It’s autumn, and along with leaves changing color, pumpkin spice lattes, and cooler weather comes an avalanche of TV ads, commercials, and telephone marketing calls, all entreating us to believe that Medicare Advantage (MA) is the best thing since the invention of the cell phone. With open enrolment season upon us, it’s critical to examine […]
Did you know that tetanus vaccines are covered under Medicare Part B only when administered for treatment purposes? Preventive tetanus vaccinations do not fall under coverage. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Internet-Only Manuals Pub. 100-02, Chapter 15, Section 50.4.4.2 clarifies, “Vaccinations or inoculations are excluded as immunizations unless they are directly related to […]
The AHA and American Medical Association yesterday filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a Texas Medical Association lawsuit claiming the revised independent dispute resolution process for determining payment for out-of-network services under the No Surprises Act skews the arbitration results in commercial insurers’ favor in ways that violate the compromise Congress reached in the […]
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) tend to dominate state and local markets where they provide services to commercial health insurers across the United States. That could mean patients are stuck with higher prescription drug prices, according to new research published by the American Medical Association (AMA). The Policy Research Perspective report, “Competition in Commercial PBM Markets […]
An 8.5% cut to Medicare payments could affect patient care in medical practices across the country. Reducing charity care, new Medicare patients, staff, and locations all are among the effects projected if Congress does not act on 2023 reimbursement levels, according to a new study by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). The findings came […]
Provider charges for out-of-network care increased by $1,157 after the passage of state surprise billing laws that allow arbitrators to consider provider charges in a surprise billing dispute. State surprise billing laws that allow arbitrators to consider provider charges when determining out-of-network payment amounts for surprise medical bills led to an increase in billed charges […]
The average cost per employee is estimated at $13,800 Employers are expected to pay a lot more for employee health insurance in 2023. A study by a professional services firm estimates a 6.5% increase resulting in an average of $13,800 per employee. The 6.5% increase is double the 3% most employers saw in 2021 and […]
MGMA report shows value-based contracts account for $30,922 per provider The Medical Group Management Association released a report looking at the proliferation of value-based contracts and how quality metrics tie-in to revenue. The report, 2022 MGMA DataDive Practice Operations, shows that revenue from value-based contracts accounted for varying amounts of total medical revenue in 2021 […]
Self-pay after insurance patient collection rates dropped from 76 percent in 2020 to 55 percent in 2021 as the share of out-of-pocket balances over $7,500 grew. Patient collection rates at hospitals declined and bad debt increased when out-of-pocket bills reached $7,500, according to a report from Crowe Revenue Cycle Analytics (Crowe RCA). The report reflects […]
More than half of economists agree that the U.S. economy is headed for a downturn. Contrary to popular belief, the healthcare sector has never been recession-proof. Reports indicate that the healthcare industry is affected later in a recession and has a longer recovery period. Compared to other healthcare facilities, like hospitals and emergency rooms, independent […]










