03/13/13

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Comprehensive ESRD Care initiative UPDATE


Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

 

 

 COMPREHENSIVE ESRD CARE INITIATIVE UPDATE

 

The CMS Innovation Center is pleased to announce, that based on the high level of stakeholder interest and feedback from the community on the need for additional time to prepare applications, we are extending the deadline for Letters of Intent and Applications for the Comprehensive ESRD Care initiative.

 

The deadline for Letters of Intent will be extended from March 15, 2013 to May 15, 2013.  The deadline for full Applications will be extended from May 1, 2013 to July 1, 2013.

 

Please continue to check the CMS Innovation Center website for further updates on this exciting initiative.

 

If you have any questions, please email us at ESRD-CMMI@cms.hhs.gov.

 

 

CMS Updates to Coverage Pages


Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

National Coverage Analyses

Positron Emission Tomography (FDG) for Solid Tumors
     Posted proposed decision memo
http://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/details/nca-proposed-decision-memo.aspx?NCAId=263



 Medicare Approved Facilities/Trials/Registries

Bariatric Surgery
     Updated list
http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-General-Information/MedicareApprovedFacilitie/Bariatric-Surgery.html

VAD Destination Therapy Facilities
     Added new facilities
http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-General-Information/MedicareApprovedFacilitie/VAD-Destination-Therapy-Facilities-Aug2007.html

 

 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent this update. To contact Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) go to our contact us page.

 

Several New and Updated EHR FAQs


Several New and Updated EHR FAQs

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 02:53 PM PDT

Several New and Updated EHR FAQs Added to CMS DatabaseCMS has recently added three new and three updated FAQs related to the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs.  We encourage you to stay informed by taking a few minutes to review the new information.New FAQs:If an eligible professional (EP) practices at an outpatient location, a location other than an inpatient (place of service 21) or emergency department (place of service 23), and that location is only equipped with Certified EHR Technology to the criteria applicable to an inpatient setting, must the EP include that location in their meaningful use calculations? Read the answer here.If an EP practices at an outpatient location that has not implemented all the functionalities necessary to meet meaningful use, is that location considered equipped with Certified EHR Technology? Must that location be included in the EP's meaningful use calculations? Does...

Benefits of quitting smoking outpace risk of modest weight gain


Benefits of quitting smoking outpace risk of modest weight gain

03/13/2013 08:42 AM EDT

 

The improvement in cardiovascular health that results from quitting smoking far outweighs the limited risks to cardiovascular health from the modest amount of weight gained after quitting, reports a National Institutes of Health-funded community study. The study found that former smokers without diabetes had about half as much risk of developing cardiovascular disease as current smokers, and this risk level did not change when post-cessation weight gain was accounted for in the analysis.

 

NIH highlights lifelong impact of acute kidney injury


NIH highlights lifelong impact of acute kidney injury

03/13/2013 09:42 AM EDT

 

In observance of World Kidney Day on March 14, the National Institutes of Health is raising awareness of the long term effects of acute kidney injury (AKI) -- a sudden loss of kidney function. Research funded by the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) suggests survivors of AKI have a lifelong increased risk for developing permanent kidney damage, resulting in decreased kidney function.