Updates from the Medicare Learning Network

Support & Live Chat

Medicare Learning Network: REVISED Special Edition MLN Matters Article #MM7021 - Guidance on Implementing Section 3109 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised Special Edition MLN Matters Article #MM7021 (Guidance on Implementing Section 3109 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) to add an updated hyperlink to the DMEPOS Accreditation webpage and to update the article's associated newsflash to be relevant to DMEPOS Competitive Bidding. This article is informational in nature and reinforces existing policy; it does not present new policy. For more details, please read the article at http://www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM7021.pdf on the CMS website.

Medicare Learning Network: MLN Matters Article #MM7064 - End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) and Consolidated Billing for Limited Part B Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released MLN Matters Article #MM7064 to announce the implementation of an ESRD bundled prospective payment system (PPS). The ESRD PPS is effective for services on or after January 1, 2011; therefore, it is important that providers not submit claims spanning dates of service in 2010 and 2011. However, ESRD facilities may make a one-time election to be excluded from the transition period and have their payment based entirely on the payment amount under the ESRD PPS. Facilities wishing to exercise this option must do so on or before November 1, 2010. This article is based on Change Request (CR) 7064 and is available at http://www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM7064.pdf on the CMS website.

Medicare Learning Network: September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is asking the provider community to keep their patients with Medicare healthy by encouraging them to take advantage of Medicare-covered prostate cancer screenings. Medicare provides coverage for digital rectal exams (DREs) and prostate specific antigen tests (PSAs) for qualified beneficiaries.

What Can You Do? As a health care professional who provides care to patients with Medicare, you can help protect the health of your Medicare patients by encouraging them to take advantage of Medicare-covered screenings, including prostate cancer screenings, that are appropriate for them.

For More Information: CMS has developed several educational products related to Medicare-covered prostate cancer screenings. They are all available, free of charge, from the Medicare Learning Network