Medicare Moving FQHC Reimbursement From FFS To Bundled Rates

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to change the Medicare reimbursement structure for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from fee-for-service, to bundled rates via a prospective payment system (PPS), starting October 1, 2014. Under the new PPS, Medicare will pay FQHCs a single encounter rate per beneficiary per day, to cover all services provided to that beneficiary for that day. The proposed daily encounter rate is $158.85. It includes Diabetes Self-Management Training and Medical Nutrition Therapy. However, FQHCs can bill separately for mental health services that are furnished on the same day . . .