With the first quarter of 2021 in the books and the season of financial reporting for New York State hospitals fast approaching, there are a lot of plates to keep spinning. Here’s a quick digest to keep you in the loop on some of the highlights here at M.S. Hall and in the world of healthcare abroad.
Company & Partner Updates
Employee Spotlight: Katie Shay
Hi Katie! Can you give us an introduction to who you are and what you do at M.S. Hall?
I am a data analyst. I work on Medicare Bad Debts projects, monthly HCRA reporting, and audit projects. Additionally, I assist in maintaining our internal tools, write code streamline and automate key processes, and handle internal IT support and server maintenance.
You joined the M.S. Hall team right at the start of the pandemic. What was it like onboarding the company completely remotely?
I have been working remotely since my first day. It’s been a little over a year now. Even though I had not worked from home for any prior job, and have not met most of my teammates and coworkers in person yet, I settled in pretty fast. Everyone was very welcoming.
What’s something you’ve been proud to work on in the last six months?
Definitely bad debt and audit projects. The returns from this work have such a positive impact on the hospital and enables them to continue to devote as many resources as possible into the communities they serve.
What has been the most interesting thing to learn about in your first year of healthcare consulting?
Learning the nuances of Medicare and Medicaid, and the required criteria for each to be claimed for reimbursement.
Siming Huang, Data Analyst, Achieves Tableau Desktop Specialist Cert
Earlier this quarter, Siming Huang, one of our data analysts earned her official Tableau Desktop Specialist certification. All of us at M.S. Hall are excited for Siming’s achievement which bolsters the firm’s capacity for bringing clear, data-driven insights and visualizations to our clients. Congratulations, Siming!
No Wrong Door Success
In the news recently the CNY Business Journal awarded numerous nonprofit awards to different people and groups in the Central New York community. The Collaboration Award was presented to the group working on “No Wrong Door”, a project that works toward an integrated system of care for the overlapping populations being served by Central New York Health Home Network (CNYHHN) and Update Cerebral Palsy (UCP) & Upstate Family Health Center (UFHC). M.S. Hall has been privileged to play a vital role in this this project by providing guidance on the implementation of the data integration at the core of the project and evaluation plans. As part of these efforts, M.S. Hall provided a sophisticated system of dashboards that help visualize the health outcomes and process measurements. We are pleased to see these collaborative efforts be recognized by the CNY Business Journal, and are proud to stand alongside partners like CNYHHN, UCP, and UFHC who work so hard to keep our communities healthy.
UFHC Vaccination Success
Upstate Family Health Center (UFHC) partnered with Oneida County Department of Health in providing 500 single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines to individuals in residential facilities or those confined to their homes. Staff from both organizations collaborated to administer the vaccines throughout the Mohawk Valley and Central NY.
According to Rich Williams, Director of Nursing Services at UFHC, “Everyone at UFHC, including our CEO John Milligan, has been involved. Everyone stepped up to make this possible. For example, if the Medical Assistants and the front desk staff didn’t step up to the plate and do more, the nurses wouldn’t have been able to do what they did. Doctors and Nurse Practitioners came in on their off days to vaccinate the community. Our biggest collaboration has been with UCP and the most productive has been with the refugee population. For a small community health center, we have made a large impact on the community.”
The vaccination clinics started at the end of December and by April 9th April, they hope to have administered 6200 vaccinations.
S-10 Audit Updates
Last month, the Worksheet S-10 review process for FYE 2019/2020-06-30 began. These audits can significantly impact a facility’s Medicare Disproportionate Share (DSH) Uncompensated Care Pool (UCP) payment. M.S. Hall + Associates compiled and submitted the initial S-10 audit support for twelve of our clients. As the audit process proceeds over the next few months we will continue to lead communications and resolve additional support requests for these projects on our clients behalf.
If you have any questions or concerns about your S-10 processes, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.
Policy Updates and Deadlines
CFR for April Updates
2020 Calendar Year CF Due Dates are reverting to the normal historical due dates.
For OMH and SED filers, the due date for the Calendar Year 2020 CFR is May 1, 2021. A thirty-day extension will be granted to OMH and SED providers who electronically complete and submit the Pre-Approved 30-Day Extension Request by May 1, 2021. The link to the Pre-Approved 30-Day Extension request will be available on the CFR Manual Home Page here: http://www.oms.nysed.gov/rsu/Manuals_Forms/Manuals/CFRManual/home.html
For OASAS, OPWDD, DOH, or OCFS filers, the due date for the Calendar Year 2020 CFR is June 1, 2021. There are no extensions available for these filers.
All providers must use the Consolidated Fiscal Reporting System (CFRS) Software.
Version 36.0.360, released on 3/17/2021, is required to prepare any 2020 CFR’s.
New Updates for the 2020 CFR and its corresponding new version
- Schedules CFR-i, CFR-ii/CFR-iiA, CFR-iii, and CFR-iv may now be electronically signed
- Schedules COVID-19 and COVID-19S (only for SED filers) are new and required.
- Grants Revenue pertaining to COVID relief are now a predefined field.
- Bad Debts fields have now been included on several schedules
- OMH revised the FAQ on allowable food and beverage expenses. The cost of food, meal supplies, and non-alcoholic beverages is allowable for employees involved in emergency response to COVID-19 pandemic
- Several Programs have been removed from the Program Registry for OMH, OASAS, and OPWDD Programs
- OPWDD providers must use CFR@opwdd.ny.gov when submitting communications to the CFR Processing Unit. The CFR Processing Unit has discontinued use of rate.setting@opwdd.ny.gov mailbox.
General questions regarding CFR info can be answered through the CFR FAQ page found here: https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/finance/cfr-qa.pdf
For detailed CFR related information, providers should consult the CFR Manual at: http://www.oms.nysed.gov/rsu/Manuals_Forms/Manuals/CFRManual/home.html
For CFR forms: http://www.oms.nysed.gov/rsu/Manuals_Forms/Forms/CFR/home.html