HFS News & Information

Pete Harmon’s HFS blog has moved to a new location.
The new address is: http://peteharmon.hfssoft.com/

CMS recently issued a new Transmittal 17 for the SNF, 2540-96. T.17 is effective for FY End 10/1/2009 and after (i.e. must use T.17, our version 17). W/S S-2 line 20 was revised to REQUIRE an answer, F for a Full report; L for a Low Medicare Utilization report; and N for a No Medicare Utilization report. W/S S-5, lines 10 and 11 are now N/A, effective for FYE 5/31/2009 and after, due to HIPPA data sensitivity. W/S S-4 part III, columns 5 and 6 (SCIC visits), is N/A effective for services on or after 1/1/2006. Similarly, W/S H-6, lines 8.05, 8.06, 8.09, and 8.10, are N/A for SCIC payments. W/S I-4 was revised for the H1N1 vaccine changes. Effective for services on or after 9/1/2009, new columns 2.01 and 2.02 were added for H1N1 Only, and Influenza and H1N1 combined, respectively. W/S E part III, line 10.04 is a NEW line added for Dual Eligible Bad debt Recoveries.

CMS issued a new Transmittal 14 for the HHA (1728-94 Forms). It is effective for FYE on or after 10/1/2009 (i.e. must use T.14 for these FYE). T.14 implements the RHC/FQHC phase out of the Outpatient Mental Health Limit of 62.5%, over 5 years. W/S RF-3, line 14 calculation will remain 62.5% for services through 12/31/2009. For services 1/1/2010 to 12/31/2011, the Limit is 68.75%. For services 1/1/2012 to 12/31/2012, the Limit is 75%. For services 1/1/2013 to 12/31/2013, the Limit is 81.25%. For services on or after 1/1/2014, the Limit is zero, or 100% reimbursement is computed.

T.14 also implements the H1N1 vaccine changes, effective for services on or after 9/1/2009. W/S RF-4 has added columns 2.01 and 2.02 to capture data and calculate the costs of H1N1 and Influenza vaccines. Medical Supply cost, Total Injections, and Medicare Injections must be split (identified) between Pneumococcal, Seasonal Influenza, H1N1 Only, and Influenza and H1N1 combined.

T.14 codified the change to eliminate W/S S-3 part IV, columns 5 and 6, for SCIC. These columns are no longer used effective for services on or after 1/1/2008. T.14 also added the FI/MAC “name” to S-2 line 29.02, column 3. We have a table in our W/S S-2 HELP, with all the names. We are awaiting the CMS Test Case and beginning of the approval process for T.14.

Transmittal 21 is effective for FYE on or after 10/1/2009 (i.e. must use T.21 for FYE 10/1/2009 and after), except for the H1N1 Vaccine changes which are effective for services on or after 9/1/2009.

T.21 added three new ancillary cost centers, Cardiac Rehab, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and Lithotripsy. These will be available from our “pick list” of cost centers. W/S S-3 part I, line 26, columns 5.01, 5.02, 6.01, and 6.02, for Observation Bed Days, are N/A for FY Begin 10/1/2009 and after. No more “admitted” and not admitted split.

Total observation bed days will now be subtracted in the calculation of E part A, line 3 (bed days available). W/S E part A and L part I, line 4.01 or 5.01, are revised to INCLUDE in Total days, the Labor and Delivery Days from the NEW line 29 of S-3 part I. This is effective for FY Begin 10/1/2009 and after.

W/S S-2 line 21.01, column 2 was added for Pickle providers (“Y” indicates Pickle for operating DSH). If Pickle, then the allowable DSH percentage is automatically 35%, on E part A line 4.03.

W/S E-3 part I, lines 1.02, 1.04, 1.41, and 1.42 must be subscripted for column 1.01, if the FY overlaps 10/1/2009, as the LIP “factor” changed from 0.6229 to 0.4613. You only need to split payments on line 1.02 as we calculate the rest. W/S M-3 line 14 calculation is phasing out the “limit”, over 5 years. For services through 12/31/2009 the 62.5% limitation remains. For services 1/1/2010 to 12/31/2011, the limit is 68.75%. For services 1/1/2012 to 12/31/2012 the limit is 75%. For services 1/1/2013 to 12/31/2013 the limit is 81.25%. For services on or after 1/1/2014, the limit is zero, or 100% reimbursement.

W/S M-4 added columns 2.01 and 2.02 for the H1N1 vaccine. Medical Supply cost, Total injections, and Medicare injections must be split between Pneumococcal, Influenza, H1N1 Only, and Influenza and H1N1 combined.

For even more up-to-date news, visit Pete Harmon’s blog at http://www.hfssoft.com/blogs/pete/

Thank you to all who attended our meeting. We had about 240 clients this year. Las Vegas was fun and I think we had a great meeting.

The meeting is intended to relay relative information to our clients and go over the use of Health Financial Systems software. We always come back with great suggestions for our software. We appreciate the interaction and input from our User’s Group. If you have any suggestions for next year’s meeting please e-mail me.

If you are interested in downloading the presentations from the meeting, please follow this link. http://www.hfssoft.com/um/2009/

From the link you can download a zipped file of the information used for the presentations. Thank you to all of our speakers who were willing to share their presentations with us. We did not put our feature presentations on the list as we worked from our manual on these. If you would like to go over any feature, have suggestions or problems, as always please contact us.

HFS received CMS approval for T.20 on 9/17/2009.
See Pete Harmon’s blog for details…

Just a reminder…Our User Meeting will be on Thursday October 22, 2009 and Friday October 23, 2009 in Las Vegas. The first day of our meeting will focus on Hospital and Home Health Agency current issues, particularly the new 2552-10 for hospitals. The second day of our meeting will be spent going through the HFS software and its productivity features. This link will take you to our User Meeting Flyer with more information: http://www.hfssoft.com/um/2009/HFS-2009UserMeetingFlyer.pdf

Our room block with the Westin Casuarina expires on September 21st.  It is almost full, so make your reservations soon to receive the room rate of $135. You can call the hotel at (866)837-4215 or make your reservations on their website http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=0907172622&key=CC459.

If you plan to attend and have not already done so, please return your registration form to us with payment as soon as possible. http://www.hfssoft.com/um/2009/UserMtgReg.pdf

The agendas have been updated at the following links:

• Hospital User Meeting Agenda – http://www.hfssoft.com/um/2009/UserMeetingAgenda1.pdf
• Home Health Agency Agenda – http://www.hfssoft.com/um/2009/UserMeetingAgenda2.pdf

If you have any questions e-mail or call us.

On Friday, August 28, 2009 we sent additional HFS comments on the Draft 2552-10 to CMS. These additional comments were the result of having input numbers into the forms. These comments are available in PDF format: MORE HFS DRAFT 2552-10 COMMENTS

In general, we were disappointed that Title V and XIX are less accommodated in the 2552-10, instead of expanded, or left the same as in the 2552-96 (i.e. elimination of W/S C part II, which is still used by States; elimination of D-1 lines 66-82 in the 2552-96 for the per diem calculation, etc.). This will most likely result…

This spreadsheet contains a crosswalk comparison between the 2552-96 and 2552-10 form sets for worksheets A and S-2, including the new S-2 Part II.