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 […]
Healthcare forecasting that can adapt quickly to changes could be as critical to a provider organization’s survival in 2021 as wearing a mask to stop the spread of COVID-19, experts at PwC’s Health Research Institute are saying. Nearly three-quarters of healthcare executives (74 percent) recently surveyed by the Health Research Institute said their organizations would […]
Telemedicine is proving to be of great value to patients as well as the health professionals. The most significant innovation of telemedicine over in-person visits is the opportunity for better patient follow up and increased health outcomes. Traditionally, the hospitals recommended a treatment plan or prescribed medications, then hoped the patient followed their advice. But […]
Most Americans tell pollsters they’re worried about being able to afford an unexpected medical bill. Late Monday, Congress passed a bill to allay some of those fears. The measure is included in a nearly 5,600-page package providing coronavirus economic relief and government funding for the rest of the fiscal year. Specifically, the legislation addresses those […]
In anticipation of an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Medical Association (AMA) has created Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. AMA assigned Category 1 CPT code 91302 to the vaccine manufactured by the Cambridge, United Kingdom (UK) company, as well as vaccine administration CPT codes […]
The $1.4 trillion omnibus legislative package passed by Congress late Monday includes COVID-19 related relief for physicians, imposes new restrictions on surprise billing, and funds the government through fiscal 2021, which ends Sept. 30. The legislation mitigates budget neutrality cuts that would have slashed physician Medicare payment rates by 10.2% and extends the moratorium on the […]
The telehealth industry saw demand surge significantly this spring as Covid-19 began. Telehealth appointments are ideal for a pandemic: patients can seek an informed opinion about their symptoms and be referred for a medical test without having to go to the office physically and placing people at risk. But while the focus on telehealth has […]
A version of this article was first published December 16, 2020, by HCPro’s Revenue Cycle Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders. CMS released new and updated FAQs on Medicare Part B billing and reimbursement for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. The information updated December 9 is included in Section BB, Drugs and Vaccines under Part B of CMS’ COVID-19 […]
A version of this article was first published December 14, 2020, by HCPro’s Revenue Cycle Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders. CMS recently released two new HCPCS Level II codes for Regeneron’s antibody drugs casirivimab and imdevimab, effective for dates of service on or after November 21. The creation of the new codes comes […]
Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, providers need to execute a medical billing and coding strategy to sustain vaccination efforts. For many providers, the end of the pandemic is in sight with the recent emergency use authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine. And while this may be true, it is just the start of a COVID-19 vaccine […]