Home Health, Hospice & Durable Medical Equipment Open Door Forum

**Updated August 2, 2012 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold a Special Open Door Forum on Manual Medical Review of Therapy Claims on August 7, 2012, from 2:00pm-3:30pm, ET. If you wish to participate, dial: 1-800-603-1774; Conference ID: 16032541. Please see the Downloads section below for the announcement with full participation instructions. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated August 1, 2012 - The transcript and audio file from the July 27, 2012 Medicare's Prior Authorization for Power Mobility Devices Demonstration Special Open Door Forum are now available on the Special Open Door Forum website: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/ODFSpecialODF.html . Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated July 20, 2012 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold a Special Open Door Forum on Friday, July 27, 2012 from 3:00pm-4:30pm, ET, to provide an opportunity for suppliers and providers to hear more and ask questions about Medicare’s Prior Authorization for Power Mobility Devices Demonstration. To participate by phone: Dial: 1-866-501-5502 (toll free); Conference ID: 61960446. Please see the full participation announcement in the Downloads section below. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated July 9, 2012 - The next Home Health Hospice & DME/Quality Open Door Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11, 2012, from 2:00pm-3:00pm, ET. Please see the Downloads section below for the agenda and full participation announcement.
**Updated May 25, 2012, 2012- The next Home Health Hospice & DME/Quality Open Door Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11, 2012 from 2:00pm-3:00pmET. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935 Conference ID 76228833. This call will be Conference Call Only. Please see the Downloads section below for the full participation announcement. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated April 6, 2012 -The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is pleased to announce the scheduled release of modifications to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code set. These changes have been posted to the HCPCS website at http://www.cms.gov/HCPCSReleaseCodeSets/02_HCPCS_Quarterly_Update.asp . Changes are effective on the date indicated on the update.
In response to shortage of liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil), the FDA is permitting the temporary importation of Lipodox, a brand of liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride.
See http://www.fda gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm292658.htm . The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) HCPCS Quarterly update includes 2 new codes (Q2048 and Q2049) for liposomal doxorubicin that will become effective July 1, 2012. The code descriptors are worded in a manner that distinguishes Lipodox and Doxil. As of July 1, 2012, HCPCS code J9001 will not be used for Medicare billing. CMS will release a Change Request (CR) with additional instructions in the near future.
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Home Health, Hospice, and Durable Medical Equipment Open Door Forum (ODF) Overview:
The Home Health, Hospice & Durable Medical Equipment ODF addresses the concerns of three unique health care areas within the Medicare & Medicaid programs. Issues related to Home Health PPS, the newly proposed competitive bidding for DME, and the Medicare Hospice benefit are all topics the forum has covered. Many of the issues covered bridge concerns within all three settings, and the combination of the topics under one Forum has been useful to many participants. We continue to hold Special ODFs when individual policy issues require special attention. Timely announcements and clarifications regarding important rulemaking, agency program initiatives, and other related areas are also included in the forums.