Within its proposed CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) rule (the Proposed Rule), CMS is proposing to implement new payment policies intended to advance health equity and support whole-person care. CMS expects these new...more
Holland & Knight Health Dose is an in-depth weekly dose of legislative and regulatory insights to keep stakeholders abreast of happenings in Washington, D.C., impacting the health sector. ...more
On January 17, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization final rule (Final Rule) (fact sheet, CMS’ interoperability website), which aims to improve prior...more
Last week CMS issued its final rule “CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization” (CMS-0057-F), unchanged from its proposed rule in 2022, which addresses prior authorizations. Prior authorization, a “utilization management”...more
Happy New Year! As we enter 2024, we want to lay out some of the main regulatory issues (both new and old) that McDermott+Consulting will be tracking over the next year. While these may evolve, we think they are still...more
As physician groups and other stakeholders work to finalize comment letters on the calendar year (CY) 2024 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed regulation by September 11, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...more
As part of the CY 2023 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule (the Proposed Rule) released on July 7, 2022, CMS has proposed significant changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The agency’s press release...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is launching new value-based programs with great fervor as a central strategy to bend the healthcare cost curve. Value-based reimbursement models linked to achieving the...more
On November 1, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released in pre-publication form the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule for Calendar Year (CY) 2019 (PFS Final Rule)....more
Earlier this month, CMS proposed changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program with the goal of “modernizing Medicare and restoring the doctor-patient relationship.” The proposed changes achieve...more
The Trump Administration on Feb. 12 released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget request, titled "An American Budget." Unlike last year's budget, which was released in late May, the release of this budget conforms to the typical...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
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published two important guidance statements on so-called "information blocking," i.e., knowingly and willfully limiting or restricting the compatibility or...more
On May 31, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $155 million settlement with eClinical Works (ECW), a nationally-known electronic health records (EHR) software vendor. The settlement arises out of a lawsuit,...more
Since I began writing this year-end review in 2013, there have been some common themes – a shift to pay for quality and away from fee-for service, much of which has been brought about by the Affordable Care Act (ACA): efforts...more
Many observers view the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) as a game changer for the delivery and payment of health care services. On Oct. 14, 2016 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...more
On the heels of the release of its final rule implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2017 list of Advanced Alternative Payment...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Oct. 14, 2016, released the highly anticipated Final Rule implementing the Medicare physician payment reforms enacted as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP...more
After receiving roughly 4,000 comments to its proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on October 14, 2016 released its final rule for implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act...more
On October 14, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The final rule marks the most significant reform to our...more
Significant changes to the Medicare payment system are underway. The Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is set to take effect January 1, 2017. MACRA represents a deliberate departure by the...more
On May 9, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement the bipartisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Although the...more
Since the Affordable Care Act was enacted, many providers have been shifting away from traditional fee-for-service, volume-based reimbursement models to payment mechanisms that take a data-driven approach to managing patients...more
I. REGULATIONS, NOTICES, & GUIDANCE - On March 29, 2016, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule entitled, “Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs: Mental Health Parity and...more
While Medicare’s path toward pay for performance (P4P) has evolved over time, 2015 is proving to be a landmark year. July marked the 50th anniversary of the Medicare program. And in self-described “historic announcements”...more