Kaiser Health News

AUGUST 3, 2023

For the readmission penalties , Medicare cuts as much as 3 percent for each patient, although the average is generally much lower. The patient safety penalties cost hospitals 1 percent of Medicare payments over the federal fiscal year, which runs from October through September. Below are look-up tools for each type of penalty.

Medicare 74

Medicare Medicare Hospitals Public Health 74

Medisys Compliance

DECEMBER 23, 2022

The internet is ringing with the news of the CMS Updates Final rule for the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The finalized 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule was announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 1 2022. Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services.

Medicare 98

Medicare Medicare Medical Billing Medical Billing Outsourcing 98

Health Law Advisor

AUGUST 14, 2023

2] This means, in most cases, that Medicare beneficiaries must now come to a physician practice’s office location to pick up their DME – including IUCs – when the DME items are furnished and billed by physicians or their practices. The IOAS exception does NOT apply.

COVID-19 52

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Public Health 52

Healthcare IT Today

MARCH 22, 2022

However, if no action was taken to head this off, these rules were due to expire with the official end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. For some time now, special pandemic rules have been in effect which allowed providers to offer various forms of government-funded telehealth.

Public Health 127

Public Health COVID-19 Governance Medicare 127

Medisys Compliance

MAY 19, 2022

During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), reimbursements for telehealth continue to evolve. The federal government, state Medicaid programs, and private insurers have expanded coverage for virtual health care services. See this list of telehealth services from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

COVID-19 52

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Medical Billing 52

MedTrainer

MAY 4, 2023

The end of the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) will reinstate regulations that have been absent for years… and many healthcare workers have never had to follow. There are plenty of compliance implications for the end of the Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023 , and an assessment is a great place to start.

Public Health 52

Public Health Compliance COVID-19 COVID-19 Vaccine 52

Electronic Health Reporter

APRIL 23, 2020

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in conjunction with the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced a policy of enforcement discretion […].

COVID-19 70

COVID-19 Public Health Medicaid Medicaid 70

Modern Healthcare

MARCH 18, 2022

More than 40% of Medicare enrollees used telehealth during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to federal data.

Public Health 126

Public Health COVID-19 Medicare Medicare 126

Healthcare Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

In response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (the “PHE”), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued numerous “blanket waivers” to increase access to medical services, and ease the regulatory burden on providers across the health care industry.

COVID-19 52

COVID-19 Public Health Medicare Medicare 52

HIT Consultant

MARCH 8, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic led to sweeping healthcare policy changes that enable vulnerable Americans to receive affordable health coverage and access essential safety net benefits. Under the PHE, states must keep Medicaid enrollees continuously covered, irrespective of their circumstances. .

Public Health 97

Public Health Medicaid Medicaid Health Insurance 97

Kaiser Health News

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

The penalties — a 1% reduction in Medicare payments over 12 months — are based on the experiences of Medicare patients discharged from the hospital between July 2018 and the end of 2019, before the pandemic began in earnest. Paradoxically, all those hospitals have five stars, the best rating, on Medicare’s Care Compare website.

Medicare 123

Medicare Medicare Hospitals COVID-19 123

HIPAA Journal

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently conducted a review of Medicare telehealth services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a waiver was in place that greatly expanded access to telehealth and virtual visits. Between April and December 2019, 5 million Medicare telehealth visits were conducted.

Medicare 74

Medicare Medicare COVID-19 HIPAA 74

Medisys Compliance

APRIL 8, 2022

In this article, we briefly discussed these Medicare telehealth billing guidelines. Due to the provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the CMS continues to evaluate the inclusion of telehealth services that were temporarily added to the Medicare telehealth services list during the COVID-19 PHE (Public Health Emergency).

Medicare 59

Medicare Medicare Medical Billing Outsourcing Medical Billing 59

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

NOVEMBER 22, 2023

Patients who received care under the pandemic's Acute Hospital Care at Home program had a low mortality rate and minimal complications related to escalations back to the brick-and-mortar hospital, according to a CMS research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum.

Hospitals 120

Hospitals COVID-19 Public Health Medicare 120

Hall Render

JULY 28, 2023

Starting on August 1, 2023, Medicare validation edits will be activated to require service location addresses on the UB-04 hospital claim form to match exactly with the service location enrolled in Medicare’s Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (“PECOS”).

Medicare 40

Medicare Medicare Compliance COVID-19 40

Bill of Health

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, now entering its fourth year in 2023, legislators, executives, and judges at every level of government have sought measures to derail efficacious public health interventions. And that’s where they are wrong. Some victories came easy.

COVID-19 176

COVID-19 Public Health COVID-19 Vaccine Governance 176

Innovaare Compliance

OCTOBER 6, 2022

Annual Election Period (AEP) is about two weeks away when Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MAPD) will be signing up new enrollees by the thousands. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), enrollment in MAPD keeps rising. In 2022, 48% of all eligible Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in MAPD.

Medicare 52

Medicare Medicare Compliance Public Health 52

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

expressing support for the Telehealth Modernization Act and stressing the urgency of safeguarding access to virtual care before the public health emergency is set to expire. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., WHY IT MATTERS. In its letter, the CHI supported these provisions and urged Alexander and his colleagues to go further.

COVID-19 185

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Public Health 185

Healthcare Law Today

JANUARY 20, 2022

While the opioid crisis has been a declared public health emergency (PHE) since October 26, 2017, overdose deaths remain at an all-time high and have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 12-month period starting in April 2021, over 100,000 people have died from drug overdoses, a 28.5% The New Rule and the SUPPORT Act.

Medicare 52

Medicare Medicare COVID-19 Public Health 52

Healthcare It News

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

WA Health extends cloud contract with Atos Atos will continue delivering managed services, hybrid cloud, and core infrastructure services to Health Support Services (HSS), the ICT service provider for WA Health, following a contract extension. It has been working with HSS on the digital transformation of WA Health since 2019.

Public Health 240

Public Health Governance Hospitals Medicare 240

Hall Render

MAY 2, 2023

The CMS Memo provides that this means that all new SNF stays beginning on or after May 12, 2023 will require a qualifying hospital stay before Medicare coverage. For this alert, “nursing homes” refers to skilled nursing facilities (often known as “SNFs”). The F-Tag associated with this regulation is F-884. Benefit Period Blanket Waiver.

Nursing Homes 40

Nursing Homes Public Health Nurses COVID-19 40

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

The Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act would amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers to treat benefits for telehealth services like excepted benefits. In an announcement about the bipartisan bill, Rep.

Public Health 157

Public Health COVID-19 Medicare Medicare 157

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 2, 2021

It's become common knowledge, at this point, that the flexibilities enabled by the federal government at the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency prompted an atmospheric jump in telehealth use. " The uncertainty about when the public health emergency will lift creates "a lot of anxiety," said Hayes.

COVID-19 211

COVID-19 Public Health Federal Policy Medicare 211

Bill of Health

JANUARY 26, 2022

The MIEP overburdens county and local jails financially and jeopardizes public health. 2628 would support states and counties in delivering quality health care. Inmates need more health care, with chronic disease rates among inmates being more than double the general public. Legislation like H.R. 3514 and S.2628

Medicaid 293

Medicaid Medicaid COVID-19 Public Health 293

Bill of Health

JULY 15, 2022

Government Patent Use to Promote Public Health in the United States: Overcoming Nonpatent Exclusivities. Am J Public Health. Cancer Therapy Approval Timings, Review Speed, and Publication of Pivotal Registration Trials in the US and Europe, 2010-2019. What to Know About the Alzheimer Drug Aducanumab (Aduhelm).

Public Health 205

Public Health Medicare Medicare Governance 205

The Digital Health Corner

NOVEMBER 28, 2016

Digital health technology has seen an incredible growth in the last few years, fueled by a combination of consumerization of wearable technologies, ubiquity of mobile devices, proliferation of technology incubators, attention by government health and regulatory agencies and involvement of large companies heretofore not focused on healthcare.

Public Health 68

Public Health Health Services Administration Patient Advocacy Governance 68

Hall Render

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Medicare payment policy changes established under the CMS CY 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (“MPFS”) Final Rule , issued on November 1, 2022, become effective January 1, 2023. These services will be reported with three separate Medicare-specific G codes. Behavioral Health Services. Split/Shared E/M Visits.

Medicare 40

Medicare Medicare Licensing Health Services Administration 40

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 27, 2021

Leading healthcare industry stakeholders on Monday implored top leaders in the House and Senate to help ensure, among other imperatives, that "Medicare beneficiaries [don't] abruptly lose access to nearly all recently expanded coverage of telehealth." " WHY IT MATTERS.

COVID-19 213

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Public Health 213

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 20, 2023

A bipartisan group of legislators has reintroduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies for Health Act – first introduced in 2016 – to expand opportunities and coverage for telehealth through Medicare. Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirements for telemental health services.

Medicare 125

Medicare Medicare COVID-19 Doctors 125

Healthcare Law Today

NOVEMBER 9, 2022

Starting January 1, 2023, Medicare will cover telehealth-based treatment services delivered by federally-accredited opioid treatment programs (OTPs), commonly referred to as “methadone clinics.” Background and History of Medicare Telehealth Coverage of SUD Treatment. New Changes to Medicare OTP Telehealth Services.

Medicare 52

Medicare Medicare COVID-19 Telemedicine 52

Compliance Now

MARCH 15, 2022

In addition to the extension of telemedicine protections for HDHPs, the 2022 CAA expands the scope of telehealth services that Medicare will cover. The legislation also allows both Medicare and Medicaid to continue covering select telehealth services for 151 days after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.

COVID-19 189

COVID-19 Telemedicine Medicare Medicare 189

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

APRIL 30, 2021

senators has reintroduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021. The act would expand coverage of Medicare telehealth services and make some COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, among other provisions. Access for Medicare beneficiaries.

COVID-19 214

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Public Health 214

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JANUARY 25, 2021

According to a press statement from Thompson's office, it would: Eliminate most geographic and originating site restrictions on the use of telehealth in Medicare and establishing the patient’s home as an eligible distant site. This is a common-sense step to make sure our policies keep pace with our technology," he added.

COVID-19 205

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Telemedicine 205

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 16, 2021

would remove the statutory requirement that Medicare beneficiaries be seen in person within six months of receiving mental health services through telehealth. "Medicare patients deserve direct access to telemental health services, and this bill removes barriers, to make this possible," he said. Ben Cardin, D-Md.,

Medicare 204

Medicare Medicare COVID-19 Public Health 204

Healthcare It News

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is inviting patients and their families, providers, clinicians, consumer advocates, healthcare professional associations, individuals serving underserved communities and all CMS stakeholders serving populations facing disparities in health and healthcare to submit public comments by November 4.

COVID-19 193

COVID-19 Medicaid Medicaid Public Health 193

Health Care Law Brief

JUNE 2, 2022

The onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency (“PHE”) led to a surge in the use of telehealth by health care providers. For the reasons discussed below, DTC telehealth platforms should re-visit their compliance plans and be prepared for increased state and federal regulatory scrutiny.

Public Health 52

Public Health Compliance COVID-19 Licensing 52

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 16, 2020

House of Representatives on Thursday aims to ensure telehealth is able to continue to build on its potential in the years ahead, by making permanent some policies enacted during the pandemic and protecting Medicare beneficiaries' ability to engage in virtual care. WHY IT MATTERS.

COVID-19 159

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Public Health 159