Agreements with providers of services; enrollment processes

Any provider of services (except a fund designated for purposes of section 1395f(g) and section 1395n(e) of this title) shall be qualified to participate under this subchapter and shall be eligible for payments under this subchapter if it files with the Secretary an agreement— in the case of skilled nursing facilities which provide covered skilled nursing facility services— in the case of a hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency hospital— in the case of hospitals, to provide to each individual who is entitled to benefits under part A (or to a person acting on the individual’s behalf), at or about the time of the individual’s admission as an inpatient to the hospital, a written statement (containing such language as the Secretary prescribes consistent with this paragraph) which explains— in the case of hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals— in the case of a hospital that has a financial interest (as specified by the Secretary in regulations) in an entity to which individuals are referred as described in section 1395x(ee)(2)(H)(ii) of this title, or in which such an entity has such a financial interest, or in which another entity has such a financial interest (directly or indirectly) with such hospital and such an entity, to maintain and disclose to the Secretary (in a form and manner specified by the Secretary) information on— in the case of hospitals which furnish inpatient hospital services for which payment may be made under this subchapter, to be a participating provider of medical care both— beginning 12 months after August 6, 2015, in the case of a hospital or critical access hospital, with respect to each individual who receives observation services as an outpatient at such hospital or critical access hospital for more than 24 hours, to provide to such individual not later than 36 hours after the time such individual begins receiving such services (or, if sooner, upon release)— a written notification (as specified by the Secretary pursuant to rulemaking and containing such language as the Secretary prescribes consistent with this paragraph) which— either— Such payments— shall not be less in the aggregate for a fiscal year— The Secretary may refuse to enter into an agreement under this section or, upon such reasonable notice to the provider and the public as may be specified in regulations, may refuse to renew or may terminate such an agreement after the Secretary— If the Secretary finds that there is a substantial failure to make timely review in accordance with section 1395x(k) of this title of long-stay cases in a hospital, he may, in lieu of terminating his agreement with such hospital, decide that, with respect to any individual admitted to such hospital after a subsequent date specified by him, no payment shall be made under this subchapter for inpatient hospital services (including inpatient psychiatric hospital services) after the 20th day of a continuous period of such services. Such decision may be made effective only after such notice to the hospital and to the public, as may be prescribed by regulations, and its effectiveness shall terminate when the Secretary finds that the reason therefor has been removed and that there is reasonable assurance that it will not recur. The Secretary shall not make any such decision except after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing to the institution or agency affected thereby. For purposes of this section, the term “provider of services” shall include— For purposes of subsection (a)(1)(Q) and sections 1395i–3(c)(2)(E),55 So in original. Probably should refer to section 1395i–3(c)(1)(E). 1395l(s), 1395w–25(i), 1395mm(c)(8), and 1395bbb(a)(6) of this title, the requirement of this subsection is that a provider of services, Medicare+Choice organization, or prepaid or eligible organization (as the case may be) maintain written policies and procedures with respect to all adult individuals receiving medical care by or through the provider or organization— to provide written information to each such individual concerning— The written information described in paragraph (1)(A) shall be provided to an adult individual— Except as permitted under subsection (a)(2), any person who knowingly and willfully presents, or causes to be presented, a bill or request for payment inconsistent with an arrangement under subsection (a)(1)(H) or in violation of the requirement for such an arrangement, is subject to a civil money penalty of not to exceed $2,000. The provisions of section 1320a–7a of this title (other than subsections (a) and (b)) shall apply to a civil money penalty under the previous sentence in the same manner as such provisions apply to a penalty or proceeding under section 1320a–7a(a) of this title. The Secretary shall develop and implement a process to expedite proceedings under this subsection in which— If the Secretary determines that a psychiatric hospital which has an agreement in effect under this section no longer meets the requirements for a psychiatric hospital under this subchapter and further finds that the hospital’s deficiencies— If a psychiatric hospital, found to have deficiencies described in paragraph (1)(B), has not complied with the requirements of this subchapter— The Secretary shall establish by regulation a process for the enrollment of providers of services and suppliers under this subchapter. Such process shall include screening of providers and suppliers in accordance with paragraph (2), a provisional period of enhanced oversight in accordance with paragraph (3), disclosure requirements in accordance with paragraph (5), the imposition of temporary enrollment moratoria in accordance with paragraph (7), and the establishment of compliance programs in accordance with paragraph (9). The Secretary shall establish by regulation procedures under which there are deadlines for actions on applications for enrollment (and, if applicable, renewal of enrollment). The Secretary shall monitor the performance of medicare administrative contractors in meeting the deadlines established under this subparagraph. The Secretary shall consult with providers of services and suppliers before making changes in the provider enrollment forms required of such providers and suppliers to be eligible to submit claims for which payment may be made under this subchapter. Not later than 180 days after March 23, 2010, the Secretary, in consultation with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall establish procedures under which screening is conducted with respect to providers of medical or other items or services and suppliers under the program under this subchapter, the Medicaid program under subchapter XIX, and the CHIP program under subchapter XXI. The Secretary shall determine the level of screening conducted under this paragraph according to the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse, as determined by the Secretary, with respect to the category of provider of medical or other items or services or supplier. Such screening— may, as the Secretary determines appropriate based on the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse described in the preceding sentence, include— Except as provided in clause (ii), the Secretary shall impose a fee on each institutional provider of medical or other items or services or supplier (such as a hospital or skilled nursing facility) with respect to which screening is conducted under this paragraph in an amount equal to— The Secretary may, on a case-by-case basis, exempt a provider of medical or other items or services or supplier from the imposition of an application fee under this subparagraph if the Secretary determines that the imposition of the application fee would result in a hardship. The Secretary may waive the application fee under this subparagraph for providers enrolled in a State Medicaid program for whom the State demonstrates that imposition of the fee would impede beneficiary access to care. Amounts collected as a result of the imposition of a fee under this subparagraph shall be used by the Secretary for program integrity efforts, including to cover the costs of conducting screening under this paragraph and to carry out this subsection and section 1320a–7k of this title. The screening under this paragraph shall apply, in the case of a provider of medical or other items or services or supplier who is not enrolled in the program under this subchapter, subchapter XIX, or subchapter XXI as of March 23, 2010, on or after the date that is 1 year after such date. The screening under this paragraph shall apply, in the case of a provider of medical or other items or services or supplier who is enrolled in the program under this subchapter, subchapter XIX, or subchapter XXI as of such date, on or after the date that is 2 years after such date. Effective beginning on the date that is 180 days after such date, the screening under this paragraph shall apply with respect to the revalidation of enrollment of a provider of medical or other items or services or supplier in the program under this subchapter, subchapter XIX, or subchapter XXI. In no case may a provider of medical or other items or services or supplier who has not been screened under this paragraph be initially enrolled or reenrolled in the program under this subchapter, subchapter XIX, or subchapter XXI on or after the date that is 3 years after such date. In reviewing the application of a provider of services or supplier to enroll or reenroll under the program under this subchapter, the Secretary shall take into account the information supplied by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to section 6103(l)(22) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, in determining whether to deny such application or to apply enhanced oversight to such provider of services or supplier pursuant to paragraph (3) if the Secretary determines such provider of services or supplier owes such a debt. The Secretary may promulgate an interim final rule to carry out this paragraph. The Secretary shall establish procedures to provide for a provisional period of not less than 30 days and not more than 1 year during which new providers of medical or other items or services and suppliers, as the Secretary determines appropriate, including categories of providers or suppliers, would be subject to enhanced oversight, such as prepayment review and payment caps, under the program under this subchapter, the Medicaid program under subchapter XIX.66 So in original. Probably should be a comma. and the CHIP program under subchapter XXI. The Secretary may establish by program instruction or otherwise the procedures under this paragraph. For periods beginning after January 1, 2011, if the Secretary determines that there is a significant risk of fraudulent activity among suppliers of durable medical equipment, in the case of a supplier of durable medical equipment who is within a category or geographic area under this subchapter identified pursuant to such determination and who is initially enrolling under such subchapter, the Secretary shall, notwithstanding sections 1395h(c), 1395u(c), and 1395ff(a)(2) of this title, withhold payment under such subchapter with respect to durable medical equipment furnished by such supplier during the 90-day period beginning on the date of the first submission of a claim under such subchapter for durable medical equipment furnished by such supplier. A provider of medical or other items or services or supplier who submits an application for enrollment or revalidation of enrollment in the program under this subchapter, subchapter XIX, or subchapter XXI on or after the date that is 1 year after March 23, 2010, shall disclose (in a form and manner and at such time as determined by the Secretary) any current or previous affiliation (directly or indirectly) with a provider of medical or other items or services or supplier that has uncollected debt, has been or is subject to a payment suspension under a Federal health care program (as defined in section 1320a–7b(f) of this title), has been excluded from participation under the program under this subchapter, the Medicaid program under subchapter XIX, or the CHIP program under subchapter XXI, or has had its billing privileges denied or revoked. If the Secretary determines that such previous affiliation poses an undue risk of fraud, waste, or abuse, the Secretary may deny such application. Such a denial shall be subject to appeal in accordance with paragraph (7). Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, in the case of an applicable provider of services or supplier, the Secretary may make any necessary adjustments to payments to the applicable provider of services or supplier under the program under this subchapter in order to satisfy any amount described in subparagraph (B)(ii) due from such obligated provider of services or supplier. In this paragraph: The term “applicable provider of services or supplier” means a provider of services or supplier that has the same taxpayer identification number assigned under section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as is assigned to the obligated provider of services or supplier under such section, regardless of whether the applicable provider of services or supplier is assigned a different billing number or national provider identification number under the program under this subchapter than is assigned to the obligated provider of services or supplier. The term “obligated provider of services or supplier” means a provider of services or supplier that owes an amount that is more than the amount required to be paid under the program under this subchapter (as determined by the Secretary). The Secretary may impose a temporary moratorium on the enrollment of new providers of services and suppliers, including categories of providers of services and suppliers, in the program under this subchapter, under the Medicaid program under subchapter XIX, or under the CHIP program under subchapter XXI if the Secretary determines such moratorium is necessary to prevent or combat fraud, waste, or abuse under either such program. There shall be no judicial review under section 1395ff of this title, section 1395oo of this title, or otherwise, of a temporary moratorium imposed under subparagraph (A). No payment may be made under this subchapter or under a program described in subparagraph (A) with respect to an item or service described in clause (ii) furnished on or after October 1, 2017. An item or service described in this clause is an item or service furnished— For purposes of clause (ii), the requirements of this clause are that a provider of services or supplier— In no case shall a provider of services or supplier described in clause (ii)(II) charge an individual or other person for an item or service described in clause (ii) furnished on or after October 1, 2017, to an individual entitled to benefits under part A or enrolled under part B or an individual under a program specified in subparagraph (A). A provider of services or supplier whose application to enroll (or, if applicable, to renew enrollment) under this subchapter is denied may have a hearing and judicial review of such denial under the procedures that apply under subsection (h)(1)(A) to a provider of services that is dissatisfied with a determination by the Secretary. On or after the date of implementation determined by the Secretary under subparagraph (C), a provider of medical or other items or services or supplier within a particular industry sector or category shall, as a condition of enrollment in the program under this subchapter, subchapter XIX, or subchapter XXI, establish a compliance program that contains the core elements established under subparagraph (B) with respect to that provider or supplier and industry or category. The Secretary, in consultation with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall establish core elements for a compliance program under subparagraph (A) for providers or suppliers within a particular industry or category. The Secretary shall determine the timeline for the establishment of the core elements under subparagraph (B) and the date of the implementation of subparagraph (A) for providers or suppliers within a particular industry or category. The Secretary shall, in determining such date of implementation, consider the extent to which the adoption of compliance programs by a provider of medical or other items or services or supplier is widespread in a particular industry sector or with respect to a particular provider or supplier category. For purposes of fiscal year 2014 and each subsequent fiscal year, a hospital described in section 1395ww(d)(1)(B)(v) of this title shall submit data to the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (2) with respect to such a fiscal year. For fiscal year 2014 and each subsequent fiscal year, each hospital described in such section shall submit to the Secretary data on quality measures specified under paragraph (3). Such data shall be submitted in a form and manner, and at a time, specified by the Secretary for purposes of this subparagraph. Subject to subparagraph (B), any measure specified by the Secretary under this paragraph must have been endorsed by the entity with a contract under section 1395aaa(a) of this title. In the case of a specified area or medical topic determined appropriate by the Secretary for which a feasible and practical measure has not been endorsed by the entity with a contract under section 1395aaa(a) of this title, the Secretary may specify a measure that is not so endorsed as long as due consideration is given to measures that have been endorsed or adopted by a consensus organization identified by the Secretary. Not later than October 1, 2012, the Secretary shall publish the measures selected under this paragraph that will be applicable with respect to fiscal year 2014. The Secretary shall establish procedures for making data submitted under paragraph (4) available to the public. Such procedures shall ensure that a hospital described in section 1395ww(d)(1)(B)(v) of this title has the opportunity to review the data that is to be made public with respect to the hospital prior to such data being made public. The Secretary shall report quality measures of process, structure, outcome, patients’ perspective on care, efficiency, and costs of care that relate to services furnished in such hospitals on the Internet website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.