This week’s Medicare updates include new additions to the OIG Work Plan, transmittals on implementation of the End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (PPS) and Home Health PPS, and a Special Edition MLN Matters article on waivers to assist with wildfire relief in California.
A collaborative health program between medical and community service groups in Pierce County, Washington, has led to a 44% reduction in 911 calls, a 47% reduction in ambulance transports, and a 36% reduction in emergency department visits within the first two years of the program.
There is a lot of pressure on hospitals and other healthcare providers to improve the patient experience by utilizing mobile health apps to make it easier to communicate with patients and their families. But with the pros of mobile apps come cons.
Q: A nurse practitioner told a patient to return after an office visit if his chest pain worsened, and the provider ordered a nuclear stress test to take place the next day. Can my provider count the plan for the stress test in the medical decision-making for the previous encounter?
