News

Kaiser Health News Article Raises Questions About New Medicare Site of Service Policy In an article published March 23, 2021, Kaiser Health News (KHN) questioned the impact of the new CMS policy allowing numerous surgical procedures to be performed in outpatient locations or ambulatory surgical centers. For 2021, CMS allowed more than 200 procedures, including dozens of spine surgical procedures, to be moved from the Inpatient Only (IPO) list. The KHN article describes the transition and impacts on hospitals that face potential reduced reimbursements and patients who face potentially higher Medicare co-pays. The article looks at several health systems, including the Hospital for Special Surgery and Langone NYU Hospital System in New York and Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California. […]

American Rescue Plan Legislation Expands Access to Health Care Coverage under the Affordable Care Act Under the recently passed American Rescue Plan, many people who buy their own health insurance directly through the Health Insurance Marketplace will become eligible to receive increased tax credits to reduce their premiums. Starting April 1, 2021, consumers enrolling in Marketplace coverage through HealthCare.gov will be able to take advantage of these increased savings and lower costs. Additionally, beginning in early July on HealthCare.gov, consumers who have received or have been determined eligible to receive unemployment compensation for any week during 2021 may be able to get another increase in savings when enrolling in new Marketplace coverage or updating their existing Marketplace application and enrollment. […]

New CMS Rule to Apply MIPS Exemption for the 2020 Performance Period CMS announced flexibilities to provide relief to physicians responding to the (COVID-19) pandemic. For the 2020 performance period, CMS will be applying the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances (EUC) policy to all MIPS-eligible clinicians. They are also reopening the MIPS EUC application for individual MIPS-eligible clinicians, groups, virtual groups, and Alternative Payment Model entities through 8 p.m. ET on March 31, 2021. Please note that applications received between now and March 31, 2021, won’t override previously submitted data for individuals, groups, and virtual groups. Individual clinicians, groups, and virtual groups that have not submitted data • Individual MIPS-eligible clinicians: You do not need […]

ISASS and Other Stakeholders Urge Congress to Extend Physician Payment Relief in 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule ISASS joined a sign-on letter to congressional leadership advocating that Congress pass legislation to extend the current moratorium on the 2% Medicare payment sequester beyond the current March 31, 2021, expiration date. The letter strongly urges Congress to pass a new bill, H.R. 315, the Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act. This bipartisan legislation would continue the current Medicare sequester moratorium for the duration of the public health emergency. Please see the attached copy of the sign-on letter: Here