CMS recommends that organizations review the agency’s most recent guidance on telehealth billing. CMS is reminding providers to ensure that Medicare claims for telehealth are correctly billed. The agency issued broadly expanded telehealth services as part of its response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. However, a 2018 Office of Inspector General audit found that CMS paid […]
Some providers are taking steps to serve those that have historically been neglected. When examining the big picture of our society, rural America is grossly under-represented in many ways. While areas defined as “rural” comprise 80% of the total US land area, its inhabitants comprise only 20% of the US population (US Census Bureau) In other words, […]
Electronic Prior Authorization can have a positive impact for both physicians and patients. America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) published a news release stating that an analysis of the E-prior authorization process found that it was able to significantly reduce the time between a request for authorization and a decision and the time between the decision […]
Starting January 1, 2022, healthcare providers will be subject to a new surprise billing law that makes it illegal for providers to bill patients more than in-network cost-sharing for out-of-network services and establishes an arbitration process to resolve unexpected out-of-network charges. The law, the No Surprises Act, was passed in December 2020 as part of […]
The latest $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package includes several provisions advantageous to healthcare providers but will leave them to face significant Medicare spending cuts in the future. Passed by the House yesterday, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will funnel $8.5 billion to reimburse rural healthcare providers for expenses and lost revenues attributable to […]
The COVID-19 relief bill the House passed Wednesday is a major win for various sectors in the healthcare industry, and includes the biggest update to the Affordable Care Act since it was enacted 11 years ago this month. The $1.9 trillion American Relief Plan was approved by a party line vote of 220-211, having made it […]
With all that has happened over the past year, from the coronavirus pandemic to ongoing social justice movements, healthcare workers and organizations are standing in solidarity with their communities like never before. While these corresponding pandemics emphasize the need for healthcare organizations to empower the communities they serve, they also highlight the necessity to do […]
Today, data breaches, ransomware attacks, and identity theft are endangering privacy and well-being. This is true for medical data because if malicious hackers get access to it, human lives and health could be at stake. Scammers may also attempt to benefit from ongoing events to disrupt the data gathering process for healthcare corporations. Medical facilities […]
Healthcare providers face two new rules certain to complicate a busy year already dominated by the pandemic. The nation’s capital is facing a tremendous number of complex issues this week. Amid all this, legislative activity on two healthcare policy initiatives has advanced in the past few weeks – and those two initiatives will add substantially […]
Five tips for improving RCM in a post-pandemic world As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Hospital Association (AHA) estimates that hospitals and health systems have lost more than $202 billion from a drop in revenue, combined with COVID-19 expenses, during the four-month period from March to June 2020. Healthcare services expenditures also dropped 38% in April […]