What revenue cycle strategies enhance the patient experience
In a roundtable discussion, revenue cycle leaders chat about strategies they developed to enhance the patient experience while navigating the payment process.
Healthcare News of Note: Mayo Clinic in Minnesota earns top spot in Best Hospitals ranking
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: 20 hospitals named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll, HHS declares monkeypox a public health emergency, and a look at maternal mortality rates among high-income countries.
New rule sets forth proposed Medicare payment policies for rural emergency hospitals
For hospitals that choose to begin operating under the new rural emergency hospital designation in 2023, Medicare will pay for any service that would be covered as a hospital outpatient department service.
CMS says EMTALA covers situations in which terminating a pregnancy is medically necessary
Even in situations that don’t qualify as life-threatening, the Biden administration says patients have the legal right to receive any type of stabilization measure at the discretion of their physician.
CMS looks to tweak Medicare conditions of participation for critical access hospitals
A recently issued proposed rule includes a few new conditions of participation for critical access hospitals.
Medicare spells out proposed conditions of participation for rural emergency hospitals
Seeking to shore up operations for rural hospitals, CMS issued a proposed rule that establishes recommended regulations for the new rural emergency hospital category.
Price transparency update: 6-figure fines have been handed down for hospital noncompliance
The federal price transparency requirements for hospitals entered a new phase this month, with CMS not only issuing the first fines for noncompliance but also publicizing those penalties.
Proposed nursing home regulations send an important message to all providers
A statement issued by the Biden administration on Feb. 28 proposed major reforms for the nation’s nursing homes but also has important implications for healthcare organizations of all types.
No Surprises Act
As a result of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, several No Surprise Billing Act regulations will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022 for providers, facilities and air ambulance services. These requirements include prohibitions on balance billing for certain items and services, consumer notification and consent requirements for insured patients, cost sharing rules and disclosures, and uninsured/self-pay good faith estimate requirements for scheduled or shoppable items and services.
Some Medicare payments to hospitals for bariatric surgery may be inappropriate, OIG finds
Medicare could have saved nearly $48 million in bariatric surgery payments to hospitals during an 18-month period if coverage rules and guidance were better implemented at the contractor level, according to the HHS Office of Inspector General.