The proposed $1.66 trillion omnibus government funding bill – which is expected to pass through the U.S. House and Senate this week – includes multiple home-based care provisions of importance. Among those is new home health payment transparency language, an extension of the rural add-on, a separate extension of the Money Follows the Person program […]
Update: President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on Dec. 29, 2022. Update: The bill passed both chambers of Congress and was sent to President Joe Biden as of Dec. 23, 2022. The year-end $1.7 trillion spending bill includes provisions to extend pandemic-era telehealth and hospital-at-home waivers for two years. The legislation, released Tuesday, aims to avert a government shutdown […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the healthcare services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients with quick […]
A fourth year into the pandemic, its effects have hospices continuing to combat against financial and operational headwinds, as well as uncertainty about the future of telehealth rules. The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) is likely to endure past another extension. Currently set to expire Jan. 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health & Human […]
Only 15 percent of patients who were eligible for Medicare fee-for-service telehealth used the service in the second quarter of 2022, according to a Dec. 15 telehealth utilization report from CMS. CMS analyzed data from Medicare Fee-for-Service Part B claims data and Medicare enrollment information for beneficiaries who utilized telehealth services between January 1, 2020, and June […]
On November 2, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the CY 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (Final Rule), which will take effect January 1, 2023. The Final Rule includes noteworthy updates regarding billing and reimbursement for services provided via telehealth, providing practitioners with some guidance on navigating the transition away from […]
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule. CMS publishes a PFS annually so as to make changes in federal healthcare reimbursement and policy. PFS changes often spill over into the private sector, as private payors typically consult the PFS when evaluating […]
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) rule. As finalized, some of the most significant telehealth policy changes include: According to the September 2021 Medicare Telemedicine Snapshot, telehealth services have increased more than 30-fold since the start of the PHE and have been utilized […]
Q: Are there any changes to the telehealth billing in 2023? A: For CY 2023, Medicare is finalizing a number of policies related to services, including making several services that are temporarily available as telehealth services for the Public Health Emergency (PHE) available at least through CY 2023. This allows additional time for the collection of […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the calendar year (CY) 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) in the Federal Register for November 18, 2022. Some of the key provisions contained in the final rule include (and are effective on January 1, 2023): Medicare Telehealth Services Evaluation & Management (E&M) Visits Behavioral Health Chronic Pain […]
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has signed off on the home health payment rule finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last month. After its review, the GAO found that CMS appropriately determined the impact of the difference between assumed versus actual behavior change on estimated aggregate expenditures for home health payments. “GAO […]
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule. This article highlights noteworthy provisions of the Final Rule related to telehealth and other remote services. Of particular note, the Final Rule contains provisions extending Medicare coverage to additional telehealth services, […]
Highlights The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule on Nov. 1, 2022, which impacts Medicare Part B payments starting on Jan. 1, 2023. CMS finalized several significant payment policy changes, including revaluing remaining evaluation and management codes, continuing its four-year phase-in of clinical […]
As the final votes of the 2022 Midterm Elections are counted, Republicans have taken back control of the House of Representatives, while the Democrats will retain control of the Senate. Both chambers will be held by extremely thin margins, which will boost the status of centrists in each party. The change in House Majority gives […]
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule for the 2023 Calendar Year (CY 2023) Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) (the Final Rule). The Final Rule, issued on November 1, includes updates and policy changes related to Medicare payments under the MPFS. While the Final Rule is […]
