FROM: Theodore O. Will, FACHE /s/ Chief Executive Officer
DATE: January 7, 2013
RE: IPRO ANNUAL MEDICARE PHYSICIAN ACKNOWLEDGMENT MONITORING – SHORT TERM ACUTE CARE PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM (PPS) HOSPITALS
IPRO CONTACT: Andrea Goldstein, Vice President, Medicare/Federal Health Care Assessment, 516-209-5364
IPRO, as the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for New York, is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct monitoring of short term acute care Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospital compliance with securing physician acknowledgment statements for newly appointed physicians. As you know, an acknowledgment statement must be completed by the physician at the time he/she is granted admitting privileges at the hospital, or before, or at the time the physician admits his or her first patient. A copy of our monitoring process is included in Attachment I.
If you are an exempt psychiatric or non-acute care facility, this reporting requirement does not impact you at this time.
FOR ACTION: To facilitate IPRO’s annual physician acknowledgment monitoring activities, please complete and return the required information as detailed in Attachment II (page 1, page 2), “IPRO 10th Scope of Work (SOW) Physician Acknowledgment Statement Monitoring” to the attention of:
Nancy McGrath
Assistant to Andrea Goldstein
Vice President
Medicare/Federal Health Care Assessment
IPRO
NMcGrath@IPRO.org
Fax: 516-304-3112
by February 4, 2013. Please note, in accordance with CMS QIO 10th SOW requirements, our physician acknowledgement monitoring activities for this year must be completed by July 31, 2013.
Background: Section 42 CFR 412.46 states that because payment under the Prospective Payment System (PPS) is based in part on each patient’s principal and secondary diagnoses and major procedures performed, as evidenced by the physician’s entries in the patient’s medical record, physicians must complete an acknowledgment statement to this effect.
When a claim is submitted, the hospital must have on file a signed and dated acknowledgment from the attending physician that the physician has received the physician acknowledgment statement. The acknowledgment must be completed by the physician at the time that the physician is granted admitting privileges at the hospital, or before, or at the time the physician admits his or her first patient. Existing acknowledgments signed by physicians already on staff remain in effect as long as the physician has admitting privileges at the hospital.
Hospitals must meet the conditions specified in 42 CFR 412, Subpart C, to receive payment under the PPS for inpatient hospital services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries. As detailed in Attachment I, if a hospital fails to comply fully with these conditions with respect to one or more Medicare beneficiaries, CMS may, as appropriate:
- Withhold Medicare payment in full or in part to the hospital until the hospital provides adequate assurances of compliance; or
- Terminate the hospital’s provider agreement.
Please feel free to contact Nancy McGrath at 516-209-5364, should you have any questions in regard to this memorandum.
