The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) operates within a budget neutral approach. This occurs at the same time the healthcare community continues to try and find balance between reducing administrative burdens, accurately recognizing and recording services provided, and upholding the highest quality care possible. Over the last three years, there have been significant […]
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It has been a month since regulation for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) rates went into effect. In the final rule CMS put in place a 4.6% PDPM (Patient-Driven Payment Model) parity adjustment to reduce overall spending to a budget-neutral […]
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FFY2020 Worksheet S-10 audits are in the final stages for most hospitals in the nation and we continue to see significant audit findings and extrapolation factors taking place throughout the industry. Please be sure to review all proposed S-10 audit adjustments closely to ensure your uncompensated care is maximized. Worksheet S-10: Two-Year Average of S-10 […]
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For years, Blue & Co. has received questions from hospitals regarding coding and billing for infusions, as well as documentation requirements. Infusion coding can be some of the most difficult coding for hospitals. It takes a certain understanding of 1) the required hierarchy, 2) what happens if a stop time is not recorded, 3) how […]
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In a post-pandemic environment, providers are more likely to refer patients for procedures, diagnostic testing, and physician visits to non-hospital environments. This presents an opportunity for healthcare leaders to re-exam their growth strategies and develop structure to define the market opportunity, redefine access as defined by providers and customers, and leverage data to prevent leakage […]
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A recent Blue & Co. audit of a small hospital’s existing Managed Care contracts yielded an unfortunate surprise: a nearly twenty-year-old contract with a major insurance company with rates that had not been updated since the original effective date. Not so surprisingly, these rates were woefully inadequate – reflecting a commercial rate that was only […]
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By Mike Stevenson, CPA, Director Emeritus at Blue & Co. Many of our manufacturing clients are having difficulties ensuring consistency in cash flow when their manufacturing base is overseas. The factories overseas are able to produce product, but there seems to be a bottleneck once it’s shipped from the overseas port to the domestic warehouse. […]
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By Thomas Skoog, CISA, CISSP, Principal at Blue & Co. The manufacturing industry has seen a larger increase in the number of cyber attacks and data breaches than any other industry in the last 18 months. According to an IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index study, the manufacturing industry accounted for 25% of all cyber-attacks, outpacing […]
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By Aaron Blackburn, CPA, and Amy Sandlin, CPA, Senior Tax Manager On Wednesday, August 24th, 2022, President Biden announced the broadest student loan forgiveness plan to date. The plan included forgiving up to $10,000 in Federal Student Loans for individuals and families making under $125,000 and $250,000, respectively. If the borrower was a recipient of […]
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By Stephen Stringer, CPA, Director and Amy Sandlin, CPA, Senior Manager Shortly after the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 grabbed the headlines out of Washington, the IRS announced a broad-based penalty relief program for individuals, businesses, trusts, and exempt organizations who are late filing certain 2019 and 2020 tax returns. This relief is to help […]
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Carmel, Ind. (November 23, 2022) – The accounting and consulting firms of Alerding CPA Group (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Blue & Co., LLC (Carmel, Ind.) have announced their merger. The combined firm will operate as Blue & Co., LLC (Blue & Co.), effective December 1, 2022. This acquisition will provide Blue & Co. with greater market […]
By: Holly Fields, CPA, Senior Manager Not-for-profit organizations (NFPs) that receive federal financial assistance over certain levels, either directly from a federal agency or indirectly through state or local agencies, may be required to have a single audit performed under Federal Uniform Guidance. Single Audit Requirements A single audit includes not only an audit of […]
Every three years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires any Hospital that is subject to the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) to complete an Occupational Mix Survey (OMS). This data is then used to calculate an Occupational Mix Adjustment Factor (OMAF). The occupational mix adjustment impacts a hospital’s average hourly wage and […]
