Tag: CMS

Is-Medicare-Advantage-Really-a-Disadvantage

Is Medicare Advantage Really a Disadvantage?

It’s autumn, and along with leaves changing color, pumpkin spice lattes, and cooler weather comes an avalanche of TV ads, commercials, and telephone marketing calls, all entreating us to believe that Medicare Advantage (MA) is the best thing since the invention of the cell phone. With open enrolment season upon us, it’s critical to examine […]
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Medicare-Overpayments-to-Hospitals

CMS System Edits Reduced Medicare Overpayments to Hospitals

Medicare overpayments totaled $39.3 million between September 2016 and December 2021, but most of those improper payments occurred before CMS corrected its system edits error in May 2019. CMS system edits helped reduce Medicare overpayments to acute care hospitals for outpatient services provided to beneficiaries who were inpatients of other facilities, a report from the […]
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5-key-areas-to-drive-CMS-Health-Equity

Five Key Priorities Expected to Drive CMS Health Equity

Five priorities are identified in the mission of CMS Office of Minority Health, “Working to Achieve Health Equity.” The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has five key priority areas that are expected to drive how the agency will, within a span of 10 years, accomplish its stated goal to achieve health equity. Priority […]
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Medicare-Outpatient-Payment-Updates-for-CY-2023

Medicare Outpatient Payment Updates for CY 2023

The proposed outpatient payment updates for 2023, including the 2.7 percent reimbursement increase, do not reflect the inflationary environment in which hospitals are operating. When commenting on the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule for calendar year (CY) 2023, the American Hospital Association (AHA) supported […]
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Prior Authorization Reform in Medicare Advantage | Case Studies | AllZone Management Services Inc.

Prior Authorization Reform in Medicare Advantage

Prior Authorization reform in Medicare Advantage would help relieve administrative burden for medical groups and reduce patient care delays, MGMA said. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has urged CMS to implement policies that support prior authorization reform and value-based care contracts within the Medicare Advantage program. MGMA submitted comments to CMS Administrator in response […]
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Home Health Medicare Reimbursement

Recent Updates on Home Health Medicare Reimbursement

AHA said that the 2.7 percent Medicare reimbursement update for home health agencies does not accurately reflect the financial challenges that home health agencies have faced during the pandemic. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has urged CMS to reconsider the Medicare reimbursement update for home health agencies proposed in the Calendar Year 2023 Home Health […]
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CMS, HHS Finalize 2023 Notice of Benefits, Payment Parameters

CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2023 Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters Final Rule, which includes standardized plan options, changes to network adequacy reviews, refinements to the Affordable Care Act’s essential health benefits nondiscrimination policy, and other changes. “The recent Open Enrollment Period demonstrated the demand for high-quality, […]
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Cms proposes more than 1k new diagnosis codes

Brain illness and injury, with a focus on dementia-related diagnoses, occupy a high volume of the 1,495 proposed changes to the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code set by CMS in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule. At the same time, CMS also introduced a minimal amount of new ICD-10-PCS procedure codes, […]
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AHA Asks CMS to Waive Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization During PHE

CMS encouraged Medicare Advantage plans to waive prior authorizations during the public health emergency, but AHA urged the agency to make it a requirement instead of a suggestion. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has asked CMS to work with Congress and require Medicare Advantage plans to waive prior authorization processes during the current and future […]
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