FDA Supporting Ban On Powdered Medical Gloves
The FDA has just announced their proposal to ban most of the powdered gloves in the country. The use of such gloves is going down, but still, they comprise an unfair and considerable risk of bringing illness or injury to providers, patients, and other individuals who happen to be exposed to them. This risk cannot…
A Few Tax Write-Off Tips For Physicians This Year
Tax season is upon us, and physicians especially will feel a chill in the air that has nothing to do with the temperature. It is the time of the year, when they need to work hard and fast to prepare for the tax payment deadline. Considering that good doctors almost always have their hands full…
NCVHS Standards Committee Follow Up HBMA Testimonies
National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) received an oral and written testimony from Dave Nicholson, HBMA Government Relations Committee Member last month. The testimony covers various topics such as prior authorization and claims attachments. The efforts of the staff and members of HBMA Government Relations Committee are behind the preparation of this testimony.…
Large Companies Band Together To Solve Rising Healthcare Cost
What sets big companies such as the likes of Coca-Cola, IBM, and Macy’s together, despite the fact that they serve different industries? The one new thing they have in common is that they also do healthcare. Beginning this year, these three corporations, along with 20 others in the country, will be forming a coalition of…
MACRA Urges Participation In APMs Over MIPS
The administration is certainly laying out a plan for the post-SGR period. With the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 passed, the Medicare program will be moving towards two new payment systems by year 2019. Of these systems, the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) mixes the current three Medicare quality programs inside a…
Bill To Cancel Affordable Care Act Vetoed By The President
The Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010 and it is highly regarded as the signature piece of legislation under Obama Administration. Nevertheless, the Republicans in America have been trying feverishly to replace this act. Since the enactment, there have been numerous voting at the House of Representatives to replace or delay the act. Interestingly,…
CMS Confirms Mandatory Medicare Bundled-Pay For Joint Replacement Surgery
CMS finalized the proposed bundle payment system for its hip and knee replacement surgery known as the CCJR model on November 16. Even though the final rule makes some changes to the model, which was proposed at the start, by reducing the number of participating metropolitan statistical regions from 75 to 67, over 800 hospitals…
OIG Seeks Suggestions On Safe Harbor Provisions And Special Fraud Alerts
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) invited recommendations and proposals from the public on improving OIG Special Fraud Alerts and implementing safe harbor provisions. The latter comes under the Federal anti-kickback statute of the Social Security Act. As per the existing Health Insurance Portability and Accountability…
Issues Arise In Processing ICD-10 Claims
The move to ICD-10 has apparently evaded most of the obstacles healthcare stakeholders predicted. Despite that, HBMA members have uncovered many challenges in the transition to the new coding system. Members of the association have encountered issues at the Medicare Administrative Contractor level, with claims having to do with National Coverage Determinations, and Local Coverage…
GAO Report Observes Growing Trend Of Consolidation Practices Among Hospitals
The report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to the Congress turns out to be in favor of neutral payments. The report addressed the increasing trend of consolidation within the healthcare industry. There is growing number of instances where physician practices merge with other entities or hospitals purchasing physician practices. According to the report,…
