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NYUMC Office of Compliance

If it concerns you, it concerns us.

NYUHC Regulatory Information Bulletin

Volume 1, Issue 8

Fascinating Additions to Federal Law . . .

· DEA publishes a final rule clarifying that when a professional practices in more than one state, he or she must obtain a separate DEA registration for each state.

· CMS published the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2007.  See also the revision published later.  Including a retraction of the proposed 5% cut, proper use of Modifier 59, and creating incentives based on quality outcomes.

· CMS publishes final rule imposing stricter training requirements on healthcare workers who use restraint and seclusion in their treatment of patients including expanding category of practitioners who can evaluate patients who are restrained or secluded, and imposing stricter standards for reporting death of a patient associated with the use of seclusion or restraint.

· AHRQ announces availability of grant money. AHRQ issued a request for applications to dole out $25.8M in grant money to establish and nurture health information technology as a way to bolster safer care practices. There are funding opportunities for four different projects including enabling patient-centered care via IT, improving quality through clinician use of technology, improving overall quality measurement through the use of health IT, and proactive risk assessments in the ambulatory-care setting, which does not include health IT components. AHRQ defines ambulatory care as “all types of health services provided by healthcare professionals on an outpatient basis, in contrast to services provided in the home or to persons who are inpatients.” Related Item: RHIOs play a vital role in improving healthcare safety.

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The RIB is e-mailed monthly to managers and above. To remove your name from our mailing list, or for questions or comments, please e-mail the Office of Compliance’s Regulatory Information & Education area or call (212) 404-4070.

· The Department of Health has adopted a rule regulating non-transplant anatomic banks. This final rule, published December 27th, establishes minimum technical standards (including staffing and facility requirements) for non-transplant anatomic banks and revises definitions to reflect current nomenclature. The amendment also specifies informed consent procedures for use of non-transplant anatomic parts for research and education. For more information, click here and go to page 26.

· The Department of Insurance, in final rule, updated its claims payment guidelines on what is needed to ensure prompt payment. For more information, click here and go to page 39.

· Department of Education’s rule on licensure of as a clinical laboratory technologist that changes the educations requirements, but grandfathers existing professionals still has not been adopted. Since the Regents does not meet again until January 2007, the emergency/interim rule has been extended until the rule can be adopted. For more information, click here and go to page 11.

· Missed Medicaid Updates this year? Look something up using their handy index.