Healthcare law will allow patients to compare options, find best value
Consumers and employers will have the healthcare information they need to make more informed choices about their care, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, CMS announced in a final rule today. The rule gives qualified organizations, like employers and consumer groups, access to data that can help them identify high quality healthcare providers or create online tools to help consumers make educated healthcare choices. Information that could identify specific patients, however, will not be publicly released and strong penalties will be in place for any misuse of data. The final rule makes a number of important changes from the original proposed rule. The final rule makes this data less costly for qualified entities, gives qualified organizations more flexibility in their use of Medicare data to create performance reports for consumers, and extends the time period for healthcare providers to confidentially review and appeal performance reports before they become public. The rule also includes strict privacy and security requirements to protect patients, healthcare providers, and suppliers as well as stringent penalties for any misuse of Medicare data. For more information on the final rule, visit http://www.CMS.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4205<http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4205>. The final rule on Availability of Medicare Data for Performance Measurement is on display at the Office of the Federal Register at http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-31232_PI.pdf or http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/public-inspection<http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/public-inspection/>. To read the entire CMS Press Release, visit http://www.CMS.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp<http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp>. It's a Busy Time of Year. Make each office visit an opportunity to talk with your patients about the importance of getting the seasonal flu vaccination and a one-time pneumococcal vaccination. Remember, Medicare pays for these vaccinations for all beneficiaries with no co-pay or deductible. The seasonal flu and invasive pneumococcal disease kill thousands of people in the United States each year, most of them 65 years of age and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that healthcare workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccine-Not the Flu. Remember - The flu vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that the flu vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For more information on coverage and billing of the flu vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational provider resources, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp and http://www.cms.gov/immunizations. Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
