This article was originally published by the American Health Lawyers Association. Copyright 2014, American Health Lawyers Association, Washington, DC.  Reprint permission granted.

Using authority provided by the Affordable Care Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) imposed new temporary moratoria and extended existing moratoria on the enrollment of home health agencies (HHAs) and ground ambulance suppliers in certain counties across the country in an effort to combat potential fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The new enrollment moratoria affect HHAs in Fort Lauderdale, Detroit, Dallas, and Houston and ground ambulance suppliers in the Greater Philadelphia area. CMS also is extending the current enrollment moratoria for HHAs in Chicago and Miami and for ground ambulance suppliers in the Houston area. Both the new moratoria and the extension of existing moratoria began on January 31, and will remain in effect for a period six months unless lifted earlier by CMS.

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