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In latest interim final rule, CMS prepares for initial vaccine coverage and payment

11/16/2020

On Oct. 28, CMS published a draft copy of an Interim Final Rule with Request for Comments (IFC) concerning coverage, billing and payment for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics.

OCR: Don’t honor patient requests that could violate Title VI

11/16/2020

by: Marla Durben Hirsch

Your patients may request treatment by a physician or other clinician at your practice. But if they request —or demand — a clinician based on the employee’s race, color or national origin, that’s not a request you can acquiesce to, because that would constitute discrimination.

5 ways to respond when a patient request is motivated by bias

11/16/2020

by: Marla Durben Hirsch

5 ways to respond when a patient request is motivated by bias Honoring a patient’s request or demand for a clinician based on race, color or national origin is not legal, as the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has pointed out in a recent bulletin about the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are five steps to prepare for and deal with such a situation.

2019 Medicare claims: More utilization and payments, lower denial rate

11/16/2020

by: Roy Edroso

CMS released its Part B claims numbers for 2019 on Nov. 5, and the yearly numbers show nearly everything growing except two areas: denial rates and E/M utilization.

2020 Medical Practice Staff Salary and Trends Report

11/12/2020

by: Richard Scott

Through the array of charts and data contained in this special report, you’ll find key characteristics of the medical practice professional working in ambulatory care settings today. From education and credentialing to emerging responsibilities and shifting practice trends, discover an illustrative look at the key personnel keeping medical practices going strong.

Pandemic practice fallout persists; shore up with short-term savings

11/09/2020

by: Roy Edroso

A new AMA survey shows that the financial impact of the pandemic on medical practice has been brutal and widespread, indicating that practices should prepare to withstand more lean times in the coming months.

CMS delays start of Radiation Oncology Model by six months

11/09/2020

by: Sarah Gould

CMS recently announced that it intends to delay the launch of the new Radiation Oncology Model (ROM) to July 1, 2021 instead of Jan. 1, 2021. The decision comes after stakeholders commented that a January start date would place an unfair burden on providers already challenged by staff shortages.

Medical practice pay up prior to COVID; telehealth takes hold

11/09/2020

by: Richard Scott

The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) hasn’t made it easy, but medical practice personnel have a lot to be proud of this year, including steady pay gains, new responsibilities on the job and the mettle to meet a once-in-a-century pandemic with steely resolve.

COVID disrupts salary gains, challenges medical practice business ops

11/09/2020

by: Richard Scott

In the wake of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), medical practices have confronted — and continue to grapple with — a barrage of business, financial and staffing repercussions, all of which are leaving practice staffers with unprecedented shake-ups in their day-to-day roles.

QPP 2019 wrap: High participation and scoring rates but low bonuses

11/09/2020

by: Roy Edroso

On Oct. 27, CMS released preliminary figures on 2019 participation in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) and the Merit-Based Incentive System (MIPS). More than 97% of eligible clinicians (EC) took part in MIPS that year, as did 85.2% of eligible small practices.

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