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs) http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5846.pdf

Review:

MM5567 Reporting of Additional Data to Describe Services on Hospice Claims http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5567.pdf

Important Information from The CMS.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month ~ Approximately 3 million Americans have glaucoma. Because the disease often progresses silently in the initial stages, with no symptoms, it is estimated that up to half of the approximately 3 million Americans with the disease don’t know they have it. Vision loss from glaucoma is permanent and irreversible. While anyone can get glaucoma, certain groups of people are at higher risk for the disease. Glaucoma is more likely to occur in African Americans than in Caucasians and is a leading cause of blindness among African American and Hispanic populations in the United States. People with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to develop glaucoma as adults without diabetes. And people with a family history of glaucoma are more likely to get glaucoma too. Although glaucoma cannot be cured, early detection and treatment usually can stop further damage and prevent blindness. The benefit provided by Medicare offers a comprehensive glaucoma screening for seniors and others with Medicare at high risk for the disease.

Medicare Coverage

Medicare provides coverage of an annual glaucoma screening for beneficiaries in at least one of the following high risk groups:

Individuals with diabetes mellitus;
Individuals with a family history of glaucoma;
African-Americans age 50 and older; and
Hispanic-Americans age 65 and older.

A covered glaucoma screening includes:

A dilated eye examination with an intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement; and
A direct ophthalmoscopy examination or a slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination.

What Can You Do?

CMS needs your help to ensure that all eligible people with Medicare take full advantage of the annual glaucoma screening benefit. Your high risk Medicare patients may not remember to schedule their annual glaucoma screening exam. You can help remind them by talking with them about glaucoma and their risk for the disease, what can happen when glaucoma goes undetected/untreated, and how they can help protect themselves from severe consequences with early detection by getting an annual glaucoma screening exam. Your reminder and referral for a glaucoma screening exam can help provide high risk Medicare beneficiaries with peace of mind and safeguard their vision.

For More Information

CMS has developed a variety of educational products and resources to help health care professionals and their staff learn more about coverage, coding, billing, and reimbursement for preventive services and screenings covered by Medicare.

The MLN Preventive Services Educational Products Web Page ~ provides descriptions and ordering information for all provider specific educational products related to preventive services. The web page is located at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp on the CMS website.

Glaucoma Screening Brochure ~ This tri-fold brochure provides health care professionals with an overview of Medicare’s coverage of glaucoma screening services. To view online go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/glaucoma.pdf on the CMS website. To order copies of the brochure, go to the Medicare Learning Network Product Ordering System located at: http://cms.meridianksi.com/kc/main/kc_frame.asp?kc_ident=kc0001&loc=5

The CMS website provides information for preventive service covered by Medicare. Go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov, select “Medicare”, scroll down to the “Prevention” section. 

For information to share with your Medicare patients, visit http://www.medicare.gov 
For more information about glaucoma, visit The National Eye Institute
http://www.nei.nih.gov/index.asp 

For more information about National Glaucoma Awareness Month, please visit http://www.preventblindness.org/

Thank you for helping CMS protect the vision of Medicare beneficiaries who are at higher risk for glaucoma by spreading the word about glaucoma, early detection, and the glaucoma screening benefit covered by Medicare.

January Flu Shot Reminder

“It’s Not Too Late to Get the Flu Shot. We are in the midst of flu season and a flu vaccine is still the best way to prevent infection and the complications associated with the flu. But re-vaccination is necessary each year because flu viruses change each year. Please encourage your Medicare patients who haven’t already done so to get their annual flu shot. – And don’t forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect yourself, your patients, and your family and friends. Get Your Flu Shot – Not the Flu!

Remember - Influenza vaccination is a covered Part B benefit. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. Health care professionals and their staff can learn more about Medicare’s coverage of adult immunizations and related provider education resources, by reviewing Special Edition MLN Matters article SE0748
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0748.pdf on the CMS website.”

Information from The CMS.

The Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System Fact Sheet (October 2007), which provides the elements of the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System, is now available in print format from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Learning Network. To place your order, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mlngeninfo/ , scroll down to “Related Links Inside CMS” and select “MLN Product Ordering Page.” If the url above does not take you directly to theMLN product ordering page, please copy and paste the url in your web browser.

January 4, 2008

Information from The CMS.

January Flu Shot Reminder

It’s Not Too Late to Get the Flu Shot. We are in the midst of flu season and a flu vaccine is still the best way to prevent infection and the complications associated with the flu. But re-vaccination is necessary each year because flu viruses change each year. Please encourage your Medicare patients who haven’t already done so to get their annual flu shot. – And don’t forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect yourself, your patients, and your family and friends. Get Your Flu Shot – Not the Flu!

Remember - Influenza vaccination is a covered Part B benefit. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. Health care professionals and their staff can learn more about Medicare’s coverage of adult immunizations and related provider education resources, by reviewing Special Edition MLN Matters article SE0748 http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0748.pdf on the CMS website.