Category Archives: Facility Administration

7/19+ QIP Webinar Details

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CMS has published details on the July 19, 2018 QIP Webinar, which will be repeated on July 23, 2018.  The webinars will provide the basics of how to use the ESRD QIP system, including how to effectively submit a Clarification Question and a Formal Inquiry, if needed, prior to the end of the Preview Period.  For details and registration, see:

7/19+ QIP Notes

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The QIP webinar today contained several new pieces of information about soon-to-be-announced QIP-related issues:

  • CMS will soon announce hour-long July 19 and 23, 2018 webinars on the QIP 4.0 System.  They will be held at 11am PDT on those days; save the date(s).  The sessions will cover access, use, reports, PSRs, Clarifying Questions, and Formal Inquiries.
  • Publication of the PY2019 ESRD QIP Users Guide is expected by July 13, 2018.
  • The ESRD PPS Preview Period will end at 11:59 pm PDT on August 23, 2018.

9/10 CY2019 ESRD PPS Proposed Rule

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CMS has released a proposed rule for the CY2019 ESRD PPS, titled Proposed Updates to Policies and Payment Rates for the ESRD PPS, … QIP; and Payment for Renal Dialysis Services Furnished to Individuals with AKI and a fact sheet summarizing it.  The ellipsis in the title refers to durable medical equipment changes included in the same proposed rule.  Find the fact sheet at https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2018-Fact-sheets-items/2018-07-11.html.

The fact sheet includes summaries of:

  • Removing the Healthcare Personnel Vaccination, Pain Assessment, Anemia Management, and Serum Phosphorus reporting measures from the PY2021 QIP.
  • Restructuring domains and weights in the PY2021 QIP.
  • Expanding NHSN validation in both PY2021 and PY2022.
  • Adding measures for Percentage of Patients Waitlisted and Medication Reconciliation to the PY2022 QIP.
  • Adding a measure on Standardized First Transplant Waitlist Ratio for Incident Patients to the PY2024 QIP.

The proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register at https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-14986.pdf.  Comments must be received by September 10, 2018.

8/7+ NHSN Trainings

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NHSN will present four ESRD Component trainings during August 2018.  Listen-only audio for these will be available through your computer’s speakers.  If you need audio via telephone, the dial-in number for all sessions is 303-248-0285 (toll), with access code 6393927.

New Medicare Card News

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The CMS New Medicare Card (NMC) web page at https://www.medicare.gov/newcard/ keeps an ongoing tally of NMC mailings.  It shows that mailings are now underway for California, Oregon, and Alaska, but have not yet started for other Network 16 states.  The page also includes a sample of the new card, important information about what a patient should do when they receive one in the mail, and important tips on avoiding Medicare scams.

For providers, CMS has also published information on when a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI, which replaces the HICN on the card) can change, and what to do when it does.  Find a summary at https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/FFSProvPartProg/Provider-Partnership-Email-Archive-Items/2018-07-05-eNews.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=0&DLSortDir=descending#_Toc518370286.

7/26 CW Newsletter & Town Hall

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CROWNWeb has published their July Newsletter, containing articles on the CROWNWeb Data Quality Goals progress, and the Missing Forms Report.  It also includes a CROWNWeb FAQ pointing out that clinical data which is entered and saved, but not submitted before the appropriate Clinical Closure Date, never makes it to CMS.  Find the July Newsletter at http://mycrownweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/July_2018_Newslette_508_Compliant.pdf and a catalog of past Newsletters at http://mycrownweb.org/news/newsletters/.  The Newsletter also announces a July 26, 2018 CROWNWeb Town Hall.