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September 13, 2013
NASL News
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New Speaker Confirmed - CMS Regional Administrator to Address NASL Annual Meeting
 David W. Saÿen, CMS Regional Administrator for Region 9, is the latest speaker confirmed for NASL’s Annual Meeting in Phoenix. The CMS Regional Administrator has a variety of responsibilities ranging from Survey & Certification, Medicare Part B, health plans operations, fee-for-service and Medicaid to quality improvement and health information exchange. Based in San Francisco, CMS' Region 9 oversees more than 14 million Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program beneficiaries in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Territories, making it one of the largest and most culturally diverse regions in the US. With more than 30 years of Federal service and experience in health and human services programs, the Regional Administrator has weathered any number of challenges such as California's participation in the controversial Recovery Auditor demonstration project back in 2005. Deeply committed to the agency's mission, Mr. Saÿen will present attendees with an update on the new health insurance marketplace and implementation of other agency priorities in the Affordable Care Act. Other confirmed speakers for the NASL annual meeting are national compliance expert, Nancy Beckley; longtime researcher and expert on assessment tools, Dr. Barbara Gage of the Brookings Institute; and information technology guru, John Derr, RPh, who has his finger on the pulse of how and when long term and post-acute care will intersect with the other sectors in advancing health information exchange and interoperability. Register now!
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Election Process Underway for 2013-14 NASL Board
 Membership level-specific ballots were emailed last week to primary contacts of NASL member companies for the election of the 2013-14 NASL Board of Directors.
Electronic votes must be received by October 1st. Make your voice heard – cast your ballot today! Contact Laura de la Calzada with questions about the NASL election process.
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CMS Allows More Time for Face-to-Face
In a September 9 posting to its website, CMS recognized that "some providers and suppliers may need additional time to establish operational protocols necessary to comply with face-to-face encounter requirements mandated by [Section 6407 of] the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for certain items of DME. Consequently, CMS "will start actively enforcing and will expect full compliance with the DME face-to-face requirements beginning by a date that will be announced in Calendar Year 2014." This is a win for NASL members as we have continuously advocated for this position. Read CMS' announcement.
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NASL Cautions FDA, FCC & ONC Against Regulating EHRs Like Medical Devices
NASL submitted official comments in response to the Food & Drug Administration Safety & Innovation Act (FDASIA): Request for Comments on the Development of a Risk-Based Regulatory Framework & Strategy for Health Information Technology issued by the FDA, FCC and ONC in late May. NASL had highlighted how heavy-handed regulation of EHRs could stifle innovation in our initial comments to the ONC FDASIA Workgroup in June. The Workgroup is expected to review the latest set of comments before finalizing its report to Congress early this fall. Another public comment period may be proposed for early 2014.
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LTC Commission Finalizes Recommendations
On September 12, the federal Commission on Long Term Care voted to approve recommendations for inclusion in its final report, which the group believes will serve as a "launching pad for future action by Congress and the Administration." A summary of the recommendations is available on NASL.org. Read more
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ONC Guidance Promotes Interoperability Criteria with LTPAC & Other Stakeholders
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) released guidance this week, identifying key 2014 Edition EHR certification criteria for ensuring interoperability. The Certification Guidance for EHR Technology Developers Serving Health Care Providers Ineligible for Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments is directed to EHR IT developers serving non-incentivized (including LTPAC) providers. The guidance is intended to further encourage HIT adoption and interoperability beyond Meaningful Use. Read the ONC's Certification Guidance.
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September 16-20 is National Health IT Week
 As a partner in the advancement of health information technology to help improve healthcare, NASL is joining more than 200 public and private sector organizations in support of the 8th Annual National Health IT Week. From September 16 – 20, 2013, stakeholders across the healthcare spectrum understand how important health IT is delivering the quality of care patients deserve while achieving the efficiencies our healthcare system needs. Visit www.HealthITWeek.org for more details about National Health IT Week.
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