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CMS

Reminder: 2022 MIPS data submission period ends March 31

MIPS Eligible clinicians can submit their 2022 data through March 31. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened the data submission period for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians who participated in the 2022 performance year of the Quality Payment Program (QPP). Data can be submitted and updated until 8 p.m. ET March 31. How to submit your 2022 MIPS data Clinicians will follow the steps outlined below to submit their data: Go to the Quality Payment Program sign in page. Sign in using your QPP access credentials (see below for directions). Submit your MIPS data for the 2022 performance year or review the data reported on your behalf by a third party. (You can’t correct errors with your data after the submission period, so it’s important to make sure the data submitted on… . . . read more.

QPP

MIPS 2022 data submission period is now open

MIPS eligible clinicians can start submitting their 2022 data through March 31. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened the data submission period for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians who participated in the 2022 performance year of the Quality Payment Program (QPP). Data can be submitted and updated until8 p.m. ET on March 31, 2023. How to submit your 2022 MIPS data Go to the Quality Payment Program sign in page. Sign in using your QPP access credentials (see below for directions). Submit your MIPS data for the 2022 performance year or review the data reported on your behalf by a third party. (You can’t correct errors with your data after the submission period, so it’s important to make sure the data submitted on your behalf is accurate). How… . . . read more.

HIPAA

Proposed rule would standardize how to send health care attachments

It might get easier for your medical office to send healthcare attachments and electronic signatures. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has issued a proposed rule, “Adoption of Standards for Health Care Attachments Transactions and Electronic Signatures, and Modification to Referral Certification and Authorization Transaction Standard (CMS-0053-P).” If finalized, the proposed rule, would adopt standards for “health care attachments” transactions, such as medical charts, x-rays, and provider notes that document physician referrals, and office or telemedicine visits. The modifications to the HIPAA transactions would support both health care claims and prior authorization transactions, standards for electronic signatures to be used in conjunction with health care attachments transactions, and a modification to the standard for the referral certification and authorization transaction. The is a part of ongoing efforts to… . . . read more.

CMS

2022 APM incentive payment public notice deadline Tuesday

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) previously published 2022 Alternative Payment Model (APM) Incentive Payment details on the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website. To access this information, clinicians and surrogates can now log in to the QPP website using their HARP credentials. Eligible clinicians who were Qualifying APM Participants (QPs) based on their 2020 performance should have begun receiving their 2022 5% APM Incentive Payments earlier this summer. CMS has posted the Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) Incentive Payments for 2022 for more details.  More information is also available on the Federal Register. If you have not received your payment, you should check for your name on the 2022 QP Notice for APM Incentive Payment Zip File, which indicates that you will need to verify your Medicare billing information. If you do not verify your Medicare billing information by… . . . read more.

WORKPLACE WELLNESS

Five essentials to support employee mental health and well-being

As reports of quiet quitting and the Great Resignation have shown, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of work for many and the relationship that some workers have with their jobs. In response, the United States Surgeon General has released the Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health & Well-Being in the Workplace, outlining the foundational role that workplaces should play in promoting the health and well-being of workers and communities. With more than 160 million people participating in the United States workforce and with the average full-time worker in the United States spending about half of their waking life at work, workplaces play a significant role in shaping mental and physical well-being. Employers have a unique opportunity not only to invest in the mental health and well-being of their workforce, but… . . . read more.

CMS

Reminder: 2023 MIPS self-nomination closes Sept. 1

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would like to remind you that the end of the 2023 MIPS Self-Nomination for Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDRs) and Qualified Registries is Sept. 1, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET. The Self-Nomination form on the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website will lock at the deadline, and users won’t be able to make additional edits. You need to ensure that your 2023 MIPS Self-Nomination form is complete and then click the Submit for Review button on the QPP website before the deadline. You can only submit the Self-Nomination form for review after all required fields are complete on each tab. Each tab has a vertical progress indicator on the left side of the form that shows your progress. A green checkmark shows you’ve completed the tab,… . . . read more.

BILLING & COLLECTIONS

Medicare covering OTC COVID-19 tests

Starting this week and through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), Medicare covers and pays for over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests at no cost to people with Medicare Part B, including those with Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. In addition to helping prevent the spread of COVID-19, the goal is to find out if Medicare payment for OTC COVID-19 tests will improve access to testing and result in Medicare savings or other program improvements. What’s covered Eligible providers or suppliers can distribute U.S. FDA-approved, authorized, or cleared OTC COVID-19 tests to patients enrolled in Part B, including those enrolled in MA plans. Patients who only have Medicare Part A can get free OTC COVID-19 tests through other government-led programs, like covidtests.gov, which operates through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Or,… . . . read more.

MIPS

Submit your Promoting Interoperability measures and improvement activities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reminds you to submit Promoting Interoperability measures and improvement activities for consideration for future years of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). The MIPS Annual Call for Measures and Activities process allows clinicians, professional associations and medical societies that represent clinicians, researchers, consumer groups, and others to identify and submit measures and activities. Currently, CMS is accepting submissions for: Measures for the Promoting Interoperability performance category Activities for the improvement activities performance category What CMS is looking for For Promoting Interoperability: CMS is looking for specific measures that build on the advanced use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT) using 2015 Edition Certification Standards and Criteria; promote interoperability and health information exchange; improve program efficiency, effectiveness, and flexibility; provide patients access to their health information; reduce clinician… . . . read more.

PATIENT ACCESS

Medical association happy with telehealth extensions

The American Medical Association (AMA) salutes Congress for passing telehealth provisions in the omnibus spending bill that promise a new era of access for patients across the country. “Congress has taken a crucial step in starting a revolution in patient access. The AMA aims to continue being a partner in moving it forward,” said AMA President Gerald E. Harmon, M.D. “The dramatic increase in adoption of telehealth that occurred in 2020 has allowed medical care that combines in-person and virtual services to become the new standard of care. This new legislation guarantees that patients with Medicare will continue to benefit from this important innovation in health care delivery.” (Medical Office Manager is offering a webinar on telehealth April 6.  Speaker Jen Bell of Karen Zupko & Associates will present Telehealth:… . . . read more.

MOM WEBINAR

Learn about changes and updates to telehealth

There’s a lot you need to know about telehealth. That’s why Medical Office Manager is offering a webinar, Telehealth—What Managers Need to Know, on April 6. It’s free to Medical Office Manager members. Presenter Jen Bell of Karen Zupko and Associates will give you the tools and knowledge you need to comply with new telehealth regulations. Meanwhile here is Jen’s update on telehealth changes to early 2022. POS 10 Telehealth Provided in Patient’s Home Patient is located in their home (which is a location other than a hospital or other facility where the patient receives care in a private residence) when receiving health services or health related services through telecommunication technology. Home may be defined to include temporary lodging (hotels, homeless shelters) and patient travels of short distance from the exact… . . . read more.


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