Tag: CARES Act

Impact of CARE Act laws

Impact of CARE Act laws on Patient Outcomes

Policies designed to improve communication with patients and caregivers during hospitalization appear to be leading to better outcomes, researchers have found. Researchers with the University of Pennsylvania examined the impact of state laws that bring the caregiver into the process. The findings of the study were published May 1 in Jama Network Open. Since 2014, 42 states have […]
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Biden Administration Recommits to COVID-19 Reimbursement

The Biden administration will provide COVID-19 reimbursement to clinicians vaccinating uninsured patients, according to new CMS guidance. The guidance released on Feb. 26, 2021, stated that providers can still seek reimbursement from the FFCRA Relief Fund and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (PPPHCEA), as well as the Provider Relief Fund, for the […]
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Congress Provides Relief on Medicare Payment; Passes Surprise Billing

The $1.4 trillion omnibus legislative package passed by Congress late Monday includes COVID-19 related relief for physicians, imposes new restrictions on surprise billing, and funds the government through fiscal 2021, which ends Sept. 30. The legislation mitigates budget neutrality cuts that would have slashed physician Medicare payment rates by 10.2% and extends the moratorium on the budget […]
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New PPE Code

CPT/AMA Announces a New PPE code – But is it Payable?

Some third-party payers have reimbursed and will continue to reimburse providers for this new CPT code; others won’t. The American Medical Association (AMA) published a new CPT® code on Sept. 8 that accounts for extra provisions to ensure patient and provider safety during a public health emergency (PHE). The code is effective immediately: CPT 99072 – Additional supplies, materials, and clinical staff time over and above […]
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Medicare Finalizes COVID-19 Vaccine Payment Amounts

The government is working at warp speed to make a COVID-19 vaccine available in the United States. To that end, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published an interim final rule with comment period (IFC) to implement Section 3713 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which established Medicare Part […]
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CMS Revises Billing Instructions for Inpatient Covid-19 Claims

CMS provided clarification on submitting inpatient claims for patients diagnosed with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) without a positive viral test, in an update to MLN Matters SE20015 released September 11. Earlier this year, the CARES Act increased the MS-DRG weighting by 20% for a COVID-19 diagnosis. Although the CARES Act doesn’t specify that the diagnosis must be supported by a […]
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CMS to Require Hospitals to Report Critical COVID-19 Data on Bed Capacity, PPE and Cases

The Trump administration is now going to require all hospitals to submit daily critical information on COVID-19, including bed capacity and the availability of essential supplies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) released an emergency regulation Tuesday calling for the mandatory reporting. The agency also posted new requirements for lab reporting and revised […]
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CMS Updates Medicare Billing Rules for 20% Add-On COVID-19 Payment

In addition to Medicare billing updates, the federal agency also announced that it will resume routine inspections for all Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers. Claims eligible for the 20 percent add-on payment for COVID-19 hospitalizations will now have to have a positive laboratory test documented in the patient’s medical record, according to recent Medicare billing updates […]
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Optimizing Self-Pay Collection to Aid Patients, Revenue During COVID-19

Healthcare is the industry most at-risk during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Providers are on the front lines of response efforts. At the same time, the financial implications of the pandemic are also creating significant revenue cycle challenges, putting providers even more at risk during the pandemic. Individuals are postponing non-emergency care for many reasons, from […]
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