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	<title>Managing Medicare</title>
	<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2</link>
	<description>Information, Discussion, and Collaboration To Better Manage Medicare Businesses.</description>
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		<title>Deadline for QIP and CCIP Data Submissions Extended to Aug 27, 2010</title>
		<description><![CDATA[All MA organizations (MAOs) that are effective before 1/1/2009 must submit a QIP and CCIP to CMS using their standard submission templates.  The templates can be found here: http://optimalsolutionsgroup.com/CMS/index.html Questions can be answered by the CMS contractor: EMAIL:  maqro@optimalsolutionsgroup.com PHONE: 866-962-6826  CMS has extended the data submission deadline to Aug 27, 2010.  This is a compliance requirement so make sure your plan has a program to collect and report this information to CMS.]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2010/07/24/deadline-for-qip-and-ccip-data-submissions-extended-to-aug-27-2010/</link>
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		<title>Obama Appoints New CMS Chief Without Senate Approval</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Wednesday Barack Obama appointed Dr. Donald Berwick as the Administrator to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services using a recess appointment.  Dr. Berwick is a Harvard professor and a patient care specialist.  He would be able to serve in his role though next year without Senate approval. Currently there are no hearings scheduled to review Dr. Berwick’s nomination. AP NEWS: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100707/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_health_care_appointment]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2010/07/08/obama-appoints-new-cms-chief-without-senate-approval/</link>
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		<title>CMS Updates MAPD and Cost Plan 2010 Reporting Tech Specifications</title>
		<description><![CDATA[CMS has posted an update their 2010 MA Part C and Cost Plan Technical Reporting Specifications.  The update contains clarifications to commonly asked questions from plans. Part C reporting is a compliance requirement and plans that fail to submit data on time and in good fail will receive a compliance letter and notification.  The updated specification memo can be retrieved from the CMS web site at this location: http://www.cms.gov/HealthPlansGenInfo/Downloads/PtCReptTecSpecsFinal_06.03.10.pdf]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2010/07/06/cms-updates-mapd-and-cost-plan-2010-reporting-tech-specifications/</link>
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		<title>Medicare Advantage Plan Payments Adjusted By STARs Ratings</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A key change included in the health reform legislation of 2010 was a change to the payment methodology for Medicare Advantage plans.  As of today, CMS has not released their policy or the methodology for applying the STARs rating to payment adjustments but the legislation does provide some insights in to the overall approach. QUALIFIED PLANS The legislation defines a new plan status as ‘QUALIFIED’ and is eligible for a bonus based on the plan’s STARs rating:   A MA, MAPD, MA Only or PDP plan (PACE are excluded) Been contracted for at least 3 payment years LOW ENROLLMENT 2012 – All Plans qualify 2013 and beyond &#8211; A Plan that does not have LOW ENROLLMENT – as defined by CMS This is defined as a plan that has for a given payment year a STARS rating of at least ‘4’ or higher. Service areas is within a Qualified County QUALIFIED COUNTY Plans that operate in services areas that are with in QUALIFIED COUNTIES are eligible for a ‘DOUBLE BONUS’ Population of more than 250,000 As of 12/2009, At least 25% of the Medicare Advantage eligibles  are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan The area’s per capita FFS spending is lower [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2010/06/30/medicare-advantage-plan-payments-adjusted-by-stars-ratings/</link>
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		<title>Be Prepared for Spring 2011 MARx System Upgrades! Will You Be Ready?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[CMS has planned a major overhaul of their MARx system impacting enrollment file layouts and changes to TRR processing in April 2011.   Here is a run down of the changes: IMPACTED SYSTEM / INTERFACE DESCRIPTION FROM TO Enroll Disenroll File Combining transaction codes 60, 61, 62 and 71 in to a single transaction code 61.  The file layout will be changed and processing logic will be updated – MAJOR IMPACT PLAN MARx Enroll Disenroll File Submission Cut-Off Dates are aligning to calendar months,  allowing for clear transaction submission based on CMS policy and compliance. – MAJOR IMPACT PLAN MARx Enroll Disenroll File CMS is creating a new process for canceling enroll and disenroll transactions that have already been submitted to CMS.  There will be new transaction types (TC 80- enroll cancel and 81 – disenroll cancel) that will cancel the transaction.  CMS will no longer allow for ‘opposite’ transactions to cancel transactions. – MAJOR IMPACT PLAN MARx TRR New TRCs from CMS will notify the Plan when retro changes to a member’s NUNCMO and LEP have taken place to a member.  All plans will receive this information regardles of enrollment dates and withholding status. – MINOR IMPACT MARx PLAN Enroll [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2010/06/29/112/</link>
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		<title>VIVA Health, Inc. Selects Dynamic Healthcare Systems Suite</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Dynamic Healthcare Systems, a provider of enterprise technology solutions for Medicare-focused health plans, today announced that VIVA Health, Inc., a managed care company with over 32,000 Medicare Advantage members, purchased the Voyager suite including the following modules: Sales/Marketing, Enrollment, Reconciliation, HCC Analytics, RAPS Management and Premium Billing.  Dynamic Healthcare Systems is designed to ensure health plans meet the complex compliance and data processing requirements to be properly compensated. ]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2010/06/25/viva-health-inc-selects-dynamic-healthcare-systems-suite/</link>
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		<title>2.2 Percent Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Update Through Nov 30, 2010</title>
		<description><![CDATA[On June 25, 2010, President Obama signed into law the “Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010.”  This law establishes a 2.2 percent update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) payment rates retroactive from June 1 through November 30, 2010.  The Centers for Medicare &#38; Medicaid Services (CMS) has directed Medicare claims administration contractors to discontinue processing claims at the negative update rates and to temporarily hold all claims for services rendered June 1, 2010, and later, until the new 2.2 percent update rates are tested and loaded into the Medicare contractors’ claims processing systems.  Effective testing of the new 2.2 percent update will ensure that claims are correctly paid at the new rates.  We expect to begin processing claims at the new rates no later than July 1, 2010.  Claims for services rendered prior to June 1, 2010, will continue to be processed and paid as usual. Claims containing June 2010 dates of service which have been paid at the negative update rates will be reprocessed as soon as possible.  Under current law, Medicare payments to physicians and other providers paid under the MPFS are based upon the lesser of the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2010/06/25/2-2-percent-medicare-physician-fee-schedule-update-through-nov-30-2010/</link>
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		<title>Medicare billings now reported on federal Web site</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By KEVIN FREKING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON &#8211; To help Americans become smarter health care shoppers, Medicare this month started publishing a range of what it pays for 30 common procedures and report how frequently hospitals perform them. The release of the information fits with the Bush administration’s strategy of moving more people into health savings accounts and high-deductible insurance policies. Such insurance policies require people to bear more of their initial medical expenses. As more people buy such policies, the administration maintains, cost increases would slow because people would work harder to look for the best deal or decide they don’t really need a medical service after all. The Medicare data &#8211; released June 1 &#8211; covers such procedures as heart operations, the implant of heart defibrillators and back and neck operations. The most common elective surgery paid for by Medicare is the replacement of a hip or knee. The government information shows that those procedures cost an average of $11,761. Medicare paid between $9,992-$12,173, on average. The Pueblo Chiefton]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2006/06/14/medicare-billings-now-reported-on-federal-web-site/</link>
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		<title>Medicare &#124; House Democratic Caucus Asks CMS To Help Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries Enroll in Prescription Drug Benefit</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Nearly 150 members of the House Democratic Caucus have sent a letter to CMS Administrator Mark McClellan urging him to take additional steps to enroll low-income beneficiaries in the Medicare prescription drug benefit, CQ HealthBeat reports. The letter asks CMS to take several steps, including working with the Social Security Administration to identify low-income beneficiaries who might be eligible for assistance with deductibles, premiums and copayments. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, said, &#8220;The administration must make an extra effort to notify seniors entitled to extra help.&#8221; CMS spokesperson Jeff Nelligan said the agency will review the letter (CQ HealthBeat, 5/26). Source: Kaisernetwork.org]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2006/05/30/medicare-house-democratic-caucus-asks-cms-to-help-low-income-medicare-beneficiaries-enroll-in-prescription-drug-benefit/</link>
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		<title>Part D Weely Calls to Be Terminared</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Since December of 2005 we have been holding weekly Part D Providers conference calls to address issues physicians and other health care providers were having with Part D. We have seen a gradual decline in the participation on those calls and this past week, we only had one question on the call. To that effect, we are going to hold the final weekly Part D Providers call on May 30th at 2pm EST. We continue to remain committed to fixing your Part D issues and we are confident that between your email access to us (PRIT@cms.hhs.gov) and our participation in the Open Door Forums (ODF) you will not feel abandoned. We are asking that physicians and other health care providers take their Part D issues to their respective ODF calls. If you do not currently participate in the ODFs, you are encouraged to sign up to receive the ODF announcements by going to: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/mailinglists/default.asp?audience=4 or http://www.cms.hhs.gov/opendoorforums/ Again, the last Weekly Part D Providers call will occur on May 30th at 2PM EST. The next Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long-Term Care ODFs is June 6th (1-800-837-1935, Reference ID: 8266876) and the next Physician ODF is June 27th. Both will start at 2pm EST.]]></description>
		<link>http://dynamichealthsys.com/blog2/2006/05/30/part-d-weely-calls-to-be-terminared/</link>
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