Between April and December 2020, many eligible healthcare providers received or applied for payments from the $175 billion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). On Dec.27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Appropriations Act) was signed into law,…
Camelot allegedly existed once upon a time in South Wales. The name was evoked again in the 1960s, but perhaps it is also applicable to the character of rheumatology in the halcyon days of the 1970s and 80s. That’s not to belittle the world we now live in, with so many treatment options for our…
ACR practice management staff are offering a free, tailored, one-hour Lunch & Learn series to help members, practices and their staff become familiar with new office and outpatient evaluation and management codes and documentation guidelines that went into effect Jan. 1.
On Feb. 1, UnitedHealthcare enacted a new policy designating Avsola and Inflectra as the preferred infliximab products for UHC commercial plans. ACR leaders have urged UHC to allow existing patients to continue on their current medication.
After 25 years, the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) office and outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) codes received a major overhaul. These changes, which went into effect Jan. 1, will help reduce administrative burden on providers and roll back some of the rigid requirements for E/M coding by simplifying the code selection…
As founder and president of a large rheumatology group, Howard M. Busch, DO, says the pandemic has had a limited financial effect on many of the network’s clinics. Communication and technology have been key to adapting to the needs of patients and connecting with other providers during this critical time.
Is it taboo to talk about politics during the office visit? My morning routine may sound familiar to many of you: I wake up and get ready for work. Before I step out of my car, I put on my mask. I go inside the office to greet the staff and to get my temperature…
On Dec. 10, the Supreme Court of the United States of America (SCOTUS) issued a landmark decision in Rutledge, Attorney General of Arkansas, v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. In an 8–0 decision, the justices agreed that states have the right to impose regulations on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), companies that manage prescription drug benefits on…
ACR staff highlight essential 2021 MIPS reporting period information, as well as key changes from the 2020 to 2021 performance period.
Implementation of rate increases for evaluation and management services and other changes bring big updates to many Current Procedural Terminology codes.