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 […]
Proper funding can help your practice to rise above some challenges. 9 Challenges funding can help your medical practice overcome Medical practice funding is often best used to support growth initiatives that will increase your practice’s revenue—thus increasing the chance that you’ll be able to pay off your loan on time. However, sometimes medical practices […]
Medicare Advantage plans expanded their supplemental benefits offerings in 2022, with more health plans offering special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill (SSBCI), according to an issue brief commissioned by Better Medicare Alliance. Medicare beneficiaries typically join Medicare Advantage plans because of the array of supplemental benefits that the program offers in addition to traditional […]
National healthcare spending increased by 3.4 percent in 2021, while the Health Care Price Index (HCPI) maintained a year-over-year growth of around 2 percent, according to Altarum’s February 2022 Health Sector Economic Indicators (HSEI) briefs. Unlike the December 2021 and January 2022 briefs, Altarum included federal government expenditures in the February data, which significantly impacted […]
Honing your approach when negotiating with insurers can lead to better reimbursement rates. Last I checked my plumber charges me more than some physicians make for some services. It’s not to say that plumbers don’t work hard, but they certainly didn’t have to invest an inordinate amount of time and money to get specialized degrees. […]
Many busy physicians find they don’t have the time and energy to develop a savvy financial plan for their practice or their own personal needs. That’s why physicians needs the collaborative support and guidance of a good financial team. Many physicians never learned anything in medical school about running a business or handling personal […]
Although health plans aim to promote value-based care with prior authorization requirements, providers and patients may experience negative repercussions from the process. Prior authorization negatively impacted patients and providers alike by leading to care delays for patients and creating administrative burden for physicians, according to a survey from the American Medical Association (AMA). Health plans […]
Low-performing hospitals to see a 1 percent cut in Medicare payments under HAC Reduction Program in 2022. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last month that 764 hospitals will face Medicare payment cuts in fiscal year (FY) 2022 under the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP). The value-based program may reduce Medicare payments […]
The biggest noncompliance was non-posting or incomplete posting of all of the negotiated prices for each item and service. In a federal price transparency rule that took effect January 1, 2021, hospitals were tasked with posting all of their prices online in clear, easily accessible formats. But a new survey from patientrightsadvocate.org has found that, […]
Emergency medicine is facing a host of claims reimbursement updates this year, from looming Medicare payment cuts to new rules about the split and critical care visits. Emergency department providers are still reeling from the effects of the ongoing pandemic. But other important updates are also happening in the background—and they are likely to […]