CMS offers to pay part of contested inpatient claims

“Dive Brief:
•In an effort to reduce the backlog of contested Medicare claims, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has offered to pay hospitals 68% of what they say they are owed for short-term inpatient stays.
•The system of hearings on challenged claims has been on hold since December, when the HHS Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals temporarily suspended most new requests for administrative law judge hearings on payment denials by recovery audit contractors.
•Hospitals will have 60 days to decide whether to accept CMS’ offer, which does not apply to any short-term hospital admission that occurred after October 1, 2013.”