Part B News | Part B News

Telehealth slips for hospital, NF visits; critical care consults rise

07/31/2023

Providers reported fewer subsequent hospital visits (99231-99233) and subsequent nursing facility visits (99304-99310) via telehealth after the first year of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). While the hospital visits via telehealth fell modestly, the nursing facility encounters cratered.

CMS proposes to pare physician payments by 3.4% in 2024: PFS

07/24/2023

by: Richard Scott

The initial proposals for CY 2024 are out, and medical groups should brace for rate cuts: CMS is floating a net 3.4% reduction to the Medicare Part B conversion factor.

CMS introduces a SDOH assessment, revives complexity of care add-on

07/24/2023

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

Watch for a new service you can bill in conjunction with E/M visits and a status change for a bundled E/M add-on code that CMS introduced in 2022. CMS plans to issue a new stand-alone code that will give providers credit when they collect information on a patient’s social determinants of health (SDOH) during an E/M visit, and the agency proposes to revive complexity of care add-on code G2211.

Shared Savings going all-CQM, hitching up to QPP

07/24/2023

by: Roy Edroso

For participants in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), CMS is pushing for a move to all-electronic reporting and a tighter alignment with the Quality Payment Program (QPP).

New code preview: Spine, nerve and cardio code changes coming in 2024

07/24/2023

by: Laura Evans, CPC

Medicare’s proposed 2024 physician fee schedule provides a sneak peek at CPT code additions for next year as CMS proposes valuations for them. Based on this early look, practices can expect numerous codes to migrate from Category III to Category I next year, including two types of spine procedures, new peripheral nerve stimulation codes, and a number of cardiovascular imaging codes.

CMS rejects 31 permanent telehealth requests, accepts its own proposal

07/24/2023

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

Medicare received and denied the requests to add 31 codes to the list of permanent telehealth services for coverage in 2024, according to the proposed fee schedule. However, it plans to add 30 of the codes on a temporary basis through the end of that calendar year.

Gatekeeping: CMS seeks to close more gaps in enrollment standards

07/24/2023

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

You may think of the CMS enrollment process as the mechanism allowing providers and suppliers to bill Medicare. However, CMS also uses the enrollment process to fight fraud.

Proposed PFS round-up: More coding, billing, policy changes

07/24/2023

by: DecisionHealth Staff

2024 projections: 10 specialties up at least 2% in RVUs, 18 down

07/24/2023

by: Richard Scott

A glimpse ahead to 2024 payment rates reveals an up-and-down outlook for physician specialties and their allowable charges. Setting the bar at a 2% gain or loss, 10 specialties find themselves on the positive side of the ledger in combined relative value unit (RVU) impact, while 18 specialties are projected for cuts.

After deadly drop-down case: Fail-safe your EHR medication orders

07/17/2023

by: Roy Edroso

A recent drop-down error that, authorities suggest, contributed to a patient’s death is a reminder to keep up with electronic health record (EHR) safety improvements from your vendor, and to make sure everyone at your practice is empowered to speak up when something seems amiss.

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