The No Surprises Act, which was signed into law in December 2020, won’t go into effect until at least January 1, 2022. But that isn’t slowing down provider groups from working to ensure the details of the bill, which will be administered through by agencies like the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, are ironed out with their interests in mind. READ MORE
Using scribes to assist with electronic medical record data entry tasks in clinical settings may have some positive results, including improved patient and physician satisfaction along with increased patients per hour treated, according to a recent study. But are these findings enough to justify their use in emergency departments? READ MORE
In the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, CMS finalized the creation of add-on G-code, G2213, to be billed with E/M visit codes used in the ED setting for medication assisted treatment of opioid use disorder. Having a code to use, however, is not the only hurdle for emergency physicians to cross in providing and billing of MAT for the treatment of opioid use disorder. READ MORE
Earlier this week, CMS published the final rule of the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. After legislatively mandated adjustments, the 2021 conversion factor will be $32.41, a 10 percent decrease from the 2020 PFS conversion factor. We’ve highlighted a few of the biggest changes that will impact emergency physicians. READ MORE
Beginning in November, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began releasing Comparative Billing Reports to some providers who perform critical care evaluation and management services, including emergency physicians. READ MORE
A growing contingent of both industry groups and legislators are working to help physicians and other healthcare providers avoid large cuts to their 2021 Medicare revenue because of budget neutrality. READ MORE
The rising complexity and cost of emergency care has been a frequent target of policy makers and clinical leaders over the past decade, with some experts worried about the cascading effect of subsequent healthcare spending once the patient leaves the emergency department. However, new research suggests that high quality emergency care not only saves lives but also saves money, especially for Medicare beneficiaries. READ MORE
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published the proposed draft of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for 2021. In addition to changing the payment rates for 2021, the Final Rule also mandates changes to several payment policies. We’ve highlighted a few of the biggest changes that will impact emergency physicians. READ MORE
Physicians and other MIPS-eligible providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a 2020 MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception. The hardship exception application allows providers to request one or more performance categories be reweighted to 0 percent. READ MORE
It doesn’t just seem like emergency departments are seeing fewer patients than usual during the COVID-19 pandemic. ERs across the country actually are seeing around 40 to 50 percent fewer patients. A recent ACEP poll offers a few reasons why. READ MORE
