Medicare payment cut: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its proposed rule for the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which includes a 2.93% average payment rate reduction for physicians. This comes despite the agency’s stated commitment to advancing health equity and supporting whole-person care through initiatives like strengthening primary care […]
The Final Decrease Is Influenced By Add-On Codes and Regulatory Obligations On November 16th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the finalized rule for the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) in the Federal Register. While the policies exhibit several positives, especially in primary care, telehealth, and behavioral healthcare, CMS remains dedicated […]
According to research, telehealth visits, both in primary and specialty care, tend to be coded more frequently with lower level-of-service billing codes. Despite the option to receive higher facility rates for telehealth services for another year, providers often bill these virtual visits using lower level-of-service codes. This pattern holds true for both primary and specialty […]
Time is running out for Congress to take action on pending legislation dealing with issues that would help primary care across the United States. Six physician groups representing 590,000 doctors across the country sent a joint letter again urging congressional leaders to vote – soon – for bills relating to Medicare reimbursements, prior authorizations, children’s […]
Using telemedicine for primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic did not hurt quality of care for patients, according to a new study. Researchers examined 16 measures of primary care quality and found patients using telemedicine had outcomes as good or better than those making in-office visits, according to the study published in JAMA Network Open. […]
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 […]
Even though virtual healthcare has been possible for over a decade, the technology officially became an integral part of the care process as a direct result of COVID-19. Telemedicine can offer on-demand medical attention to patients anytime and anywhere, but it’s essential for virtual care to be easily accessible to anyone who needs it. True […]
CMS has announced a new set of primary care payment models. The Primary Cares Initiative is intended to deliver better value for patients, reduce administrative burden for physicians, and empower them to spend more time caring for patients. The initiative will provide primary care practices and other providers with five new primary care payment models […]