The CARES Act, signed into law on Friday, contains a number of provisions affording financial relief to health care providers who have been struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Senate voted on Wednesday night to approve a $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package to help millions of American workers and businesses survive the impact of COVID-19. The Relief package is titled CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) and includes COVID-19 relief for individuals, businesses, and the health care industry.» Read More

We at Norris McLaughlin recognize that the constantly changing crisis related to the COVID-19 virus has resulted in an unprecedented time for all health care practitioners – a time that for most is filled with uncertainty regarding their practices and patients.» Read More

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced in a policy statement issued today, March 17, 2020, that physicians and other practitioners will not be subject to sanctions for reducing or waiving any Medicare or Medicaid patient co-pays or deductibles for telehealth services furnished to the patient during the period of public health emergency declared by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on January 31, 2020, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.» Read More

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) is increasing its efforts to transform Medicare from a fee-for-service payment system to a payment system that pays based on the value, quality, and outcome of the services provided.

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In a previous blog post, we highlighted the significant delays a practitioner must endure before the resolution of their appeal of a Medicare demand for overpayment. An apparent function of a huge backlog of such appeals, health care practitioners are routinely forced to wait many years before finally having their appeals heard by an Administrative Law Judge.» Read More

Labeling Medicare a “rigged system,” President Trump has outlined a plan that he believes would allow it to lower drug prices covered under its Part B coverage. Specifically, the proposal would permit Medicare to implement a new reimbursement scheme that would reduce drug prices to achieve parity with costs in other nations.» Read More

Space sharing and co-location arrangements have been popular service delivery models for hospitals and independent physician practices.  These arrangements enhance patient convenience, improve continuity of care and present cost sharing benefits to the parties involved.  However, Medicare rules related to hospital provider-based department status and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) Guidance Regarding Hospital Outpatient Department – Shared Space arrangements have severely limited what space sharing arrangements will continue to qualify under Medicare’s Hospital Outpatient Department (HOPD) billing rules.» Read More

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new data showing that it made a $313 million gain from the Medicare Shared Savings Program in 2017.  The 472 Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) collectively generated savings of $1 billion and CMS paid $780 million in bonuses to the ACOs.» Read More

In response to the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed new rules in an effort to curb the ongoing problem.  Click here to view the CMS Fact Sheet detailing the proposals.» Read More