Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) CGS is holding a webinar 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST Nov. 15 to discuss a transmittal that provides instructions to MACs about monitoring home health agencies’ misuse of requests for anticipated payment (RAPs).
 
“We will discuss the implications to you as a home health provider,” CGS’ calendar of events states. “Please plan to join us and alleviate some of your concerns about this new process as we approach it with confidence.”
 
Transmittal 817, dated Aug. 17 and effective Sept. 17, adds information about RAPs to Chapter 4 of the Medicare Program Integrity Manual. When a MAC identifies an agency’s misuse of RAPs such as a high rate of final claims not being filed, the MAC will initiate corrective action that includes — but isn’t limited to — warning, education, corrective action plans, RAP suppression and referrals to the Unified Program Integrity Contractor (UPIC).
 
RAP suppression — a period typically lasting 90 calendar days — means all RAPs an agency submits are set to process with zero payment.