Month: November 2021

The CMS Expands Medicare Coverage for Remote Patient Monitoring

The CMS Expands Medicare Coverage for Remote Patient Monitoring

  CMS has been incrementally expanding coverage for remote patient monitoring since first recognizing the platform in 2019. Through RPM, healthcare providers can use digital health tools and telehealth platforms to improve care management for patients at home, especially those with chronic conditions or who’ve been recently discharged from a hospital. The platform has the […]
New ICD-10-CM_PCS Codes Released

New ICD-10-CM/PCS Codes Released

The implementation of the new codes is April 1, 2022. The new ICD-10-CM/PCS codes for implementation on April 1, 2022, were recently released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CMS v39.1 version of the MS-DRG grouper will be released in February 2022. […]
CMS Releases 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

CMS Releases 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized 2022 payments and policies under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The rule includes updates to payment rates for physicians and other healthcare professionals for calendar year (CY) 2022; expands the use of telehealth for mental health; clarifies policies related to split (shared) visits, critical […]
CMS Releases Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

CMS Releases Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

  CMS says it the goal is to support health equity while focusing on high-quality person-centered care. Increased leverage of telehealth for behavioral care, diabetes prevention and mitigation, and enhanced payment for vaccine administration were three out of many priorities cited by federal officials who announced the release of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid […]
The Impact of Coding on Maternal Outcomes_ Part III

The Impact of Coding on Maternal Outcomes: Part III

Severe maternal morbidity often intersects with cesarean deliveries. Reducing the number of cesarean deliveries can lower the maternal mortality rate, and one of the drivers of cesarean rates is thought to be induction of labor (IOL). In 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) adopted definitions for labor, labor induction, and augmentation of […]
The Role of Provider-Sponsored Health Plans in Value-Based Care

The Role of Provider-Sponsored Health Plans in Value-Based Care

Provider-sponsored health plans can be naturally aligned with value-based care goals while also being attuned to providers’ needs. Providence Health Assurance’s Medicare Advantage provider-sponsored health plan received a five-star rating through the CMS Medicare Advantage Star Ratings system for the 2022 Medicare open enrollment season. The health plan, which serves Oregon and Washington State, is […]