Health Care

On April 30, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered Baxter Healthcare Corp. (Baxter) to recall and destroy all of their Colleague Volumetric Pumps that are currently being used.  The pumps have been the subject of several recalls since 1999 for battery swelling, inadvertent power off, and service data errors.  In 2006, the FDA informed Baxter of a permanent injunction problem and Baxter agreed to stop manufacturing all models until this problem was fixed.  Since then, numerous corrections were done to the pumps; however, none that were able to fix the permanent injunction problem. Read full article.

Effective October 1, 2010, several provider types will no longer be required to report the total number of therapy visits using the following value codes:

50 – Physical therapy
51 – Occupational therapy
52 – Speech therapy
53 – Cardiac rehab

The following provider types are affected:

Hospitals
Home Health Agencies (HHAs)
Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs)
Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)

The Medicare Claims Processing manual has been updated to remove this requirement and billing staff should be notified of this change.

If you have any questions, please contact a member of our Health Care Management Group at 847-236-1111. Read full article.

Beginning, Monday, May 3, 2010, a new mail address became effective for the Part A Overpayment Recovery Unit (ORU) and Credit Balance organizations.  The new address is:

National Government Services, Inc.
Part A ORU/Credit Balance Reports
P.O. Box 7071
Indianapolis, IN  46207-7071

Providers should stop using any other P.O. boxes used in the past for these purposes.  NGS notes that Credit Balance reports may also be submitted via fax to the following fax number: 414-459-5700. Read full article.