Surprise billing occurs when patients receive care from out-of-network providers without their knowledge. On July 1, the Biden Administration passed an interim final rule: the first portion of the “Requirements Related to the Surprise Billing Act,” in an attempt to curb excessive costs patients are required to pay in relation to surprise billing. The rule […]
Healthcare B2B payment transactions have been high in 2021, potentially signaling the importance of electronic payment transfers as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report from National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA). Nacha oversees the ACH Network, a national payment system. B2B payments made through this network in the healthcare industry […]
CMS is looking to modernize the ACO reporting process by mandating the use of electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs). However, accountable care organizations (ACOs) are concerned that the lack of healthcare interoperability will make electronic ACO reporting near impossible. “CMS must avoid making eCQMs mandatory until standard data fields exist across EHRs, and true interoperability […]
The organization is concerned about policies in the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, ranging from telehealth worries to apprehension about MIPS. The AHA agreed with certain aspects of the rule but also voiced various problems and recommendations for CMS to consider. The AHA opposed several telehealth policies that CMS included in the rule. The […]
A COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers will be tied to Medicaid and Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoP), the Biden-Harris Administration recently announced. The announcement made via CMS yesterday said the Administration will require COVID-19 vaccination of staff in all Medicaid and Medicare-certified facilities by October. The emergency regulation, when it is released, will […]
Omnichannel strategies are becoming increasingly significant to successful member engagement. What is omnichannel engagement? Omnichannel engagement is a strategy that originated as a sales and marketing term but has infiltrated various sectors of the healthcare industry with the rise of healthcare consumerism. This strategy involves using various consumer touchpoints to push a product in a […]
Telehealth advocates are submitting recommendations to CMS to improve coverage for remote patient monitoring services in the proposed 2022 Physician Fee Schedule. With remote patient monitoring projects surging in popularity as a result of the pandemic, telehealth advocates are lobbying the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve proposed coverage plans in the 2022 […]
Reducing denials starts with understanding osteopathic manipulation as well as coding and coverage guidelines for this therapy. Is it appropriate to bill an evaluation and management (E/M) service when osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is performed at the same visit? We must address a few key principles to adequately answer this question. I learned quickly, having […]
Device agnostic digital patient intake; buy now, pay later; compassionate billing; and AI-enabled customizable payment plans are four trends that rev cycle leaders should watch as the pandemic rages on. Despite promises of a “hot-vaxxed summer,” the COVID-19 pandemic is raging on, more forcefully in some places than ever before. It’s also continuing to take […]
On Aug. 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) final rule. Effective Oct. 1, the final rule updates Medicare payment policies and quality reporting programs for inpatient and long-term care hospitals […]