Legislation

News COVID-19 Vaccines: Act Now IRF Review Choice Demonstration: Submit Comments by October 8 Compliance Medicare Quarterly Provider Compliance Newsletter Surgical Dressings: Medicare Requirements Claims, Pricers, & Codes Average Sales Price Files: October 2021 Events National Stakeholder Call with the CMS Administrator — September 17 MLN Matters® Articles 2022 Annual Update for the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Bonus Payments Annual Clotting Factor Furnishing Fee Update 2022 Home Health Notices of Admission – Additional Manual Instructions Implement Operating [...]

Biden-Harris Administration to Expand Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Settings New action will protect patients of the 50,000 providers and over 17 million health care workers in Medicare and Medicaid certified facilities The Biden-Harris Administration will require COVID-19 vaccination of staff within all Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities to protect both them and patients from the virus and its more contagious Delta variant.  Facilities across the country should make efforts now to get health care staff vaccinated to make [...]

  AAOS Advocacy in Action Submitted comments to the regulatory agencies on Part I of the surprise billing rules issued to address implementation of the No Surprises Act.       Action Alert: Protect Access to Specialty Care     Orthopaedic surgeons, along with much of the physician community, are facing imminent cuts to Medicare payment. These cuts, when combined, will amount to an up to 10% reduction and would be significantly damaging to physician practices and access to [...]

News Ambulance Prior Authorization Model Implementation Dates In Response to Hurricane Ida PHE, CMS Announces Support for Residents of Louisiana & Mississippi Provider Enrollment Activities Resume in October Hospice Quality Reporting Program: Public Reporting Key Dates DME Suppliers: Payment for Respiratory Equipment Affected by Recent Recall Healthy Aging: Recommend Services for Your Patients Compliance DMEPOS Standard Written Order Requirements Claims, Pricers, & Codes HCPCS Level II Application Submission: Launch of MEARISTM HCPCS Level II Application Submission Deadlines MLN [...]

CMS Expands Medicare Payments for At-Home COVID-19 Vaccinations Part of Biden-Harris Administration Vaccine Outreach, CMS Boosts Vaccine Access in Smaller Group Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, and Other Group Living Situations As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing commitment to increasing access to vaccinations and improving health equity, CMS is expanding opportunities for people to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in their home. To ensure Medicare beneficiaries who have difficulty leaving their homes or are otherwise hard-to-reach can receive the vaccination, [...]

  AAOS Advocacy in Action Expressed our support for the Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act (H.R. 3447), which would permanently allow Medicare to pay for doctor visits performed via audio-only phone calls rather than always requiring a video component. Also expressed our support to House and Senate sponsors of the Research Investment to Spark the Economy Act (H.R. 869 /S. 289), which would reinvigorate crucial federal research projects and pursuits that have been limited by the COVID-19 public [...]

News Immunization: Medicare Covers Vaccines Compliance Chiropractic Services: Comply with Medicare Billing Requirements Events Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System: Instrument Walkthrough Webinar — August 26 Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System: Q&A Session — September 14 MLN Matters® Articles Implementation of the Capital Related Assets Adjustment (CRA) for the Transitional Add-on Payment Adjustment for New and Innovative Equipment and Supplies (TPNIES) Under the End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (ESRD PPS) Implementation of the GV Modifier for [...]

News COVID-19: Vaccinate Your Patients CMS Resumes Targeted Probe & Educate Program Compliance Cardiac Device Credits: Medicare Billing Claims, Pricers, & Codes Non-Drug & Non-Biological Items and Services: HCPCS Application Summaries & Coding Decisions MLN Matters® Articles Internet Only Manual Updates to Pub. 100-01, 100-02, and 100-04 to Implement Consolidated Appropriations Act Changes and Correct Errors and Omissions (SNF) Internet Only Manual Updates to Publication (Pub.) 100-02 to Implement Updates to Policy and Correct Errors and Omissions (Inpatient [...]

  AAOS Advocacy in Action Joined with a multistakeholder group in urging Congress to advance permanent telehealth reform and ensure access to high-quality virtual care before the public health emergency expiries Expressed serious concern over an aspect of the Department of Veterans Affairs Supremacy Project, which plans to develop National Standards of Practice for physicians and other health professionals that supersede state scope of practice and licensure laws.       The Bone Beat New Episode Conversations on health policy [...]

CMS Final Rule Improves Health Equity, Access to Treatment, Hospital Readiness, and COVID-19 Vaccination Data Reporting of Hospital Workers Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule Increases Payments to Treat COVID-19 and Improves Quality of Data Collection CMS is taking action to drive value-based, person-centered care and promote sustainability and readiness to respond to future Public Health Emergencies (PHEs) in our nation’s hospitals through the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System/Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System final [...]