Category: Healthcare News

Medicare Advantage Plans

Medicare Advantage Plans Could See Payments Drop in 2021 Due To Covid-19, Analysis Finds

  The COVID-19 outbreak appears to have impacted claims patterns for Medicare Advantage enrollees, according to a new analysis by Avalere Health. Even though seniors are historically the most vulnerable population health-wise, their claims were down dramatically during the month of April. The survey suggests it could impact risk score factors for MA plans in 2021, driving […]
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Telehealth Services

New Bill Would Codify Medicare Reimbursement for Telehealth Services

The bipartisan HEALTH Act would make permanent Medicare payments for telehealth services at federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. U.S. Reps. G.K. Butterfield, D-North Carolina, and Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., introduced new legislation this week that would provide for permanent Medicare payments for telehealth services at federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. The Helping […]
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Coronavirus Antibody Testing

Labs Welcome CMS Rate for Coronavirus Antibody Testing

CMS set the reimbursement rate for Medicare Administrative Contractors covering the main type of coronavirus antibody test at approximately $42, per an update Tuesday. That rate exceeds investment firm William Blair’s $25 estimate for the category of tests, boding well for future reimbursement policy for antigen testing, analysts noted. Last month, the agency doubled its reimbursement for high-throughput molecular […]
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US Health System

COVID-19 Puts Unprecedented Strain on US Health System

Federal officials pleaded with the American public Monday to heed directives to socially distance themselves in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus as hospitals warned of low supplies and canceled elective procedures to free up resources. “In some of those hospitals that are no longer performing elective procedures, we are converting […]
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COVID-19 Antibody Testing

Coronavirus: FDA Updates Antibody Testing Guidance

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated COVID-19 antibody testing guidance. According to a news release, the revised rule allows laboratories and commercial manufacturers to help accelerate the use of tests they develop to expand rapid testing capacity. The rule allows companies to develop and distribute serological, antibody, tests after validation while an […]
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COVID-19 Diagnosis

Diagnosing COVID-19

Clinical judgment is sufficient for COVID-19 diagnosis. When I was a third-year resident, in 1987, I saw a really sick kid in the ED. He was about 5 years old, had a fever of 104°, and was lethargic in his mother’s arms. His eyes were swollen and infected, and he had a runny nose and […]
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Medicare Payment Rates

CMS Medicare Payment and Policy Changes for FY 2021

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued proposed rules updating payment rates and policies for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPF), and Hospices. CMS will accept comments on these rules until June 9, 2020. CMS issued these proposed rules in accordance with its legal obligation to update Medicare payment policies annually rather […]
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