Medicare program; aggregation of Medicare claims for administrative appeals--HCFA. Final rule

Medicare beneficiaries and, under certain circumstances, providers, physicians and other entities furnishing health care services may appeal adverse determinations regarding certain claims for benefits payable under part A and part B of Medicare. For administrative appeals at the carrier or intermediary hearing level or administrative law judge (ALJ) level and for any subsequent judicial review, the amount remaining in dispute must meet or exceed threshold amounts set by statute. Section 1869(b)(2) of the Social Security Act permits claims to be aggregated to reach the ALJ hearing threshold amounts. This final rule establishes a system of aggregation under which individual appellants have one set of requirements for aggregating claims and two or more appellants have a different set of requirements for aggregating claims.