On June 22, 2023, the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing titled “MACRA Checkup: Assessing Implementation and Challenges that Remain for...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it has several “prevailing concerns” regarding the accuracy of the 2017 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scoring data that was used to set...more
This week’s “Capitol Hill Healthcare Update” includes the latest on a series of healthcare bills scheduled for House votes, including one to repeal the medical device tax; Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott...more
Michael Barry and Max Reiboldt joined Mark Coker to discuss the Top 10 Lessons Learned from First-to-Second Generation Transactions. Mr. Barry is a partner in the Corporate Practice and the Healthcare Practice and focuses his...more
CMS recently announced that it wants to launch a new demonstration program, the Medicare Advantage Qualifying Payment Arrangement Incentive (MAQI) Demonstration. If approved and adopted as a demonstration project, the MAQI...more
In March, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its biannual report to Congress on matters affecting the Medicare program. MedPAC is an independent congressional agency that advises Congress on issues...more
We expect 2018 to be another year of rapid change within the health care industry. In this episode, Mary Beth Johnston highlights some of the key topics that the health care practice group will monitor in the coming year,...more
• Congress amended current law to prevent CMS from applying the “MIPS” payment adjustment to separately billed items like drugs and biologics, which will drastically reduce the total amount of payment adjustments to clinical...more
Most physicians have, by this point, gained some familiarity with the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The name of this law has appeared frequently in commentary over the past several years, and...more
2018 marks the commencement of the second performance year for the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP), implemented under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (otherwise known as MACRA). ...more
Happy New Year!?! 2017 was an eventful year for health care, and now we can all sit back and relax with very little concern that major health policy will be on the table in 2018. Right? Why must Speaker Ryan ruin our...more
CMS recently issued guidance on the three-part “Prevention of Information Blocking” attestation which physicians and other eligible clinicians will need to submit to CMS in order to qualify for points under the “Advancing...more
On November 2, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule implementing policies for Year 2 (2018) of the Quality Payment Program established under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization...more
On November 2, 2017, CMS issued the final rule with comment for the second year (2018) of the Quality Payment Program as well as an interim final rule. Continuing with its theme of a CMS that is “listening to feedback,” CMS...more
On November 2, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2018 Quality Payment Program (QPP) Final Rule. The Final Rule contains notable changes that may affect smaller practices participating in...more
With all the discussion lately about trying to manage the cost of healthcare, what are the most important recent changes in reimbursement methodology and strategies which Patient First has seen in the market? The ongoing...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued guidance intended to help clinicians eligible for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) navigate an attestation required thereunder concerning the...more
US-CERT Warns of New Ransomware: Bad Rabbit - The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is warning companies in the U.S. about a new ransomware dubbed “Bad Rabbit.” US-CERT stated it has received multiple...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) simplified the process for clinicians and other providers to seek the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Hardship exception by releasing an online application on Aug. 2....more
As we reported last month, CMS’ proposed rule updating MACRA’s Quality Payment Program (“QPP”) for CY 2018 would extend and expand exceptions that would allow many practitioners to avoid participating in its Merit-based...more
Summer was no vacation for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The agency released a series of significant rules that signal the nature and pace of CMS Medicare payment and policy changes for hospitals and...more
In April 2015, Congress established a new framework for Medicare Part B physician payments through the passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (“MACRA”), which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule on the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP) in the Federal Register1 on June 30, 2017. This rule proposes the QPP program requirements for...more
On June 20, 2017, CMS released its proposed rule updating MACRA’s Quality Payment Program (“QPP”) for CY 2018. At over 1,000 pages, the rule might not do much to simplify the already complex requirements of the QPP; however,...more
CMS recently proposed modified policies for continued implementation of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) in the 2017 Proposed Rule. Among other things, the Proposed Rule provides flexibility for clinicians in the second QPP...more