Author Description

The 2011 Master Medicare Guide is our seventh annual comprehensive on-volume desk reference packed with timely and useful information for providers, attorneys, accountants, and consultants who need to stay on top of one of the most complex programs maintained by the federal government. This year's edition includes explanations of the impact of several significant pieces of legislation enacted during 2010, including The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010; and the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010, enacted in late December of 2010, that provided for a one-year fix in Medicare physician payments and other changes. PPACA, combined with the Reconciliation Act, is perhaps the most sweeping health care reform legislation ever enacted in the United States. This book discusses all of the PPACA-related changes, but especially these key topics: Accountable care organizations Claims and overpayments Home health services Part B coverage Medicare Advantage Prescription drug benefit Administration and quality control Medicare-dependent hospitals