I always find it fun when we get an extra day in the year. I think you should spend it doing something extraordinary. This year, I had the pleasure of doing just that by attending the Healthcare Provider Executive Roundtable Focusing on Governance, Regulatory, and Risk Management Hot Topics. The event, sponsored by Deloitte and Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, featured a number of experts talking about the future of healthcare delivery in light of regulatory changes including the Healthcare Reform Laws.

As you know, the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs that demonstrate "meaningful use" of certified EHR technology.  Registration for the program began on January 3, 2011. 

For all of you out there who were waiting with baited breath (oh, wait, that was just me)...the Office of the Inspector General released the 2011 Work Plan.  But, I have noticed a couple of things right off the bat and wanted to share.  First, it is longer than last year!  This may not mean a lot, but for those of us who sit and read the whole document, it is significant.  Last year it was 128 pages, this year it is 159 -- 31 more pages.  Sigh.  Second, in addition to being able to download the entire .pdf, the OIG has also provided .pdf's to the individual Wor

On June 11, 2010, CMS issued a transmittal containing the first two chapters of a new Manual.  The Manual is Pub. 100-22 and is titled "Medicare Quality Reporting Incentive Programs".  The Manual addresses the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and E-Prescribing (eRx) Medicare Quality Reporting Incentive Programs.  The Manual does not establish new requirements for the PQRI and eRx programs.  It simply manualizes existing requirements to the programs. 

CMS published the 2011 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule on May 4, 2010.  This year's proposals include changes to the MS-DRG payment rates for 2011, clarification on provider aggreements and supplier approvals, new COPs (Hospital Conditions of Participation) for Rehabilitation and Respiratory care services, and accreditation requirements for Inpatient Psychiatric services for individuals under the Age of 21.

This year's rule is 472 pages, with additional data and files not included in the rule (published instead on the CMS website).

Blink and you might have missed it!  On Monday, April 5, 2010, CMS changed its website address from www.cms.hhs.gov to

In an effort to bring information to a broader audience, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now employing social media sites Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

To join the CMS LinkedIn group, go to: www.LinkedIn.com/in/CMSGov.

View a handful of informational videos by logging onto the CMS YouTube Channel at: www.YouTube.com/CMSHHSGov.

And for those looking for concise updates regarding CMS, can check out two Twitter accounts:

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that public disclosure of information about adverse events was limited, according to its review of 17 state adverse event report systems, eight Patient Safety Organizations overseen by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

On July 1, the CMS released the proposed changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). CMS updates the MPFS annually to set payment rates for physician and non-physician practitioner services. The press release is found on the Medical Release Database section within CMS: http://tinyurl.com/kqsdym.

Acute care hospitals will receive a net 0.2 percent increase in payments for inpatient hospitals services in fiscal year (FY) 2010 under the proposed rule for the inpatient hospital prospective payment system (IPPS). Hospitals face a net decrease in payments in FY 2011 and 2012 under the proposed rule.