Policy and Advocacy News

The HHS Extended the Deadline for Eligible Physicians to Apply for CARES Act Funding Into August The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended the deadline for eligible Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program physicians and organizations to submit information and apply for funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund from July 20 to August 3, 2020. The HHS is distributing approximately $15 billion to eligible physicians who have not previously received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund. The payment amount will be at least 2% of reported gross revenue from patient care, and the final amount will be determined based on submitted data, including the number of Medicaid patients served. The HHS […]

CMS Releases 2021 ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes for Physician and Facility Coding On July 9, 2020, the Centers for Medical and Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated codes in the 2021 ICD-10 Procedure Coding System (PCS). These new codes include updated diagnosis codes for spinal and back conditions. These new codes will allow greater tracking and appropriate payment for spine surgery technologies. The new codes will be in effect from October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021, and were announced in the 2021 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule in June 2020. Visit the CMS website for the full list of ICD-10-PCS codes and for more information: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/icd-10/2021-icd-10-cm

AMA and Affiliated Organizations Engage in Survey on How Telehealth Impacts Physicians and Their Practices Since COVID-19 started, we have all experienced a significant shift toward telehealth. The American Medical Association (AMA) has been working on a Telehealth Impact Physician survey in collaboration with The MITRE Corporation, Mayo Clinic, and others as part of an effort of the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition. They have invited all physicians to complete the online Telehealth Impact Study—Provider Survey. The study has been approved by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board and is part of our efforts in the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition to address the pandemic. The goal of this project is to learn more about your experience with telehealth to identify the challenges, barriers, and benefits. […]

Federal Court Overturns District Court Ruling on HHS Authority to Reduce Payments to Off-Campus Provider-Based Practices On July 17, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned the district court’s decision and ruled that Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had the authority to cut payments to off-campus provider-based departments for evaluation and management services to make them equivalent to the rate paid to physician offices in 2019. The American Hospital Associaiton, Association of American Medical Colleges, and the other plaintiffs have not yet said whether they will appeal. Separately, they are suing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the 2020 site neutral pay cuts. To read the Federal Court ruling, click here: [https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/E27BC5B064ED8035852585A80052C843/%24file/19-5352-1852218.pdf]