The 2021 OPPS final rule, released December 2, doesn’t pack many surprises, with CMS generally finalizing most policies as proposed or choosing to continue with current policies. This should aid hospitals required to implement many of its policies in just a few short weeks due to the pandemic-disrupted rulemaking cycle.
The American Medical Association recently released its COVID-19 Physician Practice Financial Impact report, which reveals reductions in patient volume and revenue, as well as higher practice costs during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).
CMS recently announced that it intends to delay the launch of the new Radiation Oncology Model to July 1, 2021 instead of January 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.
CMS provided clarification on submitting inpatient claims for patients diagnosed with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) without a positive viral test, in an update to MLN Matters SE20015 released September 11.
CMS continues to focus on site-neutral payment policies and keeping payments down for 340B-acquired drugs in the 2021 OPPS proposed rule, released in early August.
CMS is moving forward for E/M changes for physician billing according to the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Read about those changes, as long as a preview of new CPT codes that will be added for 2021.
Q: It’s often convenient to pass along a list of resources to patients, but we’ve found that this may not be the best approach when working with patients battling substance use disorders. What are your suggestions for providing help to these patients?
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued amended guidance on August 24 regarding covered entities (CE) and health plans contacting patients who have recovered from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to inform them about donating blood to help other COVID-19 patients.
