The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires that services provided/ordered be authenticated by the author. The method used shall be a handwritten or electronic signature. Providers should ensure that medical record documentation and handwritten signatures are legible. Stamped signatures are not acceptable, unless its use is permitted by CMS in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. To access signature guidelines for medical review purposes, complying with Medicare signature requirements fact sheet, and when a rubber stamp signature is permissible, Gold members log in or non-members become a Gold member

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services does not endorse or approve any particular template. Providers are reminded if templates are used; select templates that allow full and complete collection of information to demonstrate that applicable coverage and coding criteria are met. Electronic health record templates may include signature documentation as follows:

On September 24, 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.11, with an effective date of October 1, 2013. This version of the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual incorporates clarifications to existing coding and transmission policy, integrates previously published Questions and Answers into the appropriate sections and addresses requested clarifications and scenarios concerning complex areas. To access the manual, click HERE.

On September 25, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services released a report on health plan choices and premiums in 48 state marketplaces. According to the report, consumers will be able to choose from an average of 53 health plans in the Marketplace, and the vast majority of consumers will have a choice of at least two different health insurance companies – usually more. Premiums nationwide will also be around 16 percent lower than originally expected – with about 95 percent of eligible uninsured live in states with lower than expected premiums – before taking into account financial assistance. The

On September 26, 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance on the fiscal year 2014 hospital inpatient prospective payment system final rule. In the FAQ document, CMS answers the following questions: Will CMS direct the Medicare review contractors to apply the 2-midnight presumption-that is, contractors should not select inpatient claims for review if the inpatient stay spanned two midnights from the time of admission? Will Medicare contractors base their review of the physician’s expectation of medically necessary care surpassing 2 midnights upon the information available to the admitting practitioner at the time of admission? What steps

Spending per person among the privately insured increased $181 to $4,701 last year from the prior year, an analysis by the not-for-profit Health Care Cost Institute found. Overall, health spending last year grew at a projected 3.9% for the fourth straight year. Read the full story HERE.

Question Can an employer be fined for failing to provide employees with notice about the Affordable Care Act’s new Health Insurance Marketplace? Answer 

Five members of the Commission on Long Term Care issued an alternative report on September 23, 2013 outlining and discussing their recommendations to address the challenges facing our country’s long-term services and supports (LTSS) system. To transform today’s inadequate LTSS system into one that works, the Commission recommends the creation of a new system and, until it is established, improvements to existing public programs to better meet the needs of older adults and younger people with disabilities. The recommendations are as follows: 1. Create a Broader Financing Solution 2. Adopt a National Strategy to Improve and Strengthen the LTSS Workforce