Five priorities are identified in the mission of CMS Office of Minority Health, “Working to Achieve Health Equity.” The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has five key priority areas that are expected to drive how the agency will, within a span of 10 years, accomplish its stated goal to achieve health equity. Priority […]
The potential Medicare payment cuts for 2023 reflect the proposed 4.5 percent decrease in the Medicare conversion factor and the 4 percent PAYGO sequester. As medical groups expect to see Medicare payment cuts in 2023, practices are considering limiting the number of new Medicare patients and reducing clinical staff to ensure financial stability, according to […]
The AMA updated consultation services for 2023. The American Medical Association (AMA) announced major revisions to Evaluation and Management (E&M) Services for Jan 1, 2023. The E&M categories that will undergo revision in 2023 include inpatient and observation care services, emergency department services, consultations, nursing facility services, home and residence services, and prolonged services. Revisions […]
Supply chain issues, medication costs, and labor challenges sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to the spiking hospital expenses. Hospital expenses have increased 23 percent since 2016, a spike researchers attributed to continuous COVID-19 challenges, according to a recent analysis. By analyzing American Hospital Association data, investigators noticed hospital expenses increased 47 percent in 2020when […]
There are scores of effective AR management strategies, proven by experts of the medical billing industry, which have helped healthcare organizations to cut through the noise and manage their financial health. In-house teams at medical settings find it difficult to keep up with the mounting pressure when it comes to the Account Receivables. However, there […]
Federal and state advocacy team members discussed the status of telehealth policy as the public health emergency deadline looms and the industry questions, ‘Is the pandemic over?’ The American Telehealth Association is working with Congress and several federal agencies to shape the fate of policies and payments for telehealth services that experienced a rapid uptake […]
Three common myths about the effectiveness of telehealth are exactly that – myths, according to two new studies that examined its use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns about telehealth have stymied its use nationwide, but those fears are unwarranted, said researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). They examined data for the first […]
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 […]
The E&M categories that will undergo revision in 2023 encompass: Inpatient and observation care services. Consultations – both outpatient and inpatient Emergency department services Nursing facility services Home and residence services Prolonged services Throughout the upcoming months, a dedicated focus will be placed on each E&M category, delving into the revisions and changes in guidelines. […]
Health systems that used automation for revenue cycle operations had an average cost-to-collect of 3.51 percent compared to 3.74 percent for those that did not use automation. Using automation for revenue cycle operations could lower hospital and health systems’ cost-to-collect by 0.25 percent, according to a survey from the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). The […]