According to recent data from the American Hospital Association (AHA), hospitals received 87 cents for every dollar they spent caring for Medicare patients and 90 cents for every dollar on Medicaid patients in 2019.
The American Medical Association has published a host of new codes to cover the yet-to-be-released COVID-19 vaccine.
Stark Medical Auditing CEO Mick Raich reviews Medicare’s recent move to lower COVID-19 test payments for labs that don’t produce results within 48 hours and the impact that may have on labs moving forward.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, CMS will only pay the $100 high-throughput rate to labs that complete testing within two calendar days of the specimen being collected.
Last week, CMS issued the 2021 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Acute Hospital Final Rule, which will grant a $3.5 billion (2.7%) payment boost for inpatient Medicare services beginning Jan. 1.
As part of this move, CMS will require a positive COVID-19 lab test result is documented in the patient's medical record.
As part of the proposed 2021 MPFS changes, radiology is set to see an overall payment reduction of 11% to accommodate scheduled payment boosts for E/M services
While face-to-face time doesn't currently factor in to E/M code selection unless counseling and coordination of care make up at least half the visit, that will change when new E/M guidelines go into effect next year.
As part of recent conversations with our clients and billing contacts, we've learned that some billers are charging a fee to process the HHS Provider Relief Fund payments that were intended to serve as a COVID-19 stimulus grant.
While many clinicians are still working to get a handle on the requirements for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, they also need to keep an eye on how the program is expected to evolve next year now that CMS has…