verification, the Medicare administrative contractor’s online portal, or by calling the contractor’s hotline.
In letters to affected physicians no- tifying them of their Medicare refund, CMS included a spreadsheet with claim- level details to help identify the claims reprocessed and amounts paid or re- funded on the claims. CMS noted that, in some cases, the refund amount may include the claim repayment amount plus interest assessed incorrectly on the erroneous overpayment. When the recoupment error initially
came to light, the American Medical Association sent a letter to urge CMS to halt recoupment and establish a process for resolving future discrepan- cies without further burdening physi- cians. To read the letter, visit http://bit .ly/1dttgSH. TMA and the medical asso- ciations of 53 states, districts, and terri- tories cosigned the letter. TMA’s Payment Advocacy Department staff worked with AMA and CMS staff to resolve the issue. The organizations urged the agency to stop the recovery and “improve the process used to identify periods of incar- ceration and clarify denial forms and no- tices so that providers are aware of the explicit reason justifying a recoupment.” The letter said the groups “oppose the burdensome requirement placed on physicians to confirm the incarceration status of patients. While under certain circumstances providers may be aware that a patient is incarcerated, in other instances providers may have no indica- tion of a patient’s status, especially if the patient is residing in a halfway house, living under home detention, on parole, or unconscious and unable to convey that he or she is in custody.” A patient who is on parole, supervised
release, or medical furlough or who lives in a halfway house or similar situation may be in the custody of authorities un- der a penal statute. In such cases, Medi- care payment may be barred. Please note that messaging for denied
claims regarding incarcerated Medicare beneficiaries will change in February. For details, see MLN Matters No. MM8488,
http://go.cms.gov/1mpF4e4. For more information, visit the CMS website,
http://go.cms.gov/1aolCi7.
March 2014 TEXAS MEDICINE 9
Register for TexMed 2014 today
Register today for TMA’s free annual conference, and join thousands of fel- low Texas physicians, as TexMed 2014 descends on Fort Worth for a weekend of continuing medical education (CME) events, networking, policymaking, and all-around fun. To register, visit www
.texmed.org/texmed2014. TexMed is TMA’s largest event of the
year, offering more than 80 hours of CME credit, an extensive list of exhibi- tors to help with every aspect of your practice, and, of course, this year’s key- note speaker Zubin Damania, MD — per- haps better known for his alter ego and street persona, Zdogg, MD.
Practicing medicine today involves a dizzying array of regulations, standards, electronic health records, and payment plans that interfere with physicians’
ability to develop a positive, productive medical culture. In his TexMed General Session pre- sentation, Redefining the Culture of Medicine, Dr. Damania will delve into the ethical challenges in delivering ex- cellent care in our dysfunctional health care system while proposing ways to re- vitalize it. In his new clinic, Dr. Damania is looking to break down the barriers, bringing together physicians and front- line health care professionals to mend the system and bring autonomy back to health care. Be sure to connect with Dr. Damania at
www.zdoggmd.com before attending TexMed 2014. For a full schedule of events, CME, exhibitors, lodging information, and fun things to do in and around Fort Worth, visit the TexMed 2014 webpage at www
.texmed.org/texmed2014, and be sure to register today to reserve your spot so that you can enjoy this free benefit of your TMA membership.
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