CMS Issues New Guidance on Medicaid DSH Hospital Audit, Reporting Requirements

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services April 7 released new guidance on Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) reporting and audit requirements under a 2008 final rule.

The 23-page guidance document, presented in question-and-answer format, provides clarification of certain issues for state Medicaid programs and hospitals as they approach the close of the rule’s transition period, which ends in September.

Topics addressed in the guidance include:

• audit verifications;
• late audits and reports;
• Section 1011 payments;
• state-only/local government-only indigent care programs;
• managed care/state-only indigent care programs;
• physician services; and
• data sources.

The final rule, released Dec. 19, 2008, set forth ...