The American Hospital Association has filed a lawsuit to block the rule. On Nov. 15, 2019, the Trump Administration proposed a new healthcare price transparency rule that would basically require hospitals to explain how much a medical service would cost before a patient receives treatment. This rule is due to become effective in January 2021. The […]
In November 2019, CMS published the 2020 Quality Payment Program Final Rule (the “2020 MIPS Final Rule Changes”). Below is a summary of some of the most notable changes to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment Program (MIPS). For a complete list of changes, please review the 2020 MIPS Final Rule or CMS’ Quality Payment Program Resource […]
With an election year just about upon us, there are a number of changes coming from the current administration that are going to impact healthcare in 2020. Changes in allowable benefits, home health, hospice carve-ins, and new CPT codes for remote home monitoring are just a sample of these. There are an additional set of fundamental […]
Q: There seems to be a trend of practices using a variety of staff as ‘educators’ to provide patient education. The more recent ‘twist’ is the billing of E&M codes for non-physician providers, based in either clinical documentation or time-based, under the ‘incident to” provision – even though the physician does not see the patient for these […]
Chiropractic Medicare changes in 2020 come in the form of imaging orders, MBIs and other documentation It is hard to believe that the end of another year is just around the corner. This is a busy time in health care, and it is important to ensure your chiropractic practice is ready for two key changes. […]
In addition to patient billing and policy, healthcare M&A and workforce diversity will also be major trends going into the new year, according to PwC’s Health Research Institute. Patient billing, policy and regulation, healthcare mergers and acquisitions, and workforce diversity will be some of the top priorities for provider organizations in 2020, predicted researchers at PwC’s Health […]
Sometimes, the biggest dangers are the ones we don’t see. A hippo yawning might appear tranquil, but that yawn is actually a sign of aggression. A high-end sports utility vehicle could roll away while parked if it’s missing a single part. In physician practices, there are multiple billing pitfalls that threaten practice revenue. For every […]
Improving the customer experience is no longer an idea that’s relegated to the retail or hospitality industries. Now, the idea has gained traction across many industries, including healthcare. For health plans, improving the customer experience and providing member-centric care helps drive member acquisition and retention and improve reimbursement (via a better STARS rating). With so […]
Several CMS-designated permanent and product-specific J-codes recently went into effect, allowing three ophthalmology-minded pharmaceutical companies to expand reimbursement through commercial and Medicare insurance plans. J-codes were activated Oct. 1 for FDA-approved products manufactured by EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Ocular Therapeutix and Omeros. In the past, J-codes were announced once a year; now, CMS is issuing certain J-codes […]
Sound accounts receivable (A/R) management is integral to the financial health of a medical practice. The ability to maximize collections and profitability depends on it. Thus, it’s important that practices know what processes they can implement to ensure a smooth-running AR operation. David Norris, MD, MBA, an anesthesiologist in Wichita, Kan. and author of The […]