Monitor Mondays

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that 800 hospitals will be penalized this year for yielding poor results in the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program, including 110 hospitals that are being penalized for the fifth year in a row (the HAC Reduction Program has only been in existence for five years).  The Code of Federal Regulations does not allow a hospital to appeal the determination of poor results in this program, whereas if you are penalized by a Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) or a Zone Program Integrity Contractor (ZPIC), you do have the right to appeal. With courts now finding that Medicare reimbursements are a property right, is 42 CFR 412.172 unconstitutional because it disallows an appeals process for a decrease in Medicare payments? Reporting this latest development during this edition of Monitor Mondays is healthcare attorney Knicole Emanuel, partner in the Potomac Law Group.Other segments to appear on the broadcast include:Monday Focus: The Am