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Non-compete rule blocked; watch other forces on restrictive covenants

09/09/2024

A court has blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) noncompete rule that threatened to invalidate contract terms many physician practices rely on to prevent patient poaching. But don’t get too comfortable yet; there are still common and state law standards that can complicate the use of non-competes.

Commenters ask CMS to expand the SDOH risk assessment

09/09/2024

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

CMS issued a broad request for information on the new codes that it created this year to address social needs, including G0136 (Administration of a standardized, evidence-based social determinants of health risk assessment [SDOHRA] tool, 5-15 minutes, no more than once every 6 months). CMS wants “to engage interested parties on additional policy refinements for CMS to consider in future rulemaking,” according to the proposed 2025 Medicare physician fee schedule.

‘No comment’ sounds guilty. Fight bad impressions with a press policy.

09/09/2024

by: Roy Edroso

Question: Recently one of our providers was in the news and reporters called our office. We all refused to comment when contacted. That seemed the safest course, but now we’re wondering if we should have done something else.

Take key lessons learned from latest high-dollar Security Rule settlement

09/09/2024

by: Dom Nicastro

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has reached a $950,000 settlement with Heritage Valley Health System Inc. for potential violations of the HIPAA Security Rule, following an OCR investigation after the health system experienced a ransomware attack in 2017.

Surgical, postop-only claims almost even for transfer of care cases

09/09/2024

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

Billing practitioners who do not treat patients during a procedure’s full global period are slightly more likely to report claims with surgical care-only modifier 54 than with postoperative care modifier 55, according to Medicare Part B claims data.

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