On December 28, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Memorandum (the “Memo”), effective immediately, that represents a clear change to previous guidance on the use of SMS Text Messaging or “texting” by healthcare providers to transmit patient information to other providers that are part of a patient’s care team.
Read MoreLast week, CMS issued a Proposed Rule suggesting changes for Year 2 of the Quality Payment Program ("QPP"), established under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. The changes are aimed at reducing administrative and financial burdens of the QPP on physician practices, particularly small independent practices and practices serving rural communities. Per CMS, the Proposed Rule "continues the slow ramp-up of the Quality Payment Program by establishing special policies for Program Year 2 aimed at encouraging successful participation in the program while reducing burden, reducing the number of clinicians required to participate, and preparing clinicians for the CY 2019 performance period."
Read MoreIn Part Three of the MACRA series, you’ll learn about Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) and the requirements for participating in this track, along with how doing so will affect your Medicare payments for 2017 and beyond.
Read MoreHave you decided which MACRA participation option your practice will choose in the 2017 transition year? What you choose now (and how you implement) determines your payment adjustment for Medicare Part B billings in 2019 and beyond. In the second blog post of our MACRA series, we talk about the Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), and what it means for physicians.
Read MoreThe Final MACRA Rule relaxed the more stringent proposed requirements for 2017, so whether you choose to dip your toe in the water or take the full-on MACRA plunge, now is the time to get MACRA-ready and avoid reimbursement penalties. What does MACRA mean for your practice? That's a question we can help answer.
Read MoreIt just got easier to sue nursing homes. How do you protect your facility and your patients while still maintaining a profit?
This article is a high-level overview of the proposed changes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as well as the main points you as an Administrator need to know now.
Read MoreAs physician revenues decline, and medical practices are feeling the pressure of the shift to value-based payment, more physicians are choosing to add ancillary services to their practices to boost revenue. Ancillary services are healthcare services provided by a clinician that are in addition to or complementary to basic medical or surgical services. Examples include medication dispensing, radiography, weight-loss services, in-office diagnostic testing, nutrition counseling, alternative treatments, such as acupuncture and massage, physical therapy, immunotherapy, mental health counseling, urgent care, cosmetic (“med spa”) services, and many more.
Read MoreThe CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has spent the last 6 years testing out a variety of models for value-based care and payment--the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and other ACO models, the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Initiative, the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model, and various Medicaid and CHIP initiatives. As the Administration doubles down on its commitment to shift payments away from fee-for-service (FFS), it continues to innovate, building programs to align incentives to person-centered, comprehensive, high quality health care. In that vein, in July of this year, CMS will begin taking applications from practices for participation in a new CMMI program: the CPC+ program.
Read MoreNLG Partner Rebecca E. Gwilt speaking at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services DATA PRIVACY DAY forum, alongside Maya Bernstein, HHS ASPE Senior Advisor for Privacy Policy and Rogelyn McLean, HHS Office of General Counsel. Rebecca will be sharing her perspective on the role of the government in creating a workable framework for HIPAA compliance and the role of the private sector in respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust.
Read More
