Telemedicine is proving to be of great value to patients as well as the health professionals. The most significant innovation of telemedicine over in-person visits is the opportunity for better patient follow up and increased health outcomes. Traditionally, the hospitals recommended a treatment plan or prescribed medications, then hoped the patient followed their advice. But […]
Most Americans tell pollsters they’re worried about being able to afford an unexpected medical bill. Late Monday, Congress passed a bill to allay some of those fears. The measure is included in a nearly 5,600-page package providing coronavirus economic relief and government funding for the rest of the fiscal year. Specifically, the legislation addresses those […]
CMS is taking steps to ensure hospitals comply with a controversial price transparency rule taking effect on January 1, 2021. On that date, every hospital in the country is expected to provide publicly accessible standard charge information about the items and services they render. That includes gross charges, discounted cash prices, de-identified minimum and maximum negotiated […]
The 2021 OPPS final rule seeks to increase patient choice and lower out-of-pocket costs. On Dec. 2, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System final rule for calendar year (CY) 2021. The final rule aims to provide Medicare recipients […]
As hospitals and health systems continue the battle against COVID-19, shipments of vaccine are arriving to protect the highest-risk employees. As more doses become available in the weeks ahead, initiatives will ramp up in an effort to deploy the vaccine to millions of Americans. HealthLeaders has been talking to health system representatives about their deployment […]
In anticipation of an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Medical Association (AMA) has created Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. AMA assigned Category 1 CPT code 91302 to the vaccine manufactured by the Cambridge, United Kingdom (UK) company, as well as vaccine administration CPT codes […]
The $1.4 trillion omnibus legislative package passed by Congress late Monday includes COVID-19 related relief for physicians, imposes new restrictions on surprise billing, and funds the government through fiscal 2021, which ends Sept. 30. The legislation mitigates budget neutrality cuts that would have slashed physician Medicare payment rates by 10.2% and extends the moratorium on the […]
With a VR headset, live joint images can be recorded, filmed, and recorded continuously as the patient moves, monitoring the motion range. Since points are taken in 3-D space, the incorporation of live imagery and measurement provides more precision, accuracy, and freedom of movement since there are no device constraints. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented […]
The telehealth industry saw demand surge significantly this spring as Covid-19 began. Telehealth appointments are ideal for a pandemic: patients can seek an informed opinion about their symptoms and be referred for a medical test without having to go to the office physically and placing people at risk. But while the focus on telehealth has […]
A version of this article was first published December 16, 2020, by HCPro’s Revenue Cycle Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders. CMS released new and updated FAQs on Medicare Part B billing and reimbursement for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. The information updated December 9 is included in Section BB, Drugs and Vaccines under Part B of CMS’ COVID-19 […]