Q: A pain specialist practice called to set up an apointment for my wife while she was out. She has various medical problems, and I am often in contact with her doctors. I asked if I could set up the appointment, and they said it would be a HIPAA violation to speak to anyone other than the patient about their schedule. Is that correct?
This week’s Medicare updates include an in-depth MLN Matters article on the clinical laboratory fee schedule data collection and reporting requirements, a memorandum on skilled nursing facility late adopters, a listing of public meetings on requests for revisions to HCPCS codes, and more!
Accountable care organizations that have switched tracks to take on downside risk tend to be larger, located in urban areas, and more successful on financial metrics, according to a recent report. However, the report did not find any significant relationship between switching to downside risk tracks and improvement on quality or public health metrics.
