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 proposed outpatient payment updates for 2023, including the 2.7 percent reimbursement increase, do not reflect the inflationary environment in which hospitals are operating. When commenting on the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule for calendar year (CY) 2023, the American Hospital Association (AHA) supported […]
Prior Authorization reform in Medicare Advantage would help relieve administrative burden for medical groups and reduce patient care delays, MGMA said. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has urged CMS to implement policies that support prior authorization reform and value-based care contracts within the Medicare Advantage program. MGMA submitted comments to CMS Administrator in response […]
AHA said that the 2.7 percent Medicare reimbursement update for home health agencies does not accurately reflect the financial challenges that home health agencies have faced during the pandemic. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has urged CMS to reconsider the Medicare reimbursement update for home health agencies proposed in the Calendar Year 2023 Home Health […]
CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2023 Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters Final Rule, which includes standardized plan options, changes to network adequacy reviews, refinements to the Affordable Care Act’s essential health benefits nondiscrimination policy, and other changes. “The recent Open Enrollment Period demonstrated the demand for […]
Brain illness and injury, with a focus on dementia-related diagnoses, occupy a high volume of the 1,495 proposed changes to the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code set by CMS in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule. At the same time, CMS also introduced a minimal amount of new ICD-10-PCS procedure codes, […]
CMS encouraged Medicare Advantage plans to waive prior authorizations during the public health emergency, but AHA urged the agency to make it a requirement instead of a suggestion. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has asked CMS to work with Congress and require Medicare Advantage plans to waive prior authorization processes during the current and future […]
CMS is proposing a new rule that aims to cut prescription drug costs, increase contract vetting and improve health equity, according to a Jan. 6 news release. The proposed changes primarily target Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. CMS also noted that the proposed changes come with “modest costs” that should not affect bidding, premiums […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will enforce its COVID-19 vaccination requirement in 25 states, the District of Columbia, and other territories, according to an update released on December 28, 2021. CMS is enjoined from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccination rule in the other 25 states, which are involved in a case challenging its […]
Medicare Advantage plans hold up their end of the contract with CMS, and provide, at a minimum, a fair reimbursement for services delivered. The physician advisor is a fast-growing specialty that has evolved into so much more than someone who performs endless chart reviews for observation status determinations, medical necessity reviews, peer-to-peer conversations with payors, […]