On Thursday, August 2, CMS released the fiscal year (FY) 2019 IPPS final rule with an overhaul of the newly coined Promoting Interoperability Programs, significant reductions to reporting requirements for quality initiatives, and updates to payment rates.
Q: I'm a coding manager reorganizing work assignments for my entire department. What should I consider as I determine what types of records each coder should focus on?
HHS is planning to reform HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 in an effort to improve care coordination. In remarks to the Heritage Foundation July 26, HHS Secretary Alex Azar conveyed that HHS is starting a review of regulations that interfere with coordination among doctors, hospitals, and payers.
Q: Is texting an acceptable way to communicate with a patient? Do we need to ask the patient to sign a form with a statement to the effect that they prefer that we text information on test results, etc., rather than leave a voicemail asking them to call?
CMS did not propose any new comprehensive APCs (C-APC) last year, taking a rare year off, but it did introduced three new C-APCs in the 2019 OPPS proposed rule, released in late July.
