Citizenship Verification for Medicaid Recipients

New Federal Law Requires Medicaid Clients to Prove Citizenship

OSHA Teen Worker Safety Program

OSHA’s Multi-Year Project Targets Teen Safety in the Workplace.

Provider Letter: Special Enrollment; New Dual Eligibles

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the Medicare Part D prescription drug program enrollment period for Hurricane Katrina victims, according to a June 20 DADS provider letter to community services providers.
Beneficiaries who lived in “designated parishes and counties” when the hurricane hit will have until December 31, 2006, to enroll. CMS [...]

Louisiana Seeks to Overhaul Medicaid System

Louisiana is one of a growing number of states seeking to overhaul its Medicaid system. I wrote about the subject a few days ago. (See States Take On Medicaid Reform)
Louisiana plans to propose changes designed to provide flexibility in its Medicaid program in order to treat more uninsured patients. The changes would likely increase out-of-pocket [...]

Congress and Medicare

Congress probably won’t act on Medicare legislation until after the August recess and may end up waiting until after the elections, according to The Hill.
One of the pending Medicare bills is a proposal to eliminate late fees for beneficiaries who didn’t sign up for the Medicare prescription drug plan before the May 15 deadline, which [...]

Provider Tax Proposal in New Jersey

In order to raise $430 million, the governor of New Jersey has proposed to tax hospitals about $1,400 a bed. Half the funds would be used to increase matching funds from the federal government under Medicaid. (Source)
Many states require providers, including nursing homes, to pay a tax or “quality assessment fee.” States use this money [...]

States Take on Medicaid Reform

Last month I blogged about West Virginia’s proposal to implement “personal responsibility contracts” for Medicaid recipients. In essence, beneficiaries will be required to take some responsibility for their health, and those who don’t will be penalized with reduced benefits and coverage.
As controversial as they may sound, the federal government approved the state’s plan. Medicaid serves [...]

Groups Oppose Changes to Medical Device Reimbursements

In April, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a rule that would cut reimbursements for implanted cardiac devices by up to 30 percent in an effort to close loopholes used by specialty hospitals. (Kaiser Network)
Since the proposed rule changes, several groups have come out publicly against it. A group called AdvaMed, which represents [...]

Provider Letter: Adoption of Chapter 30 Medicaid Hospice Rules

In a letter dated June 2, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) alerts Medicaid hospice providers to changes to Medicaid hospice rules, effective June 1.
Hospice providers will have to follow additional requirements in the Contracting for Community Care Services rules in Chapter 49. For example, hospices must have a contract with DADS [...]

Long Term Care Providers Join Coalition to Eliminate Co-Payments

A group of long term care providers is calling for the elimination of Medicare Part D co-payments for patients “in certain homes” who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
The National Center For Assisted Living and the American Health Care Association, which represent long term care providers, believe that beneficiaries receiving care in certain assisted [...]

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