Patient access departments need revamped processes to prepare for new Medicare ID cards without Social Security numbers.

Incomplete or inaccurate completion of the Medicare Secondary Payer questionnaire causes significant problems for the revenue cycle.

At Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, CT, the revenue cycle team is a strong partner of case management, reports Beth A. Greig, RN, MSN, MBA, ACM, director of case management, healthcare value, and efficiency at the 617-bed hospital.

The Work Plan of the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services lists projects to be addressed during the fiscal year. The plan includes projects planned in each of the Department’s major entities, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Beginning April 1, approximately 800 hospitals in 67 geographic areas will begin participating in the first mandatory Medicare bundled payment initiative.

Tuomey Healthcare System in Sumter, SC, will pay $72.4 million to settle a $237 million judgment following the Department of Justice allegations that it illegally billed the Medicare program for services referred by physicians with whom the hospital had improper financial relationships.