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ˇ SEN GRASSLEY SEEKS HOUSE GOP VOTES FOR REVISED SCHIP BILL
ˇ CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE FRONTLINE WORKFORCE
ˇ MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY MUST BE CONFIRMED THROUGH MEVS
ˇ 2008 MEDICARE DRUG PLANS NOW ON CMS WEBSITE
ˇ CMS RE-ASSIGNMENT OF BENEFICIARIES WHO HAVE THE LOW INCOME SUBSIDY
ˇ NYS DOH OCTOBER MEDICAID UPDATE
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NYSACRA News & Views
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Issue No. 41-07
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October 30, 2007
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Open Your Eyes! Watch it Now!
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NYSACRA Calendar
Executive Positions
Action Center
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Greetings NYSACRA Members!
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ˇ SEN GRASSLEY SEEKS HOUSE GOP VOTES FOR REVISED SCHIP BILL
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Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, is trying to boost Republican support for a new State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill, H.R.3963, that appeared doomed when the U.S. House passed it last week. Grassley is contacting House Republicans to discern what changes in the bill would produce a veto-proof majority in their chamber. Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, has been a critical force in efforts to expand SCHIP. He helped write the bill President Bush vetoed on Oct. 3, 2007. The House sustained that veto by 13 votes. If successful, the bill would then return to the House, which passed it 265-142 on Oct. 25, for a second and hopefully veto-proof vote.
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ˇ CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE FRONTLINE WORKFORCE
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On Tuesday, November 27th, 2007, a one-day Conference on Higher Education and the Frontline Workforce in the Developmental Disabilities Field will be sponsored by the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Institute and NYSACRA. Speakers will include CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein; Dr. William Ebenstein, University Dean for Health and Human Services at CUNY; New York State Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera; OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter; Ann Hardiman, Executive Director of NYSACRA; and Jeffrey Sachs, President of Reaching Up, Inc. The conference will be held from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan, 365 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street, Concourse Level. Please fax registration forms by November 21, 2007 to 646.344.7319. Call Osmin Sullivan-Hewitt at 646.344.7313 with questions and to request accommodations. Please visit http://jfkjrinstitute.cuny.edu/news/news.html for registration form.
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ˇ MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY MUST BE CONFIRMED THROUGH MEVS
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New York State Department of Health (DOH) and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) staffs have been analyzing billing errors made by Medicaid providers who constantly have a significant number of claims denied. CSC has been contacting these providers, offering technical assistance and support. One of the most common errors noticed is provider's failure to verify a client's Medicaid eligibility through the Medicaid Eligibility Verification System (MEVS) prior to provision of Medicaid services. Every cycle thousands of claims are needlessly denied because the client was not eligible for Medicaid on the date the service was rendered. These claims consume valuable processing time at CSC and may be increasing providers expenditures, especially for providers who use vendors that may charge a fee for each transaction submitted. NYS Medicaid operates MEVS as the sole method for client eligibility verification. The Common Benefit Issuance Card (CBIC) that clients must present to providers when requesting services does not constitute full authorization for provision of medical services and supplies. The verification process through MEVS must be completed to determine the client's eligibility for medical service and supplies. A provider not verifying eligibility prior to provision of services will risk the possibility of NONPAYMENT for those services. Click Here for the complete DOH Article or check the www.nysacra.org version of this News & Views. |
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ˇ 2008 MEDICARE DRUG PLANS NOW ON CMS WEBSITE
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CMS has announced that 2008 Medicare prescription drug plan information is now available online through the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov. The CMS Press Release on the enhanced tools is available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/press.asp. |
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ˇ CMS RE-ASSIGNMENT OF BENEFICIARIES WHO HAVE THE LOW INCOME SUBSIDY
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In the fall of 2007, CMS will re- assign low-income beneficiaries with full premium subsidies to new Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs), effective January 1, 2008. Re- assignments will be for individuals who are currently in a plan that, in 2008, will no longer have premiums below the "de minimus" amount (i.e. over $1.00 above the low-income subsidy (LIS) amount), resulting in a premium liability for the beneficiary. CMS will also reassign LIS beneficiaries that are in plans terminating or changing from a standard benefit to an enhanced benefit. CMS is trying to minimize the number of beneficiaries who will need to be re-assigned. Most notably, CMS established a "de minimis" premium demonstration that will permit plans with monthly premiums that are $1.00 or less above the LIS premium subsidy amount to retain their current enrollees. Click Here for a PDF background article or visit CMS at www.medicare.gov for more info. |
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ˇ NYS DOH OCTOBER MEDICAID UPDATE
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Click Here or see NYSACRA website for PDF copy . Articles of possible interest:
ˇ Requirements for Clinic Threshold Visit Claim Involving Physical Therapy - page 6
ˇ Coverage of Medical Supplies and Over-The-Counter Drugs by OMRDD - page 9 (Impact on ICFs, supervised CRs, supervised IRAs and Specialty Hospitals)
ˇ Preferred Drug Program News - page 13
ˇ Provider Update Forms For Electronic Transactions - page 18 |
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