NASL Elects 2013 - 2014 Board  

Get election results for the 2013 - 2014 NASL Board of Directors here.

NASL Member of the Year

NASL is proud to name David Lefkowitz of Stonebridge Medical as the 2013 NASL Member of the Year. Mr. Lefkowitz, who serves as chair of the NASL Medical Products Committee, was recognized for his relentless advocacy on behalf of his fellow NASL members and tireless efforts to lobby Congress for repeal of the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program. Read more.

Congress Turns To SGR, Extenders Following Short-Term Budget Deal

With the government re-opened and the debt ceiling lifted, Congress has turned its attention to a short-term budget deal. Under the new stopgap spending and debt-limit law (P.L. 113-46), the budget conference panel faces a target date of December 13, 2013, to resolve differences between the House plan and the Senate budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 8).  Read more.

House Bill Seeks to Clarify FDA Oversight of EHR & Other Software Technology

On October 22, 2013, Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and others introduced the Sensible Oversight for Technology which Advances Regulatory Efficiency (SOFTWARE) Act of 2013 (H.R. 3303). The bill seeks to define software categories and put parameters around FDA oversight of EHR and other emerging technologies. NASL has been working on drafts with the sponsor behind the scenes. NASL IT Committee is reviewing the bill for possible endorsement. As of this writing, co-sponsors of the bill include: Representatives Gene Green (D-TX), Phil Gingrey, MD (R-GA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Greg Walden (R-OR) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC). Read NASL summary & analysis of H.R. 3303.

Physician Fee Schedule Regulation Delayed Due to Government Shutdown

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) indicated on October 23 that four 2014 Medicare rules, including the physician payment rule, will be delayed, possibly until November 27.  Read more.

Advanced Beneficiary Notice Policy Changes for Home Health & Therapy Providers

The MLN Matters article # MM8404, Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN), Guidelines Form CMS-R-131, underscores important policy changes that impact home health agencies and therapy providers. Read more.

IQCP – New Option & Risk Management Approach for Labs Starting in 2014

CMS has approved the Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP) as a new quality control option for laboratories to meet the Quality Control (QC) requirements of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). Labs may begin using IQCP, which uses a risk management approach, on January 1, 2014. For details & links to resources, read more.

New Provider Compliance Educational Tools

The Medicare Quarterly Provider Compliance Newsletter [Volume 4, Issue 1] Educational Tool (ICN 908950) is now available for download from CMS. The tool seeks to educate providers on how to avoid common Medicare billing errors and other erroneous activities.  Read more.

Delay in 2013 ESRD PC Pricer

CMS anticipates a delayed release for the FY 2013 ESRD PC Pricer as the agency transitions to new software products that support back-end development of all PC Pricers. Executable files are expected to be available no later than October 31, 2013.  Read the article.