CMS has updated Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rates for 2021 after a COVID-19 stimulus package mitigated budget neutrality cuts finalized in a December rule. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 passed by Congress on Dec. 21, 2020, enacted a 3.75 percent increase in Physician Fee Schedule payments for all providers in 2021 to “support physicians and other professionals in adjusting […]
On December 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finally issued the final rule for the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). This was later than usual due to the public health emergency (PHE) and gives practices little time to prepare. However, we found that the changes from the proposed rule were […]
The evaluation and management (E/M) changes for calendar year 2021 are the result of a collaborative effort between the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS first addressed the changes in the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, in which CMS indicated that it planned on adopting […]
The base Medicare reimbursement rate for COVID-19 tests using high throughput technology will decrease to $75 next year unless labs can process results in 2 days or less. CMS will reduce the base Medicare reimbursement rate for COVID-19 tests done by laboratories using high throughput technology, according to a new announcement. The announcement made late last […]
The documents released earlier this month offer details on 42 eCQMs for telehealth services during the 2020 performance period and 39 eCQMs for telehealth services during the 2021 performance period. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released additional details on telehealth reimbursement through quality reporting programs for the 2020 and 2021 performance […]
Medicare payment rates for CPT codes 87635, 86769, and 86328 range from $42.13 to $51.31, CMS recently announced. CMS recently revealed how much it will pay for new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes developed by the American Medical Association (AMA) for COVID-19 diagnostic tests. The guidance previously detailed Medicare payment rates for Healthcare Common Procedure […]
Revenue cycle management encompasses everything related to the order-to-cash process. For success in revenue cycle management, constant and vigilant oversight of the key processes is needed. With that oversight, continuous process improvement can help you maximize profitability. Here are some areas to focus on to improve receivable collections. Check Your Front End No matter how […]
An overview of the proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: The proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rule for 2020 was officially released on Aug. 14, 2019, encompassing various elements. Among these are proposals such as adjusting the PFS conversion factor to $36.09, introducing new HCPCS codes for bundled episode-of-care treatment for opioid use disorders, revising […]
Multiple Surgeries Multiple surgeries are separate procedures performed by a physician on the same patient at the same operative session or on the same day. Multiple surgeries are distinguished from procedures that are components of or incidental to a primary procedure. Intraoperative services, incidental surgeries or components of surgeries will not be separately reimbursed. Reimbursement […]
An Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System (ASC PS) update that took effect July 1, 2019, changes billing instructions for various payment policies and codes. Here is what you need to know to properly bill Medicare for these services and supplies. New CPT Category III Codes Effective July 1, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid […]