The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is pushing clinicians to participate in the Quality Payment Program to contribute scientific research and evidence to aid in the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. According to a news release, those who participate in COVID-19 clinical trials and report information may now earn credit in the Merit-based […]
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 […]
As hospitals, health systems and physicians navigate the clinical impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the revenue cycle team at each of these organizations must also be ready to guide the financial care of patients. Fortunately, many experts in the revenue cycle space have successfully endured adversity over the years, including changes in the economy […]
As an effort to understand what changes hospitals are making in response to COVID-19, HBI is currently surveying revenue cycle professionals on how their organizations have altered, might alter, or will not alter revenue cycle processes. The following are highlights of HBI survey results as of April 3, 2020. We will continue to update these […]
The President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on Friday, March 27, formalizing a piece of legislation meant to support and stimulate the economy in the midst of the global pandemic, to the tune of over $2 trillion. This article will address provisions of the CARES Act that will assist […]
The pandemic crisis is disrupting the revenue cycle, including the revenue ramifications of cancelling elective procedures. The global COVID-19 pandemic has sent the entire world into turmoil, including negatively affecting the U.S. economy, causing a ripple effect down to healthcare organization revenue cycles. Many elements of this crisis are already changing the revenue cycle, from […]
Doctors are fond of complaining that they didn’t go to medical school in order to practice business, but independent physicians do spend much of their time on their practices’ finances. That requires mastering revenue cycle management (RCM), the financial process practices use to administer all the functions associated with claims processing, payment, and revenue generation. […]
Medicare reimbursement for COVID-19 tests will be about $36 for the CDC test and $51 for those created in house or by other entities. Following the development of new billing codes, CMS is now letting clinical laboratories know how much they will receive in Medicare reimbursement for COVID-19 testing patients. CMS emailed providers last week […]
Denials, automation, and surprise billing are perennially tricky & common revenue cycle issues, but new twists on those topics add an extra layer of complexity. When it comes to revenue cycle management, a handful of common revenue cycle issues are nearly always a struggle, year after year. For instance, denials, automation, and surprise billing are […]
COVID-19 is creating unique healthcare revenue cycle challenges around billing and coding, patient financial responsibility, and resource allocation. As entire nations encourage their populations to stay inside to avoid COVID-19, healthcare providers are more active than ever in response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. This activity is having a significant impact on the […]