CMS’ Fourth COVID-19 Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (IFC-4) includes additional payment for new COVID-19 treatments, price transparency requirements for COVID-19 diagnostic tests, and coverage for potential vaccines among other provisions. Most provisions of IFC-4 became effective November 2. Hospital Payment for New COVID-19 Treatments The New COVID-19 Treatments Add-on Payment (NCTAP) will provide additional Medicare […]
Sound accounts receivable (A/R) management is integral to the financial health of a medical practice. The ability to maximize collections and profitability depends on it. Thus, it’s important that practices know what processes they can implement to ensure a smooth-running AR operation. David Norris, MD, MBA, an anesthesiologist in Wichita, Kan. and author of The […]
CMS wants to identify bad actors -– even if they are or have been affiliated with a legitimate provider. On Sept. 5, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new final rule. There was not really a proposed rule to which comments and suggestions could be made; there were Federal Register entries […]
A physician assistant (PA) serves as an assistant surgeon only to suture and close an incision. There is no documentation that the PA performed any other function to assist the primary surgeon during the surgery performed on the Medicare patient, such as providing extra hands needed for tasks which required more than the surgeon’s two […]
Final rules will impact nearly every type of healthcare provider. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) presented us with quite a number of Medicare payment rules in the last week or so, referencing almost every type of provider in the program. The final rules included the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Medicare Hospital Inpatient […]
Medicare payments for the top 10 current procedural terminology codes performed by ASCs are expected to remain relatively stable in 2019 compared to 2018, according to VMG Health. 66984: Cataract surgery with insertion of intraocular lens prosthesis (one-stage procedure), manual or mechanical technique Estimated 2017 payments: $1,172 Estimated 2018 payments: $1,206 Estimated 2019 payments: $1,182 45380: […]
Controversy continues to swirl around this subject. A recent article of mine focused on the argument that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have to follow the two-midnight rule. It certainly generated buzz; I received a number of emails with comments and questions. First, I want to note that I love getting comments and questions. I can’t […]
No-shows cost thousands in revenue, reduce accessibility, and lower productivity — here’s how to stop them. Patients have a lot on their plates. Doctors do too. Fitting necessary appointment times into everyone’s schedule is one of the most important challenges facing any healthcare provider. Scheduling tools and patient management suites are a good solution […]