405.2466—Annual reconciliation.
(a) General.
Payments made to a rural health clinic or a Federally qualified health center during a reporting period are subject to reconciliation to assure that those payments do not exceed or fall short of the allowable costs attributable to covered services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries during that period.
(b) Calculation of reconciliation.
(1)
The total reimbursement amount due the clinic or center for covered services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries is based on the report specified in § 405.2470(c)(2) and is calculated by the intermediary as follows:
(i)
The average cost per visit is calculated by dividing the total allowable cost incurred for the reporting period by total visits for rural health clinic or Federally qualified health center services furnished during the period. The average cost per visit is subject to tests of reasonableness which may be established in accordance with this subpart.
(ii)
The total cost of rural health clinic or Federally qualified health center services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries is calculated by multiplying the average cost per visit by the number of visits for covered rural health clinic or Federally qualified health center services by beneficiaries.
(iii)
For rural health clinics, the total reimbursement due the clinic is 80 percent of the amount calculated by subtracting the amount of deductible incurred by beneficiaries that is attributable to rural health clinic services from the cost of these services. The reimbursement computation for Federally qualified health centers does not include a reduction related to the deductible because Federally qualified health center services are not subject to a deductible.
(iv)
For rural health clinics and FQHCs, payment for pneumococcal and influenza vaccine and their administration is 100 percent of Medicare reasonable cost.
(2)
The total reimbursement amount due is compared with total payments made to the clinic or center for the reporting period, and the difference constitutes the amount of the reconciliation.
(1)
Setting forth its determination of the total reimbursement amount due the clinic or center for the reporting period and the amount, if any, of the reconciliation; and
(2)
Informing the clinic or center of its right to have the determination reviewed at a hearing under the procedures set forth in subpart R of this part.
(d) Payment of reconciliation amount—
(1) Underpayments.
If the total reimbursement due the clinic or center exceeds the payments made for the reporting period, the intermediary makes a lump-sum payment to the clinic or center to bring total payments into agreement with total reimbursement due the clinic or center.
(2) Overpayments.
If the total payments made to a clinic or center for the reporting period exceed the total reimbursement due the clinic or center for the period, the intermediary arranges with the clinic or center for repayment through a lump-sum refund, or, if that poses a hardship for the clinic or center, through offset against subsequent payments or a combination of offset and refund. The repayment must be completed as quickly as possible, generally within 12 months from the date of the notice of program reimbursement. A longer repayment period may be agreed to by the intermediary if the intermediary is satisfied that unusual circumstances exist which warrant a longer period.
[57 FR 24976, June 12, 1992, as amended at 61 FR 14657, Apr. 3, 1996]