CMS Web site adds section on reporting hospital-acquired conditions

As reported in AHA News, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has added to its Web site information on reporting and coding hospital-acquired conditions, as required under the inpatient prospective payment system. Starting last month, most hospitals were required to report present-on-admission data for all diagnoses. CMS plans to begin processing the data in January and provide feedback to hospitals on reporting errors. Effective in April, claims that do not properly report POA data will be returned. For discharges on or after Oct. 1, 2008, hospitals will not receive additional payment for certain conditions not present on admission, as explained in the fiscal year 2008 inpatient PPS final rule.