MSP

CMS Solicits Comments on How to Impose Penalties for Failure to Comply with the MSP Act’s Reporting Requirements

Posted by Health Law Informer Author on December 19, 2013
Medicaid, Medicare / No Comments

On December 11, 2013 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking concerning the circumstances under which civil money penalties may be imposed for failure to comply with Medicare Secondary Payer Act (the “MSP Act”) Section 111 reporting requirements.  Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 amended the MSP Act by establishing  mandatory reporting requirements for certain group health plans (GHPs) and for liability insurance (including self-insurance) no fault insurance and workers compensation (collectively NGHPs) arrangements.  The Section 111 amendments require GHPs and NGHPs to notify CMS when they pay a claim on behalf of a Medicare beneficiary.  Failure to comply with the reporting requirements resulted in a civil monetary penalty of $1,000 for each day of noncompliance.

The Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2012 (the “SMART Act”) amended the penalty provision of the Section 111 reporting requirements by stating that applicable plans that fail to comply with the reporting requirements may be subject to a civil monetary penalty of up to $1,000 per day of non-compliance.  Thus, the SMART Act made the penalty discretionary instead of mandatory and allowed for penalties below $1,000.  As a result,  CMS is soliciting public comments and proposals on the practices for which civil monetary penalties may or may not be imposed.  Specifically, CMS is seeking comments on how to define “noncompliance” with reporting requirements; what mechanisms and criteria should be used to evaluate whether a civil money penalty can be imposed; what methods should be used to determine the dollar amount of such a penalty; and what actions on the part of a primary payer would constitute a “good faith effort” to identify a Medicare beneficiary for purposes of reporting under the MSP Act.  Comments can be submitted to CMS until February 10, 2014.

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The SMART Act: A Bipartisan Attempt to Make the MSP Act Workable

Posted by Health Law Informer Author on January 23, 2013
Uncategorized / No Comments

On January 10, 2013, President Obama signed into law H.R. 1845, which includes the Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2011 (SMART Act).[1] The SMART Act,  amends several portions of the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Act that apply to non-group health plans, including liability (including self-insurance) and no-fault insurance and workers’ compensation plans (together, NGHPs).  Although the SMART Act makes significant substantive and procedural amendments to the MSP Act, many practical issues will continue to bedevil parties who are trying to settle a personal injury claim. Continue reading…

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Reading the Tea Leaves in Regard to the Medicare Secondary Payer Act and Future Medicals

Posted by Health Law Informer Author on July 16, 2012
Medicare / No Comments

On June 14, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (the “Proposed Rule”) soliciting comments on a proposal to clarify how Medicare beneficiaries and their representatives can protect Medicare’s interests and satisfy their obligations under the Medicare Secondary Payer (“MSP”) Act when “future medical care” is claimed or the settlement, judgment, award, or other payment releases claims for future medical care. Continue reading…

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