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Showing 6 posts in Rural Health Centers (“RHCs”).

Alert: Rural Health Clinics - Your COVID-19 Testing Program Report is Due NOW!

While the extra health care dollars distributed by HHS for coronavirus testing were well received by rural health clinics and other providers, those funds come with important reporting requirements that take effect immediately.  The Department of Health and Human Services’ funding initiative of $225 million for rural health clinics’ coronavirus testing efforts, known as the Rural Testing Relief Fund or Rural Health Clinic (“RHC”) COVID-19 Testing Program, is no exception to such requirements. These reporting requirements as well as the others for state and federal health care dollars related to the pandemic should be carefully followed as the HHS Inspector General and the Department of Justice are already investigating to ferret out misuse, fraud, waste, and abuse of these funds.   More >

RHCs and FQHCs – It’s time to take a second look at Alternate Payment Methodology

In July of 2014, Kentucky Medicaid established an Alternate Payment Methodology (“APM”) for all Federally-Qualified Health Centers (“FQHCs”) and Rural Health Clinics (“RHCs”) as an alternative to the all-inclusive encounter rate per patient under the standard prospective payment system (“PPS”) of 42 U.S.C. 1369a(aa). The APM allows for qualified centers to be reimbursed at a rate of 125% of the 2014 Medicare Upper Payment Limit for RHCs in place of the PPS system ($99.75 per covered visit). There are more advantages to APM than meet the eye, however, and qualified centers currently using PPS method should at the very least reevaluate APM, as proposed changes will make APM even more attractive and potentially risk-free. More >

Five Things to Know about Transitional Care Management

Posted In Federally Qualified Health Centers (“FQHCs”), Medicare, Rural Health Centers (“RHCs”), Telehealth

Tuesday’s post discussed the basics of Transitional Care Management (“TCM”), but today’s post will focus on five things that providers should know about TCM. More >

Kentucky Rural Health Clinics and FQHC’s/Look- A-Likes with Low Rates—Don’t Overlook this Rate Increase!

Posted In Health Care Law, Medicaid, Qualified Health Care Centers (“FQHC”), Rural Health Centers (“RHCs”)

Approved by CMS and effective July 1, 2014, Kentucky’s Medicaid Program may now pay certain Rural Health Clinics (“RHC”), Federally Qualified Health Care Centers (“FQHC”) and Look-a-Likes a higher rate. The Department of Medicaid Services (“Medicaid”) sought approval to pay RHCs, FQHCs and Look-A-Likes that have a low per visit PPS rate at a rate equal to 125% of the Medicare rate.  This means that Kentucky RHCs, FQHCs and Look-A-Likes with low Medicaid rates, just got a raise-- that is if they claim it! While the Medicaid State Health Plan Amendment provides that an “Alternative Payment Methodology” is now available, this really means that clinics with low rates can ask to be paid at a higher rate per visit without qualifying for a change in scope of service.   This increase in rate is supposed to be effective on July 1, 2014, but is based upon the Medicare Upper Payment Limit for RHCs as of September 30, 2014 and the rate as we calculate it is approximately $99.70. Essentially, this means that providers with rates below the $99.70 threshold may elect to be paid under the alternative payment methodology. More >

CMS Proposes to Change Physician Requirements for RHC's and FQHC's

Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (“PPACA”), many providers, suppliers and physicians that were enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid were mandated to create compliance programs for their healthcare facilities. Since that time, small and rural providers have been scrambling to adopt and implement programs that can adequately withstand regulatory and law enforcement scrutiny. Larger providers, such as multi-state hospitals, were already equipped with a compliance program. It is the small and rural providers, limited by staff and financial resources, which have had their hands full complying with the new regulatory requirements. More >

The Wrap-Around Slap-Around for Primary Care Centers

For Kentucky Primary Care Centers (“PCCs”), Rural Health Centers (“RHCs”), and Federally Qualified Health Centers (“FQHCs”), getting the run-around from Medicaid on wrap-around payments is not so unusual.  Frequently, these providers complain that supplemental payments distributed by the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services’ (“Medicaid”) are too low, too late or both. More >

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