CSS is excited to announce that we have just launched our Continuity of Care Document (CCD) Integration. CCD Integration moves CSS and MTMPathTM significantly along the interoperability path. With the new CCD Integration functionality, medication and care management clinicians using the…
Manufacturers of biologic drugs over the past few years have been “pulling out all the stops” to make it difficult for less expensive biosimilar products to come to market. Biologic drug manufactures have used tactics like patent infringement suits to…
CSS has put together a list of key points and associated feedback that we gained from: Attending the CMS Spring Conference’s MTM Pilot Audit panel discussion Our direct experience with our first CMS MTM Pilot/Program Audit. 2017 CMS Spring Conference…
From April 5-9th, 2017 the Elevate Pharmacy Virtual Summit will present the industry’s first ever completely web-based pharmacy conference experience. This free Summit was specifically developed for entrepreneurial-minded student pharmacists, independent pharmacy owners and private practice consultants. This summit is…
CMS recently released the 2018 Advance Call Letter for Medicare Part D Programs. Submissions for the Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program are due May 1, 2017. The MTM program is the perfect place to gain experience with and understand the…
A recent study in the March 2017 edition of the Journal of Patient Safety (http://insights.ovid.com/crossref?an=01209203-900000000-99520) highlights the extent to which avoidable medication errors impact early readmissions. In this study, the authors evaluated a random sample of 534 potentially avoidable 30-day…
MEDICATION MANAGEMENT FOR MEDICAID For those of us with a passion for medication management we are all encouraged to see the dissemination of medication management into Medicaid programs. The Tennessee Senate and House, for example, are deliberating the adoption of…
The Annals of Internal Medicine (December 2016) provides an analysis of early readmission rates (Readmission Rates After Passage of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program: A Pre-Post Analysis - http://annals.org/aim/article/2594952/readmission-rates-after-passage-hospital-readmissions-reduction-program-pre-post). Medicare imposes a 3% penalty and extracts approximately $425 million in fines…
More and more I speak to pharmacists who have identified opportunities to provide a readmission reduction programs (Note. As re-admissions are a a result of a care transitions they are also referred to as transitions of care programs. We will…
In November CMS released it's report - Trends in Part C & D STAR measure rating cut points (https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prescription-Drug-Coverage/PrescriptionDrugCovGenIn/Downloads/2017-Trends-in-Part-C-and-D-Star-Ratings-Cut-Points.pdf) . To be sure, this report provides a lot of data regarding the STAR cut points, but CMS does not accompany…