Among the proposed changes included in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for calendar year 2015, CMS has included provisions that would eliminate an exemption for reporting certain continuing medical education (CME) payments; and would expand the services Medicare beneficiaries can...
A lawsuit filed in Sacramento. California, alleges physicians used bogus hardware in spinal surgeries and took kickbacks from a Corona del Mar, California, hospital executive, while middlemen and hospitals profited by inflating the cost of the devices.
The AMA House of Delegates last week approved a set of principles to ensure appropriate coverage of and payment for telemedicine services. The principles set out a number of conditions for coverage and payment, including abiding by state licensure laws and following evidence-based practice...
In quality improvement circles, Just Culture came to healthcare with strong recommendations from other high-risk professions. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)'s patient safety glossary, a Just Culture is defined as "a culture that recognizes...
H.R. 3402, the "doc fix" legislation that President Barack Obama signed on April 1 to provide additional temporary Medicare Sustained Growth Rate funding--and avert a 24% pay cut for physicians--included a provision to postpone the deadline for ICD-10 implementation to at least...
Citing feedback that required further research, The Joint Commission last week announced it will postpone implementation of its revised diagnostic imaging requirements for hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory care organizations. The changes were intended to take effect July 1...
