Tag: Public Health Emergency

3.36% Cut Threatens Medicare Physician Care Access in 2024

3.36% Cut in The Proposed 2024 Medicare Physician Pay Schedule

What’s the news: The AMA is emphatically stating that the proposed 3.36% reduction in the 2024 Medicare physician payment schedule is ill-advised, posing a threat to the accessibility of high-quality physician care for the 50 million plus elderly individuals enrolled in Medicare. The AMA President emphasized that with escalating costs associated with medical practice; another […]
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2024-Medicare-OPPS-Rule

2024 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rules

The OPPS proposal lacked any mention of several prominent issues that industry leaders have eagerly awaited reforms on. Yesterday, federal officials introduced two sets of proposed rules, which included possible revisions to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for the 2024 calendar year. Within the PFS proposed rule alone, […]
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Telehealth-Payment-Parity-Through-2023

Telehealth Payment Parity Only Good Through 2023

The omnibus spending bill continues telehealth waivers for two years past the PHE, but was silent on the issue of reimbursement. The federal government extended telehealth waivers for two years, but the current higher rate of reimbursement is in place only through the end of this year. During the public health emergency, the Centers for […]
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Congress-to-Help-Primary-Care

Time is Running Out for Congress to Help Primary Care

Time is running out for Congress to take action on pending legislation dealing with issues that would help primary care across the United States. Six physician groups representing 590,000 doctors across the country sent a joint letter again urging congressional leaders to vote – soon – for bills relating to Medicare reimbursements, prior authorizations, children’s […]
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Renewal-PHE

The Renewal of the PHE Indicates Public Health Emergency Exists

As expected, the COVID-19 PHE (Public Health Emergency) was extended for the 11th time, on October 13th, 2022, another 90-days, which will extend many of the CARES Act 1135 Waivers through January 11th, 2023. This extension confuses many healthcare professionals because in a 60-Minutes news interview, President Joe Biden, stated, that the “pandemic is over.” […]
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2023-MPFS-and-Quality-Payment-Program-Final-Rule-Released

2023 MPFS and Quality Payment Program Final Rule Released

The conversion factor is down but certain public health emergency flexibilities will continue. The 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and Quality Payment Program final rule, released Nov. 1, allows Part B physician payment for behavioral healthcare, cancer screening, and dental care. But while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues its focus […]
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What’s Ahead For Telehealth Policy After the Pandemic

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 […]
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Public-Coverage-Increase | Case Studies | AllZone Management Services Inc.

Uninsured Rate Falling as Public Coverage Increases

The percentage of people covered by some type of health insurance in 2021 was higher compared to 2020, with public coverage rising significantly. It stands to reason that providers are treating more patients with health insurance. The percentage of people covered by some type of health insurance in 2021 was higher compared to the previous […]
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Future of Medicare Telehealth

Future of Medicare Telehealth is Bright and Innovative

Aside from fraud and abuse associated with telehealth, the future of this technology is astonishingly bright and innovative. Responding to COVID-19, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) changed the rules to allow Medicare billing for some telehealth services. It recognized the “urgency of this situation and that “some pre-existing Medicare payment rules” could […]
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CMS Adds 11 Codes to Telehealth List

Physicians can now offer more services via telehealth and get paid. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is adding 11 codes to the list of telehealth services payable under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Coverage is retroactive to March 1, 2020, and is effective for the duration of the public health emergency (PHE) for […]
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