Advertisement
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week that it was canceling its January 14, 2009 accreditation deadline for durable medical equipment (DME) or home medical equipment providers in the 70 metropolitan areas that were to be included in Round Two of the recently postponed bidding program.
Advertisement
"The home medical industry has advocated accreditation of homecare providers for three decades because accreditation helps ensure quality care for Medicare beneficiaries and can serve as a powerful tool in preventing fraud," said Tyler J. Wilson, president and CEO of AAHomecare. "We are surprised that CMS would in the first case argue against the reforms and the delay enacted by Congress in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) by stating that it would delay accreditation - and then cancel the accreditation deadlines it had already set for providers in 70 metropolitan areas. Enactment of MIPPA is no reason to push back accreditation deadlines."
The new law, MIPPA, mandates a September 30, 2009 deadline for accreditation of all durable medical equipment providers nationwide. CMS had set a January 14, 2009 deadline for Round Two providers. MIPPA also closes a loophole that had allowed non-accredited DME providers to serve Medicare beneficiaries. The American Association for Homecare enthusiastically supported these provisions as well as the important reforms to the competitive bidding system that are designed to improve access to care for seniors and people with disabilities and prevent arbitrary exclusion of qualified, accredited providers from participating in Medicare. The Association has also urged CMS to subject all new medical equipment providers to a rigorous on-site inspection by the government to help prevent fraud.
"We do not favor government delays to the accreditation requirement," said Wilson. "Accreditation for this industry is already 30 years overdue. If the federal government wants to get serious about preventing fraud and preventing theft of taxpayer dollars, it should use tools like accreditation more aggressively and use its ample, existing authority much more effectively."
"Congress estimates that Medicare loses $70 billion per year to fraud. CMS says $700 million in DME payments are improper, due to billing errors or fraud. So less than one percent of Medicare fraud can be attributed to DME. While our industry has zero tolerance for fraud, the $70 billion number begs the question: Where is the more than $69 billion in non-DME fraud occurring? You have to wonder whether the focus on DME is designed to shift attention away from the failure of CMS to use its existing authority and tools at its disposal to ferret out and stop fraud against Medicare. CMS has just renewed its contract with Palmetto GBA, the private company that serves as the National Supplier Clearinghouse for Medicare. Palmetto serves as the gatekeeper for issuing and renewing DME Medicare billing privileges and is required to establish and maintain programs to prevent and detect fraud. The renewal raises the question, why is a contractor that has failed miserably being rewarded with another contract?" Wilson said.
Background on MIPPA
Earlier this month, the Senate and the House enacted MIPPA by overriding the President's veto. Provisions of the law include the following:
-- "The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008" includes improvements to the Medicare competitive bidding program for home medical equi
