Tag: CMS

No Surprises Act Notice Requirements: The Good and Bad News for Providers

No Surprises Act Notice Requirements: The Good and Bad News for Providers

Surprise billing occurs when patients receive care from out-of-network providers without their knowledge. On July 1, the Biden Administration passed an interim final rule: the first portion of the “Requirements Related to the Surprise Billing Act,” in an attempt to curb excessive costs patients are required to pay in relation to surprise billing. The rule […]
The Changing Landscape of Healthcare B2B Payment Transactions

The Changing Landscape of Healthcare B2B Payment Transactions

Healthcare B2B payment transactions have been high in 2021, potentially signaling the importance of electronic payment transfers as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report from National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA). Nacha oversees the ACH Network, a national payment system. B2B payments made through this network in the healthcare industry […]
Gain Insight Into Billing an E/M With OMT

Gain Insight Into Billing an E/M With OMT

Reducing denials starts with understanding osteopathic manipulation as well as coding and coverage guidelines for this therapy. Is it appropriate to bill an evaluation and management (E/M) service when osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is performed at the same visit? We must address a few key principles to adequately answer this question. I learned quickly, having […]
Leaked CMS Report Targets Medicare Noncompliance at CA Hospital

Leaked CMS Report Targets Medicare Noncompliance at CA Hospital

A leaked CMS report targeting HCA Healthcare-owned Good Samaritan Hospital in California warns the hospital to fix Medicare noncompliance issues or risk termination. A leaked CMS report put HCA Healthcare-owned Good Samaritan Hospital in California at risk of program termination by October if they fail to fix Medicare noncompliance issues that resulted in patient harm. […]
5 Things rev cycle leaders need to know about surprise billing interim final rule

5 Things rev cycle leaders need to know about surprise billing interim final rule

  Understanding the qualifying payment amount and the initial information on the independent dispute resolution process “should be a short-term priority for revenue cycle leaders and their teams,” says attorney Harvey Rochman. Earlier this month, the federal government released an interim final rule outlining certain provisions of the No Surprises Act (NSA), which is designed […]
E_M Coding for 2021_ What’s New and Different

E/M Coding for 2021: What’s New and Different

After three years of policy proposals, the American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) panel responses, and substantial guidance from gastroenterology and other specialty societies, changes to the office/outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) codes became effective as of January 2021. Some aspects of these revisions took effect for telehealth services since spring 2020 for Medicare, […]
Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Drug Plan

New Directions for Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Drug Plan in 2021

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would update Medicare Advantage plan (MA, or Part C) and the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D) program. In years past, CMS has also issued a “call letter,” not subject to the regulatory process, to provide additional information for plans to use […]
New Rules from CMS

More New Rules from CMS for FY 2020

Among the proposed new rules is one intended to clarify the contentious “Stark Law” On Oct. 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to modernize and clarify the regulations that interpret the Medicare physician self-referral law (often called the “Stark Law”). The law prohibits physicians from making referrals for […]