The overall monthly national healthcare spending rate modestly increased 4.3% from August 2016 to August 2017, with a notable increase in home health spending, according to a brief from Altarum’s Center for Sustainable Health Spending.
Physicians may be angry at the increased documentation, coding, and billing workflow and compliance activities they must perform to be successful in new reimbursement models. However, to avoid accustations of fraud and upcoding, they must develop their own OIG-recommended compliance plan and be open to rigorous feedback and advice.
This week’s Medicare updates include the announcement of the Part A and Part B premiums and deductibles for 2018, clarification on new Conditions of Participation regarding home health agency subunits, a proposed decision memo on conditions of coverage for implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and more!
This week’s Medicare updates include an advisory opinion on using network hospitals for inpatient stays; annual updates to HCPCS codes used for home health consolidated billing and the therapy code list; the removal of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (topical application of oxygen) from an NCD; and more!