Policy and Regulation

Most Physicians Still Unprepared for MACRA Despite CMS’ One-Year Delay

June 30, 2017, by Scott Rupp

A new study by KPMG and American Medical Association shows that just 8 percent of a thousand physicians surveyed said they feel they are “well prepared” to meet Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) reporting requirements. As a group they are ill-prepared for the transition and may be unable (as of today) or limited in their ability to respond effectively to the law that will change the way they are paid. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Scott Rupp

Contributor

Scott E. Rupp is a writer and an award-winning journalist focused on healthcare technology. He has worked as a public relations executive for a major electronic health record/practice management vendor, and he currently manages his own agency, millerrupp. In addition to writing for a variety of publications, Scott also offers his insights on healthcare technology and its leaders on his site, Electronic Health Reporter.

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MACRA Creates More Problems than It Cures?

June 29, 2017, by Scott Rupp

On June 20, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finally posted the 2018 Quality Payment Program (QPP) Proposed Rule established through the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). The two tracks for Medicare physician payment established by the QPP are the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs).

The first year (2017), according to the release, is meant to be a transition year, but CMS now says 2018 will continue the slow ramp-up of the payment reform to encourage clinician participation. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Scott Rupp

Contributor

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Four More Regions for CMS’ CPC+ Program

June 6, 2017, by Scott Rupp

CMS announced in May 2017 the four regions it has selected for the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) Round 2 and the health insurance companies that will participate. These insurers will join the 54 payers in 14 regions that were selected for Round 1 in 2016. The goal of the program, CMS said in a statement, is a payment redesign model designed to improve health outcomes while lowering costs, a goal desired by all, of course. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Private Practice

Scott Rupp

Contributor

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CMS Moves Forward With Medicare Beneficiary Identifier Program While National Patient Identifier Movement Goes Nowhere

June 5, 2017, by Scott Rupp

In a response effort to attempt to battle fraud and illegal use of people’s personal information, new Medicare cards that are being issued from this point no longer will list Social Security numbers. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Scott Rupp

Contributor

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Texas No Longer Standing In the Way of Telehealth

June 2, 2017, by Scott Rupp

Over the 2017 Memorial Day weekend, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1107 allowing physicians the ability to use videoconferencing to see patients without a prior in-person interaction, multiple news organizations have reported. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Scott Rupp

Contributor

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Funding for ONC slashed under Trump's budget proposal

May 24, 2017, by Kevin McCarthy

President Donald Trump released 2018's budget proposal on Tuesday, May 23, and the document indicates that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology will receive less funding than it has come to expect in recent years - the cut amounts to some 37 percent, Healthcare IT News reported. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Kevin McCarthy

Industry News Editor

An avid traveler and news junkie, Kevin covers a range of topics from healthcare technology to policy and regulations. As a former journalism student, he enjoys finding stories relevant to small practices and is passionate about keeping them informed. Before joining NueMD, Kevin worked for Turner Broadcasting as a Programming Intern where he conducted legal research and contributed to editorial content development. He received his bachelor's degree in Communication from Kennesaw State University and currently serves as the Industry News Editor at NueMD.

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Plethora of Telehealth Regulation in US States Focus on Reimbursement

May 12, 2017, by Scott Rupp

The Center for Connected Health Policy recently updated and released its fifth annual edition of the “State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies” report, a document that spans more than 250 pages and offers a detailed level of insight into the subject. The report has become a bible for the industry that guides policymakers, advocates and others in regard to the most up-to-date policies and changes in telehealth. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Scott Rupp

Contributor

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Telehealth Bills Seek to Provide More Access, Increase Reimbursement

April 12, 2017, by Scott Rupp

Finally, telehealth folks, legislation is attempting to catch up with the technology of the day. Telehealth services and capabilities have become increasingly popular in the last half decade, but reimbursement, primarily through Medicare and Medicaid, has been lacking. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Scott Rupp

Contributor

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MACRA Misery Loves Company and Practices Are Not Ready

March 31, 2017, by Scott Rupp

MACRA’s almost here; it ain’t going anywhere. But. Guessing on recent headlines, there’s a very good chance, if you’re running your own practice that you are not ready for it. Breathe easier, misery loves company -- you’re not alone.

These are the results of a survey published by Healthcare Informatics of more than 2,000 of your peers, almost half (43 percent) claimed that they need help with their MACRA preparation needs. Even more dramatic is that another 30 percent of these fine folks said that they are not at all prepared. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation

Scott Rupp

Contributor

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Why the American Health Care Act is Sick or Not, Depending on Who’s Diagnosing It

March 22, 2017, by Scott Rupp

For those following the politics of healthcare, there has been nothing larger than the Affordable Care Act (ACA/ObamaCare) for the last seven years. Until now.

In the first quarter of 2017 the Trump Administration and the Republican-led Congress put forth the act that is supposed to “repeal and replace” the original social healthcare act. [cont...]

Policy and Regulation