********Breaking news will be in this category for 1 month before being moved to the appropriate category*******
Patients
Attention!
JoviPak made the following generous offer
today. Any takers?
1:08pm
Aug 27
Does anyone know if their therapist is
going to this year's National Lymphedema Network convention in Dallas? JoViPak
is giving away a FREE garment to 3 therapists, for an uninsured or underinsured
patient. Tell them to come by our booth and enter to win!
IMPORTANT NOTICE WHICH MAY CHANGE YOUR ACCESS TO LYMPHEDEMA SERVICES IN 2014
Medicare Part B
CLAIMS-BASED DATA
COLLECTION STRATEGY FOR THERAPY SERVICES PROPOSED
CMS issued proposed rule, CMS1590P, on July 6 that
includes a proposal to collect data on patient function related to physical and occupational therapy, and speech
language pathology services. Section 3005(g) of the Middle
Class Tax Relief and Jobs Creation Act
(MCTRJCA) requires CMS to implement, beginning on January 1, 2013, ". . . a claims
based data collection strategy that is
designed to assist in reforming the Medicare payment system for outpatient therapy services subject to the limitations
of section 1833(g) of the Act. Such strategy shall be designed
to provide for the collection of data on
patient function during the course of therapy services in order to better understand
patient condition and outcomes."
The proposed appeared in the July 30, 2012 Federal
Register. CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until September 04, 2012, and will respond to them in
a final rule with comment period to be issued by November
1, 2012.
The Problem:
1. New
non-payable data collection codes for reporting functional limitations for each
claim;
2. Goal is new
therapist reimbursement based on improvement of function and complexity of
services;
3. Proposed
criteria for evaluating improvement of functional limitations are all physical
measures— There are no measures proposed that would measure lymphedema severity
or improvement of lymphatic function;
Action:
Write
a letter to CMS pointing out the impact the new rule will have to you, as a
lymphedema patient, if there are no quality measures appropriate to
describe the
severity/complexity of the “functional limitation” of lymphedema, and therefore
neither the severity/complexity of the functional limitation, nor the progress
attained by the therapist. This
lack of means of describing and evaluating the improvement achieved by
lymphedema therapy could result in the incorrect conclusion that the therapy is
of no medical value and disapproved.
To be assured
consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided
below, no later than 5 p.m. on September 4, 2012.
ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer to
file code CMS–1590–P. Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot
accept comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission. You may submit comments in one
of four ways (please choose only one of the ways listed):
1. Electronically. You may submit electronic
comments on this regulation to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for ‘‘submitting a comment.’’
2. By regular mail. You may mail written
comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS–1590–P, P.O.
Box 8013, Baltimore, MD 21244–8013.
Please allow sufficient time for mailed
comments to be received before the close of the comment period.
3. By express or overnight mail. You may
send written comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention:
CMS–1590–P, Mail Stop C4–26–05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD
21244–1850.
4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, you
may deliver (by hand or courier) your written comments before the close of the
comment period to either of the following addresses:
a. For delivery in Washington, DC— Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services,
Room 445–G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201. (Because access to the
interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not readily available to persons
without Federal government identification, commenters are encouraged to leave
their comments in the CMS drop slots located in the main lobby of the building.
A stamp-in clock is available for persons wishing to retain a proof of filing
by stamping in and retaining an extra copy of the comments being
filed.)b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD— Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services,
7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. If you intend to deliver
your comments to the Baltimore address, please call telephone number (410) 786–
7195 in advance to schedule your arrival with one of our staff members.
Comments mailed to the addresses indicated as appropriate for hand or courier
delivery may be delayed and received after the comment period.
Robert
Weiss, M.S.
Lymphedema Patient Advocate
National Lymphedema
Network
Fascinating study coming out of South Korea that indicates that breast cancer patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy
with immediate breast reconstruction had a significantly
lower incidence of lymphedema than those in the non-reconstruction
group.
Lee
K-T, Mun G-H, Lim S-Y, Pyon J-K, Oh K-S and Bang S-I:
"The impact of immediate breast
reconstruction on post-mastectomy lymphedema in patients undergoing modified
radical mastectomy" The Breast; February
2013; 22(1): 53-7.
Patients
Attention!
JoviPak made the following generous offer
today. Any takers?
1:08pm
Aug 27
Does anyone know if their therapist is
going to this year's National Lymphedema Network convention in Dallas? JoViPak
is giving away a FREE garment to 3 therapists, for an uninsured or underinsured
patient. Tell them to come by our booth and enter to win!
IMPORTANT NOTICE WHICH MAY CHANGE YOUR ACCESS TO LYMPHEDEMA SERVICES IN 2014
Medicare Part B
CLAIMS-BASED DATA
COLLECTION STRATEGY FOR THERAPY SERVICES PROPOSED
CMS issued proposed rule, CMS1590P, on July 6 that
includes a proposal to collect data on patient function related to physical and occupational therapy, and speech
language pathology services. Section 3005(g) of the Middle
Class Tax Relief and Jobs Creation Act
(MCTRJCA) requires CMS to implement, beginning on January 1, 2013, ". . . a claims
based data collection strategy that is
designed to assist in reforming the Medicare payment system for outpatient therapy services subject to the limitations
of section 1833(g) of the Act. Such strategy shall be designed
to provide for the collection of data on
patient function during the course of therapy services in order to better understand
patient condition and outcomes."
The proposed appeared in the July 30, 2012 Federal
Register. CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until September 04, 2012, and will respond to them in
a final rule with comment period to be issued by November
1, 2012.
The Problem:
1. New
non-payable data collection codes for reporting functional limitations for each
claim;
2. Goal is new
therapist reimbursement based on improvement of function and complexity of
services;
3. Proposed
criteria for evaluating improvement of functional limitations are all physical
measures— There are no measures proposed that would measure lymphedema severity
or improvement of lymphatic function;
Action:
Write
a letter to CMS pointing out the impact the new rule will have to you, as a
lymphedema patient, if there are no quality measures appropriate to
describe the
severity/complexity of the “functional limitation” of lymphedema, and therefore
neither the severity/complexity of the functional limitation, nor the progress
attained by the therapist. This
lack of means of describing and evaluating the improvement achieved by
lymphedema therapy could result in the incorrect conclusion that the therapy is
of no medical value and disapproved.
To be assured
consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided
below, no later than 5 p.m. on September 4, 2012.
ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer to
file code CMS–1590–P. Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot
accept comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission. You may submit comments in one
of four ways (please choose only one of the ways listed):
1. Electronically. You may submit electronic
comments on this regulation to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for ‘‘submitting a comment.’’
2. By regular mail. You may mail written
comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS–1590–P, P.O.
Box 8013, Baltimore, MD 21244–8013.
Please allow sufficient time for mailed
comments to be received before the close of the comment period.
3. By express or overnight mail. You may
send written comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention:
CMS–1590–P, Mail Stop C4–26–05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD
21244–1850.
4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, you
may deliver (by hand or courier) your written comments before the close of the
comment period to either of the following addresses:
a. For delivery in Washington, DC— Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services,
Room 445–G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201. (Because access to the
interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not readily available to persons
without Federal government identification, commenters are encouraged to leave
their comments in the CMS drop slots located in the main lobby of the building.
A stamp-in clock is available for persons wishing to retain a proof of filing
by stamping in and retaining an extra copy of the comments being
filed.)b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD— Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services,
7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. If you intend to deliver
your comments to the Baltimore address, please call telephone number (410) 786–
7195 in advance to schedule your arrival with one of our staff members.
Comments mailed to the addresses indicated as appropriate for hand or courier
delivery may be delayed and received after the comment period.
Robert
Weiss, M.S.
Lymphedema Patient Advocate
National Lymphedema
Network
Fascinating study coming out of South Korea that indicates that breast cancer patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy
with immediate breast reconstruction had a significantly
lower incidence of lymphedema than those in the non-reconstruction
group.
Lee
K-T, Mun G-H, Lim S-Y, Pyon J-K, Oh K-S and Bang S-I:
"The impact of immediate breast
reconstruction on post-mastectomy lymphedema in patients undergoing modified
radical mastectomy" The Breast; February
2013; 22(1): 53-7.