On November 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its proposal to extend virtual direct supervision—i.e., the ability to provide direct supervision through real-time, audio-visual technology (rather...more
On July 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed to extend virtual direct supervision—i.e., the ability to provide direct supervision through real-time, audio-visual technology (rather than in-person...more
Split (or shared) visits—the current term used by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)—allow non-physician practitioners (NPPs) and physicians who work for the same employer/entity to share patient visits on the...more
Congress is on its way to extending the stop-gap funding bills into March (and may have already done so by the time you read this). Absent from the legislation to continue funding the federal government is a “doc fix” that...more
We hope that you, like Congress, enjoyed some time off last week and are ready to dive in—for a few days at least. As we previously reminded you, the House is only in session 12 days in July, then away for August recess, and...more
On November 1, 2022, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2023 final rule for services reimbursed under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) (the Final Rule). The Final...more
On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued its Calendar Year (CY) 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (“PFS”) Final Rule. In this post, we sample some key highlights from the Final Rule. ...more
On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule which, among other policy and regulatory changes, finalized...more
There are three things that cannot be stopped: time, gravity, and the increasing complexity of the Stark Law. To be fair, complexity has not been the goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Rather, Stark's...more
On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule (Proposed Rule). The Proposed Rule sets forth CMS’ plans to revise...more
Compliance Today (March 2021) - On January 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Learning Network released the following physician fee schedule update...more
At long last, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued decisions on provider applications for the mid-build exception. Nearly four years after the deadline for hospitals to apply for the mid-build...more
On December 27, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Act), which was passed by Congress the evening of December 21, after weeks of negotiation. The lengthy legislation, totaling in at...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Final Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which contains updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The MPFS...more
Report on Medicare Compliance 29, no. 43 (December 7, 2020) - In the 2021 final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rule, CMS made both permanent and temporary changes to supervision, telehealth and other provisions,...more
In its calendar year 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (“MPFS”) proposed rule, released August 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has proposed to make permanent certain telehealth changes that...more
Report on Medicare Compliance 28, no. 40 (November 11, 2019) - CMS has given the green light to prior authorization for five types of procedures in an attempt to control “unnecessary increases” in these procedures as part...more
Despite a court ruling against its site-neutral policy in September 2019, in the Calendar Year (CY) 2020 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule, released on November 1, 2019, the Centers for Medicare...more
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Calendar Year (CY) 2020 Proposed Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The MPFS dictates Medicare rates and policies under Part B, while the...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it would soon deny claims based on a series of validation edits to Medicare enrollment systems. These validation edits will apply to hospital...more
In the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule published on November 23, CMS published new policies for accountable care organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). ...more
In its final Calendar Year (CY) 2019 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Rule released November 2, 2018 (the Final Rule), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its proposal to make payments for...more
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published the Calendar Year (CY) 2019 Final Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), which includes provisions related to Medicare physician payments as well...more
Since the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, certain off-campus provider-based departments (PBDs) have seen their payment rates cut by nearly 60 percent. Now, in its recently released calendar year (CY) 2019...more
As of January 1, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) began enrolling suppliers in its new Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (“MDPP”). If successfully enrolled prior to April 1, 2018, MDPP suppliers...more