November roundup: Avoiding the existential threats
Many of the thought leaders and futurists at HLTH2021 repeated some version of this phrase in Boston last month:
”Failure to adopt value-based care models, failure to adopt technology, failure to orient yourself toward the patient: these are existential threats.”
And while this sounds a bit gloom and doom, it’s actually an incredible opportunity for any healthcare business looking to meet patients where they are, coordinate care for better patient outcomes, and take advantage of technology to improve patient care.
In honor of this month of gratitude and thanksgiving, we’re sharing a bounty of resources to feed your healthcare innovation efforts as you head into 2022.
Hope you’re wearing your stretchy pants.
Now let’s tuck in.
New Reimbursement Opportunities in 2022
With the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule announced a couple of weeks ago, you now know what’s on the table for reimbursement in 2022—and a lot centers around the new Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) option.
[New CPT Codes for RTM] Partner Carrie Nixon explains the new reimbursement for Remote Therapeutic Monitoring in the Final 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). You’ll get CPT codes plus the top 5 questions we’ve gotten about how to use RTM.
[Direct Reimbursement for PAs] With direct reimbursement now possible for Physicians Assistants through Medicare, Carrie Nixon and Casey Papp explain why PAs and savvy digital health businesses will want to explore their options for billing these services.
[Chronic Care Mgmt expansion] Kaitlyn O’Connor and Reema Taneja report on 5 new CPT codes for Chronic Care Management and Principle Care Management, plus expanded reimbursement opportunities in existing codes. You’ll be glad to know CMS recognizes that care management services are undervalued and are working to change that.
[Telehealth changes] Partner Rebecca Gwilt reports that while CMS punted on Remote Direct Supervision, we did see improvements to audio-only telehealth for mental health, new Category 3 telehealth services, and longer virtual check-ins.
[Webinar on RTM via Becker’s] Join Partner Carrie Nixon and eMocha CEO Sebastian Seiguer for a webinar on December 7 called Remote Therapeutic Monitoring Explained. You get the perspective of a healthcare innovation attorney and a digital health CEO, so you don’t want to miss this. Click here to register now.
Business Risk Mitigation
[Privacy for Digital Health Companies] Did you know better privacy can impact your investment and partnership opportunities? Find out what Privacy experts Bethany Corbin and Ashleigh Giovannini revealed about privacy concerns and opportunities specific to digital health companies in this webinar replay.
[Protection from Data Breaches] Data is rapidly becoming one of the most valuable assets in the healthcare market, putting digital health companies that collect and process large amounts of personal data at higher risk than many other types of businesses. Find out 3 steps you can take in this article from Counsel Kat Lozah.
[Vaccine mandates for Providers/Suppliers] As everyone in healthcare knows, the pandemic is not over. The Biden Administration’s ongoing efforts at vaccinations now impact Medicare- and Medicaid-Certified Providers and Suppliers, and Hospital and Health System Practice Lead Faisal Khan shares what you need to know about vaccine compliance, timelines, and enforcement for your organization.
Throughout this year we’ve been inspired, intrigued, and impressed by the work our clients and colleagues do to improve patient outcomes and transform healthcare delivery. That’s why we take the warning of an existential threat as more of a motivator—and we think you will, too.
Thank you for allowing us to support and guide you on this journey. We have the best jobs in the world, and we’re thankful to work with such brilliant and caring innovators.
Until next month,
Carrie and Rebecca
and the entire team at Nixon Gwilt Law