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06/09/2025
Question: When our doctors requests a consult from another doctor, how can we tell whether our physician can count the conversation toward “discussion of management or test interpretation with external physician or other qualified health care professional or appropriate source (not separately reported)” in the data review column for medical decision-making (MDM)? Do we need to coordinate with the other physician’s practices that the consulting physicians work for to make sure they aren’t counting it too?
06/09/2025
As medical groups and the larger health care industry await the final version of HHS’ proposed HIPAA Security Rule update, over 4,600 comments met the March 2025 deadline (PBN 1/22/25). Below is a summary of the most notable comments from leading health care organizations.
06/09/2025
You may have suspected as much, and now a survey of 1,391 physician offices located in 15 metropolitan areas offers evidence that wait times for patients to get physician appointment have gone up substantially in recent years, at least in many metropolitan areas.
06/02/2025
Heads up: While President Trump continues to alter the tariffs he announced in February, it’s likely that some of your equipment prices will be affected, and you should prepare for cost fluctuations.
06/02/2025
A white paper, press release, and interview with the new director of CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) suggest significant changes to innovation and accountable care models such as the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and to Medicare Advantage.
06/02/2025
A trio of recent enforcement actions related to corporate integrity agreements (CIA) contains teachable moments for small groups and solo provider practices.
06/02/2025
CMS determined the improper payment rate for bacterial culture lab tests was 15.1% in 2023, with a projected improper payment amount of $9.6 million. Insufficient documentation accounted for 100% of improper payments for these tests during this reporting period, according to the agency.
06/02/2025
Most high-utilization psychiatry codes revealed symptoms of the COVID-19 slump that hit other services. However, denials for many services increased after a dip in 2020. A review of Medicare Part B data for the years 2019 to 2023 identified several top primary psychiatry codes.
05/19/2025
New findings from the American Association of Physician Associates (AAPA) show that PAs remain a growth industry — not only in number and compensation, but also in independent practice.
05/19/2025
Make sure your staff know when they can count the independent review of a test toward medical decision-making (MDM). Independent interpretation of a test can lift the level of the “amount and/or complexity of data to be reviewed and analyzed (data)” element of an E/M visit to moderate or extensive, depending on the work performed for an encounter.

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