At least two U.S. states are considering laws that would modify Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements for physicians and prohibit hospitals and insurers from making them a condition of hospital privileges or reimbursement, following the lead of a law in Oklahoma that went into effect in November 2016.

The new year has the possibility of being a time of unprecedented change in health care. Here’s how Part B News expects physician practices to be affected.

Check out how Part B News and its experts fared with the 2016 predictions:

CMS rolled out a final rule Dec. 20 outlining three new cardiac care models and one new orthopedic care model to start as early as July 1 as well as one new small-practice-friendly accountable care organization (ACO) track to start in 2018.

Question: A patient of a multispecialty group practice came in to see an internist. She reported herself pregnant — though this had not been medically confirmed... a few weeks later, the pregnancy was confirmed on a visit to our OB... Can the practice use the pregnancy O codes on the first visit, even though they plan to bill the confirmation code Z32.01 for the later ob/gyn visit?

Question: Medicare denied 77002 (Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement [e.g., biopsy, aspiration, injection, localization device]) when our ambulatory surgery center reported it with 20610 (Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa [e.g., shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa]; without ultrasound guidance). Can you explain why we’re getting this denial?