405.2434—Content and terms of the agreement.
Under the agreement, the Federally qualified health center must agree to the following:
(a) Maintain compliance with the requirements.
(1)
The Federally qualified health center must agree to maintain compliance with the Federally qualified health center requirements set forth in this subpart and part 491, except that the provisions of § 491.3 do not apply.
(2)
Centers must promptly report to CMS any changes that result in noncompliance with any of these requirements.
(b) Effective date of agreement.
(1)
Except as specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the effective date of the agreement is the date CMS accepts the signed agreement, which assures that all Federal requirements are met.
(2)
For facilities that met all requirements on October 1, 1991, the effective date of the agreement can be October 1, 1991.
(c) Charges to beneficiaries.
(1)
The beneficiary is responsible for payment of a coinsurance amount which is 20 percent of the amount of Part B payment made to the Federally qualified health center for the covered services. There is no coinsurance for a second or third opinion obtained in accordance with section 1164 of the Act or for pneumococcal vaccine and its administration.
(3)
The Federally qualified health center agrees not to charge the beneficiary (or any other person acting on behalf of a beneficiary) for any Federally qualified health center services for which the beneficiary is entitled to have payment made on his or her behalf by the Medicare program (or for which the beneficiary would have been entitled if the Federally qualified health center had filed a request for payment in accordance with § 410.165 of this chapter ), except for coinsurance amounts.
(4)
The Federally qualified health center may charge the beneficiary for items and services that are not Federally qualified health center services. However, if the item or service is covered under Part B of Medicare, and the Federally qualified health center agrees to receive Part B payment under the assignment method, the Federally qualified health center may not charge the beneficiary more than 20 percent of the Part B payment.
(d) Refunds to beneficiaries.
(1)
The Federally qualified health center must agree to refund as promptly as possible any money incorrectly collected from Medicare beneficiaries or from someone on their behalf.
(2)
As used in this section, “money incorrectly collected” means any amount for covered services that is greater than the amount for which the beneficiary was liable because of the coinsurance requirements specified in part 410, subpart E.
(3)
Amounts also are considered incorrectly collected if the Federally qualified health center believed the beneficiary was not entitled to Medicare benefits but—
(ii)
The beneficiary's entitlement period fell within the time the Federally qualified health center's agreement with CMS was in effect; and
(e) Treatment of beneficiaries.
(1)
The Federally qualified health center must agree to accept Medicare beneficiaries for care and treatment.
(2)
The Federally qualified health center may not impose any limitations with respect to care and treatment of Medicare beneficiaries that it does not also impose upon all other persons seeking care and treatment from the Federally qualified health center. Failure to comply with this requirement is a cause for termination of the Federally qualified health center's agreement with CMS in accordance with § 405.2436(d).
(3)
If the Federally qualified health center does not furnish treatment for certain illnesses and conditions to patients who are not Medicare beneficiaries, it need not furnish such treatment to Medicare beneficiaries.