TO:	Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities
FROM:	Empire Medicare Services Audit & Reimbursement Department
SUBJECT:	Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCA) Workshop Booklets Click here to view:  Form CMS 2552-96 ; T-14 (Hospital) (New) Click here to view:  Form CMS 2540-96 ; T-11 (Skilled Nursing)

To assist you in learning all of the major revisions to the revised Medicare cost reporting forms, Empire Medicare Services has arranged to make the most current BCA cost report case study workshop booklets available on our website.

CMS has issued Transmittal number 14 to the Hospital Cost Report, Form CMS-2552. The revised form must be filed for cost reporting periods ending on or after April 30, 2005. This revision includes numerous provisions enacted by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, including changes in the end-stage renal disease composite rate system, inpatient psychiatric prospective payment system (PPS), and changes to the inpatient and outpatient hospital PPS.

The Skilled Nursing Facility workshop booklet (Form CMS 2540-96) was prepared covering material through Transmittal number 11.

The case studies are a completed cost report, commentary on the cost report, an explanation of changes in the forms and an explanation of all applicable law and regulatory changes that affected the cost reporting forms.

To access either of these case studies, please go to our website (empiremedicare.com) click on the Part A tab and then click on the Cost Reporting/Audit and Reimbursement tab.

We are pleased to be able to provide these workshop booklets to you and we hope you find them a useful tool.