(Editor’s Note: Dr. Terri Lewis has been very critical of the CDC for not requiring data collection about chronicity or context of chronic disease. This is the first of a…
New identification cards the government is sending out to all Medicare recipients in an effort to deter fraud may actually end up encouraging scammers and hindering physician billing, according to…
This week at a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, providers heard some comforting statements from Senate leaders and a key official from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.…
CMS' Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 replaced the current Meaningful Use, Physician Quality Reporting System and Value-Based Payment Modifier this year. Under MACRA, physicians can participate in…
Some experts are predicting a large spike in denials beginning on Oct. 1, 2016 when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will require claims to be more specific. Forward-looking…
Just as the Ice Age eventually ended, so has the ICD-10 coding freeze. CMS recently announced that roughly 6,000 new codes will be added this October, which will be the…
The reason that there has been such a large rise in codes for the ICD-10 coding system is due to a partial freeze that occurred before the implementation deadline on…
As it was billed and touted, ICD-10-CM/PCS gives medical personnel vastly expanded powers of specificity when diagnosing diseases and other health issues. Yet that greatly enhanced specificity comes with a…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched an online resource to support states' efforts to update outdated IT systems, Andy Slavitt, CMS' acting administrator, announced on Monday. Through…
CMS Issues Clarifying Questions and Answers Related to the July 6, 2015 CMS/AMA Joint Announcement and Guidance Regarding ICD-10 Flexibilities In response to questions from the health care community, CMS…
Hospitals did not get any ICD-10 relief as part of CMS' accord with the AMA regarding a specificity grace period. However, they might not need much help, according to the latest Workgroup…
On July 27, in response to questions from healthcare providers, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and American Medical Association (AMA) released clarifications on their ICD-10 guidance for…
The country’s four largest state medical societies—California, Florida, New York, and Texas—have warned the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that the Oct. 1 ICD-10 implementation deadline is a “looming…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended the deadline for applying to conduct end-to-end testing with Medicare in July. Application forms are now being accepted May 11 through…
With about six months to go before the ICD-10 deadline, many medical practices are wondering if they can get it done in time. They may think they need a hero,…
Though CMS has delayed ICD-10 more than once, this time it looks like the agency is serious, with specific plans for end-to-end testing ready to launch.