The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services extended their deadline to finalize a rule under the Affordable Care Act that requires providers to report and return overpayments to Medicare, according to a Baker Law report.
Here are five things to know about the rule:
1. CMS issued the initial proposed rule in 2012, and the final rule was supposed to be announced this month.
2. The extension is for one year, so now the final rule is expected in February 2016.
3. A contentious part of the proposal is to look back at paid claims for the past 10 years; the current law only permits a four-year look back except for fraud cases.
4. Several stakeholders submitted comments on the proposed rule, addressing topics such as limiting providers to a single approved refund form and the rights for refunded claims.
5. This year's delay could signify CMS is taking comments seriously and strongly considering changes.