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 […]
How bad is inflation? Physicians, financial managers report the latest. The Medical Group Management Association has published its 2022 MGMA Cost and Revenue Survey Report. The title is “Maintaining Margin in the Inflation Era,” and survey respondents said it’s been difficult to do so in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic and its lingering effects on health […]
Economists say hospitals will have to enact “aggressive cost-cutting measures,” including department or service line closures, to stabilize profit margins. Hospitals will need to take drastic cost-cutting measures to stabilize balance sheets after one of the worst financial years in decades, according to economists. Those measures may include department and service line closures or even […]
Finally, Halloween is here. Halloween is a wonderful day with spooky stories, candies, and costumes. The celebration makes Kids and others who will dress up as their favorite characters and visit their friends or family’s doors for trick-and treating for Halloween. However, this celebration can lead to scary accidents and injuries. Here are a […]
Waiving the PAYGO sequester requirements and updating the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule would help limit Medicare payment cuts to hospitals, FAH wrote. As the 117th Congress nears the end of its session, the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) has called upon congressional leaders to pass legislation that will reduce financial challenges for hospitals, including […]
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 American Medical Association (AMA) says the 2023 CPT code updates emphasize its efforts to reduce administrative tasks. The AMA released the calendar year 2023 CPT code set, which builds on the AMA’s efforts to reduce administrative tasks in medicine, according to a recent press release. The CPT code update contains 393 changes, including 225 […]
Among the changes are a new code for reporting prolonged services in the inpatient or observation setting and significant guideline revisions. The American Medical Association (AMA) recently announced major revisions to Evaluation and Management (E&M) Services, effective Jan. 1, 2023. The E&M categories that will undergo revision in 2023 include inpatient and observation care services, […]
In today’s healthcare ecosystem, every health system, hospital and physician is being asked to do more with less. Healthcare providers face increasing pressure to manage revenue, optimize utilization and reduce costs. At the same time, they must also fulfill their primary duties: preventing illness, optimizing care and improving patient outcomes. From clinical decision support systems […]
Nearly 75 percent of primary care practice leaders have invested in additional staff to accommodate the shift to value-based care, while 71 percent have added new technology. Staffing and technology are the top investment areas for primary care practice leaders as they manage the challenges of shifting from fee-for-service (FFS) models to value-based care, according […]