CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 16. THIRD-PARTY REIMBURSEMENT ISSUES. Third-Party Reimbursement Issues. Each coding system plays critical role in reimbursement Your job is to optimize payment. Your Responsibility. Ensure accurate coding data Obtain correct reimbursement for services rendered
CHAPTER 16
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Presentation Transcript
CHAPTER 16 THIRD-PARTY REIMBURSEMENT ISSUES
Third-Party Reimbursement Issues • Each coding system plays critical role in reimbursement • Your job is to optimize payment
Your Responsibility • Ensure accurate coding data • Obtain correct reimbursement for services rendered • Upcoding (maximizing) is never appropriate
Population Changing • Elderly fastest growing patient segment • By 2030, there will be one elderly person for each person 19 and under • Medicare primarily for elderly
Medicare—Getting Bigger All the Time! • Over the next 10 years, Medicare spending will exceed $3trillion • Health care will continue to expand to meet enormous future demands • Job security for Coders!
Basic Structure Medicare • Medicare program established in 1965 • 2 parts: A and B • Part A: Hospital insurance • Part B: Supplemental—nonhospital • Example: Physicians’ services and medical equipment • Part C: Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs)—health care options (Added later and formerly termed Medicare + Choice) • Part D: Prescription Drugs
Those Covered • Originally established for those 65 and over • Later disabled and ESRD added • Persons covered “beneficiaries”
Officiating Office • Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) • Delegated to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) • CMS runs Medicare and Medicaid • CMS delegates daily operation to Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC) • MACs usually insurance companies
Funding for Medicare • Social security taxes • Equal match from government • CMS sends money to MACs • MACs handles paperwork and pays claims
Medicare Covers (Part B) • Beneficiary pays • 20% of cost of service • + annual deductible • Medicare pays • 80% covered services
Participating QIO Providers • Signed agreement with MACs • Agree to accept what MACs pay as payment in full • Accept Assignment • Block 27 on CMS-1500 (Cont’d…)
Participating QIO Providers (…Cont’d) • Block 27 on CMS-1500, Accept Assignment
Why Be a Participating QIO Provider? • MACs usually do not pay charges provider submits • Significant decrease • Participating QIO providers receive 5% more than non-QIOs (Cont’d…)
More Good Reasons to Participate: (…Cont’d) • Check sent directly from MACs to QIO provider • Faster claims processing • Provider names listed in QIO directory • Sent to all beneficiaries
Part A, Hospital • Hospitals submit charges on UB04 • ICD-9-CM codes basis for payment • MS-DRG (Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups) (Cont’d…)
Part A, Covered In-Hospital Expenses (…Cont’d) • Semiprivate room • Meals and special diets in hospital • All medically necessary services (Cont’d…)
Part A, Non-Covered In-Hospital Expenses (…Cont’d) • Personal convenience items • Example: • Slippers, TV • Non-medically necessary (Cont’d…)
(…Cont’d) Rehabilitation Skilled-nursing Some personal convenience items for long-term illness or disabilities Home health visits Hospice care Not automatically covered Must meet certain criteria Part A, Other Covered Expenses
Part B, Supplemental • Part B pays services and supplies not covered under Part A • Not automatic • Beneficiaries purchase • Pay monthly premiums (Cont’d…)
Type of Items Covered by Part B (…Cont’d) • Physicians’ services • Outpatient hospital services • Home health care • Medically necessary supplies and equipment
Coding for Medicare Part B Services • Three coding systems used to report Part B • CPT • HCPCS • ICD-9-CM (Vol. 1 & 2)
Federal Register • Government publishes changes in laws • Coding supervisors keep current on changes (Cont’d…)
Issues of Importance in Federal Register (…Cont’d) • Octobercontains hospital facility changes • November and December contain outpatient facility changes and physician fee schedule
Federal Register Figure: 16.3 From Federal Register, January 29, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 19, Proposed Rules.
MS-DRGs (Formerly DRGs) • Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) • Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRG) • Inpatient reimbursement system • Development began in 1960s at Yale • In 1970s, New Jersey piloted forerunner to current DRG system (Cont’d…)
MS-DRGs (Formerly DRGs) (…Cont’d) • 1982, TEFRA was implemented • Reduced health care costs • Changed way hospitals were paid • 1983, DRGs implemented • Based on ICD-9-CM code as payment in full • ONLY for inpatients
Prospective Payment Systems (PPS) • Medicare historically reimbursed 100% of submitted charges • Retrospective system • Now identifies what is paid for each service • Prospective system
How ICD-9-CM Forms DRGs • 25 major diagnosis categories (MDC) • Represents • organ system (e.g., cardiovascular) • nonorgan system (e.g., burns)
Major Diagnostic Categories Figure: 16.4 From Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups, Version 25.0, Definitions Manual, 3M Health Information Systems.
Typical MS-DRG Structure • 1st choice • OR procedure or no OR procedure • 2nd choice • Type of Surgery or principal diagnosis Figure: 16.5 From Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups, Version 25.0, Definitions Manual, 3M Health Information Systems.
Grouper • Coder enters ICD-9-CM code number(s) into grouper • Grouper manipulates data through flow chart • Presents correct DRG (now MS-DRG)
ICD-9-CM and MS-DRG • ICD-9-CM codes grouped into MS-DRG 84 Figure: 16.7 From Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups, Version 25.0, Definitions Manual, 3M Health Information Systems.
CMS Payment • Hospitals notified of changes in MS-DRG system • October in Federal Register • Changes for • Covered charges • Amount received for each DRG
Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) • Social Security Act was amended to establish QIO • Purpose was to ensure that hospitals adhered to MS-DRG system (Cont’d…)
QIO Reviews (…Cont’d) • Admission • Discharge • Quality • Coverage • Procedure (Cont’d…)
The Review (…Cont’d) • MACs refer to QIO providers for review • QIOs determine if changes were medically necessary
Outpatient Resource–Based Relative Value Scale • RBRVS • Physician payment reform implemented in 1992 • Paid physicians lowest of • 1. Physician’s charge for service • 2. Physician’s customary charge • 3. Prevailing charge in locality
National Fee Schedule • Replaced RBRVS • Termed Medicare Fee Schedule (MFS) • Payment 80% of MFS, after patient deductible • Used for physicians and suppliers
Relative Value Unit • Nationally, unit values assigned to each CPT code • Local adjustments made: • Work and skill required • Overhead costs • Malpractice costs (Cont’d…)
Relative Value Unit (…Cont’d) • Often referred to as fee schedule • Annually, CMS updates RVU based on national and local factors
Prospective Payment and Skilled Nursing Facilities • Similar to MS-DRG system for hospital facilities • Established per day payment • Resource Utilization Groups III (RUGSIII)
Information Standards • Collected by completing Minimum Data Set 2.0 resident assessment instrument (RAI) • Determines amount per day payment • Based on care level
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) • MS-DRG-type system for hospital outpatient settings • Based on groups of service, Ambulatory Patient Classifications(APC) • Implemented August 1, 2000 (Cont’d…)
APCs (…Cont’d) • Payment rates for each APC published in Federal Register (Cont’d…) Figure: 16.10 Website: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ASCPayment
Impact of APCs on Hospitals (…Cont’d) • When MS-DRGs fully implemented, hospital revenue dropped • MS-DRGs only covered inpatient procedures • Many procedures began to be done on an outpatient basis • APCs curtailed outpatient revenues
Medicare Fraud and Abuse • Program established by Medicare • To decrease fraud and abuse • Fraud • Intentional deception to benefit • Example: • Submitting for services not provided
Beneficiary Signatures • Beneficiary signatures on file • Service, charges submitted without need for patient signature • Presents opportunity for fraud (Cont’d…)
Fraud (…Cont’d) • Anyone who submits for Medicare services can be violator • Physicians • Hospitals • Laboratories • Billing services • YOU
Fraud Can Be • Billing for services not provided • Misrepresenting diagnosis • Kickbacks • Unbundling services • Falsifying medical necessity • Consistent waiver of copayment
Office of the Inspector General (OIG) • Each year develops work plan • Outlines monitoring Medicare program • MACs monitor those areas identified in plan