Physician Office

IPRO QIN-QIO Webinar on August 25: Telehealth Then & Now – A Provider’s Perspective

Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, Home Health, Physician Office, QIN-QIO Events, Upcoming & Past Events / August 4, 2020

Tuesday, August 25, 1-2PM EDT Part of the Telehealth Practice Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Webinar Series Join us to learn the evolution of telehealth technology and how providers are using it during the pandemic. Our speaker will share provider challenges, barriers, lessons learned, and his experience consulting with nursing homes as they navigate telehealth. …

IPRO QIN-QIO Webinar on August 25: Telehealth Then & Now – A Provider’s Perspective Read More »

CMS Proposes to Expand Telehealth Benefits Permanently for Medicare Beneficiaries Beyond the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and Advances Access to Care in Rural Areas

CMS Updates, Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Physician Office / August 4, 2020

Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule would make permanent certain telehealth and workforce flexibilities provided during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and improve healthcare for Americans in Rural Areas  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing changes to expand telehealth permanently, consistent with the Executive Order on Improving Rural and Telehealth Access that …

CMS Proposes to Expand Telehealth Benefits Permanently for Medicare Beneficiaries Beyond the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and Advances Access to Care in Rural Areas Read More »

CMS and CDC announce provider reimbursement available for counseling patients to self-isolate at time of COVID-19 testing

CMS Updates, Coalitions, Physician Office / July 30, 2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are announcing that payment is available to physicians and health care providers to counsel patients, at the time of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing, about the importance of self-isolation after they are tested and prior to the onset …

CMS and CDC announce provider reimbursement available for counseling patients to self-isolate at time of COVID-19 testing Read More »

Bringing Attention to Health Equity for People with Disabilities

CMS Updates, Coalitions, Home Health, Nursing Center, Physician Office / August 3, 2020

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO) is sharing messages and materials on supporting equal opportunities and inclusion for people with disabilities, many of whom are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. On July 26, 1990 the ADA was enacted to prohibit discrimination against …

Bringing Attention to Health Equity for People with Disabilities Read More »

CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls: August 4-14

CMS Events, Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, Home Health, Nursing Center, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / August 4, 2020

CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts. Call details …

CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls: August 4-14 Read More »

CMS Updates Data on COVID-19 Impacts on Medicare Beneficiaries

CMS Updates, Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Home Health, Nursing Center, Physician Office / July 28, 2020

On July 28, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its first monthly update of data that provides a snapshot of the impact of COVID-19 on the Medicare population. For the first time, the snapshot includes data for American Indian/Alaskan Native Medicare beneficiaries. The new data indicate that American Indian/Alaskan Native beneficiaries …

CMS Updates Data on COVID-19 Impacts on Medicare Beneficiaries Read More »

OCR Issues Guidance on Civil Rights Protections Prohibiting Race, Color, and National Origin Discrimination During COVID-19

CMS Updates, Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Nursing Center, Physician Office / July 21, 2020

Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing guidance to ensure that recipients of federal financial assistance understand that they must comply with applicable federal civil rights laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in HHS-funded …

OCR Issues Guidance on Civil Rights Protections Prohibiting Race, Color, and National Origin Discrimination During COVID-19 Read More »

IPRO QIN-QIO Webinar on August 11: Medicare Billing and Coding for Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, IPRO QIN-QIO, Physician Office, QIN-QIO Events, Upcoming & Past Events / August 4, 2020

August 11, 1-2pm EDT Part of the Telehealth Practice Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Webinar Series Learn how to bill Medicare for expanded telehealth services under the CMS 1135 Waiver. The presentation, by Susan Whittaker, CPC, CPMA, Senior Program Coordinator, Healthcentric Advisors will include information on: Medicare telehealth coding and billing based on care setting …

IPRO QIN-QIO Webinar on August 11: Medicare Billing and Coding for Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic Read More »

IPRO QIN-QIO Webinar on July 28: Telehealth 101 & Lay of the Land

Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, IPRO QIN-QIO, Physician Office, QIN-QIO Events, Upcoming & Past Events / July 29, 2020

Tuesday, July 28, 1-2pm EDT Part of the Telehealth Practice Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Webinar Series An overview of telehealth, presented by Reid Plimpton, MPH, Program Manager of the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center. Learn about: The Telehealth Resource Center’s mission Strategies for implementation Telehealth modalities, uses, value and costs Associated laws Real-life examples Materials …

IPRO QIN-QIO Webinar on July 28: Telehealth 101 & Lay of the Land Read More »

Webinar Series: Telehealth Practice Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, IPRO QIN-QIO, Physician Office, QIN-QIO Events, Upcoming & Past Events / August 4, 2020

Tuesdays (alternating), 1-2pm EDT starting on July 28 through November 3, 2020 The IPRO Quality Improvement Network–Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) is pleased to present an eight-session educational series entitled Telehealth Practice Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic. This series will focus on: How health care organizations implemented telehealth technology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Benefits, …

Webinar Series: Telehealth Practice Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Read More »

CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – July

CMS Events, Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / July 20, 2020

CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts. Call details …

CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – July Read More »

HHS Telemedicine Hack

CMS Events, Coalitions, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / July 17, 2020

A 10-week learning community to accelerate telemedicine implementation for ambulatory providers Wednesdays, July 22—Sept 23, 12-1PM ET Although telemedicine use has grown exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic, many ambulatory providers still lack the knowledge and skills needed to implement video-based telemedicine into their practices. To support wide adoption of telemedicine, the U.S. Department of Health …

HHS Telemedicine Hack Read More »

CDC COVID-19 Webinar on July 29: Promising Practices in Health Equity

Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / July 16, 2020

July 29, 2020 @ 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET Please join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for another webinar focused on sharing promising public health practices to reduce COVID-19 related disparities. During this webinar, presenters will discuss actions taken to mitigate the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minorities. Additionally, …

CDC COVID-19 Webinar on July 29: Promising Practices in Health Equity Read More »

New England Town Hall on July 29: Substance Use & COVID-19: A Way Forward

CMS Events, Coalitions, Nursing Center, Patient Safety, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / July 13, 2020

July 29, 2020 @ 2-3:30PM EDT The US. Department of Health & Human Services is pleased to invite you to a New England Virtual Town Hall with the U.S. Surgeon General, VADM Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, entitled Substance Use and COVID-19: A Way Forward. This virtual, live New England Town Hall is designed to …

New England Town Hall on July 29: Substance Use & COVID-19: A Way Forward Read More »

Webinar on July 16: Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Billing and Claims

CMS Events, CMS Updates, Coalitions, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / July 13, 2020

July 16, 2020 @ 12:30pm EDT This webinar provides an overview on the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Billing and Claims process. During this webinar, participants learn key terms and entities involved in the billing and claims process, understand the MDPP payment structure and how it applies to billing, and learn how to successfully submit …

Webinar on July 16: Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Billing and Claims Read More »

Webinar on July 16: Supporting Family Caregivers of Older Adults through Times of Stress and Isolation: A Panel Discussion

CMS Events, Coalitions, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / July 8, 2020

Thursday July 16, 3:00 – 4:00 pm EDT In April, Resources for Integrated Care (RIC) held a highly attended webinar on supporting caregivers of older adults through times of stress and isolation. Due to continued interest in this topic, MMCO is sponsoring a panel discussion offering additional information in response to audience questions. We also …

Webinar on July 16: Supporting Family Caregivers of Older Adults through Times of Stress and Isolation: A Panel Discussion Read More »

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Enrollment Tutorial Webinar

Coalitions, Physician Office / July 6, 2020

Want to help people with Medicare stay healthy and prevent diabetes? Become a Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) supplier. As a supplier, you’ll help people with Medicare make lasting behavior changes through group-based training & individual support. There have been some changes to the MDPP enrollment process due to COVID-19. Specifically, the emergency declaration waives the PECOS …

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Enrollment Tutorial Webinar Read More »

The 2021 MIPS Self-Nomination Period is Now Open

Physician Office / July 1, 2020

The 2021 MIPS Self-Nomination Period for QCDRs and Qualified Registries is Now Open As of today, July 1, 2020, the 2021 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Performance Period Self-Nomination period for Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDRs) and Qualified Registries is now open. QCDRs and Qualified Registries are CMS-approved vendors that collect clinical data on behalf …

The 2021 MIPS Self-Nomination Period is Now Open Read More »

2021 MIPS Self-Nomination Materials Now Available

Physician Office / July 1, 2020

Visit the Quality Payment Program Resource Library to Access 2021 MIPS Self-Nomination Materials  This message is notification that the 2021 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Self-Nomination Materials are now posted on the Quality Payment Program Resource Library. You may access the 2021 Self-Nomination Toolkit for Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDRs) and Qualified Registries zip file …

2021 MIPS Self-Nomination Materials Now Available Read More »

CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – Week of 6/29/20 and July

CMS Events, Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / July 8, 2020

CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts. Call details …

CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – Week of 6/29/20 and July Read More »

CMS Announces Relief for Clinicians Participating in the Quality Payment Program in 2020

CMS Updates, Physician Office / June 24, 2020

In response to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing flexibilities for clinicians participating in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2020: Clinicians significantly impacted by the public health emergency may submit an Extreme & Uncontrollable Circumstances Application to reweight …

CMS Announces Relief for Clinicians Participating in the Quality Payment Program in 2020 Read More »

CMS Unveils Major Organizational Change to Reduce Provider and Clinician Burden and Improve Patient Outcomes

CMS Updates, Physician Office / June 24, 2020

New office to continue agency’s work of reducing regulatory burden to allow providers to focus on patients instead of paperwork and reducing health care costs Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing the creation of the Office of Burden Reduction and Health Informatics to unify the agency’s efforts to reduce regulatory …

CMS Unveils Major Organizational Change to Reduce Provider and Clinician Burden and Improve Patient Outcomes Read More »

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Billing and Claims Webinar

CMS Updates, Coalitions, Physician Office / May 22, 2020

May 21, 2020 @ 1pm EDT This webinar will provide an overview on the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Billing and Claims process. During this webinar, participants will become familiar with the key terms and entities involved in the billing and claims process, understand the MDPP payment structure and how it applies to billing, and …

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Billing and Claims Webinar Read More »

Medicare Payment for COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests

CMS Updates, Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Physician Office / May 22, 2020

Earlier this year, CMS took action to ensure America’s patients, health care facilities, and clinical laboratories were prepared to respond to COVID-19. To help increase testing, CMS developed two codes that laboratories can use to bill for certain COVID-19 lab tests, including serology tests. CMS has updated its guidance to include payment details for additional …

Medicare Payment for COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests Read More »

Quality Payment Program: 2019 Performance Period Suppressed MIPS Quality Measures

CMS Updates, Physician Office / May 20, 2020

In the Calendar Year (CY) 2019 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (83 FR 59847), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established a policy that provides for the suppression of measures in certain circumstances. Starting with the 2019 performance period, for measures significantly impacted by clinical guideline changes or other changes where we believe …

Quality Payment Program: 2019 Performance Period Suppressed MIPS Quality Measures Read More »

May 11-15: CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls

CMS Events, CMS Updates, Coalitions, COVID-19 Events, COVID-19 Updates, Physician Office, Upcoming & Past Events / May 22, 2020

CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts. Call details …

May 11-15: CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls Read More »

Join Us For An Enrollment Tutorial Webinar

CMS Updates, Coalitions, Physician Office / May 22, 2020

Want to help people with Medicare stay healthy and prevent diabetes? Become a Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) supplier. As a supplier, you’ll help people with Medicare make lasting behavior changes through group-based training & individual support. There have been some changes to the MDPP enrollment process due to COVID-19. Specifically, the emergency declaration waives the PECOS …

Join Us For An Enrollment Tutorial Webinar Read More »

COVID-19: IRF Flexibilities During the PHE

CMS Updates, Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Physician Office / May 22, 2020

CMS is exercising regulatory flexibilities for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) to waive the 60 percent rule. We are also waiving IRF coverage and classification requirements if all of these criteria are satisfied: Patient is admitted to a freestanding IRF to alleviate acute care hospital bed capacity issues IRF …

COVID-19: IRF Flexibilities During the PHE Read More »

Updated eCQM Specifications and eCQM Materials for 2021 Reporting Now Available

CMS Updates, Physician Office / May 20, 2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted the electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) specifications for the 2021 reporting period for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals, and the 2021 performance period for eligible professionals and eligible clinicians. CMS updates the specifications annually to align with current clinical guidelines and code systems so …

Updated eCQM Specifications and eCQM Materials for 2021 Reporting Now Available Read More »

CMS Releases Updated Fact Sheets

CMS Updates, Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Physician Office / May 22, 2020

CMS has updated multiple fact sheets that summarize changes made through regulatory actions in response to COVID-19. View more resources available on CMS waivers and flexibilities here. A full list of emergency declaration blanket waivers for health care providers implemented to date is available here. Additional fact sheets include: Clinicians:  Physicians and Other Practitioners (PDF) …

CMS Releases Updated Fact Sheets Read More »

CDC’s New PPE Educational Materials

Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Nursing Center, Patient Safety, Physician Office / July 6, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed new Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) educational materials to be used as an aide when training healthcare personnel on selecting and correctly using; donning (putting on), doffing (taking off), and disposing of PPE to protect themselves from exposure to COVID-19 in the healthcare settings.   New COVID-19 …

CDC’s New PPE Educational Materials Read More »

Infection Control FAQs

Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Nursing Center, Patient Safety, Physician Office / July 6, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on infection control. This page was updated on April 23, 2020 to align with the revised Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings. Who is this for: Healthcare personnel who …

Infection Control FAQs Read More »

Optimize PPE Supply

Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Nursing Center, Patient Safety, Physician Office / July 6, 2020

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used every day by healthcare personnel (HCP) to protect themselves, patients, and others when providing care. PPE helps protect HCP from potentially infectious patients and materials, toxic medications, and other potentially dangerous substances used in healthcare delivery. PPE shortages are currently posing a tremendous challenge to the US healthcare system …

Optimize PPE Supply Read More »

Today! Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Enrollment Tutorial

CMS Updates, Physician Office / May 20, 2020

Join the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) for an Enrollment Tutorial Webinar Join CMMI on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 1pm Eastern time for an Enrollment Tutorial Webinar. The CMMI team will be on hand to answer your questions related to the Enrollment Process.  Webinar Details Access the webinar: At the time of the event, click …

Today! Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Enrollment Tutorial Read More »

CDC’s NHSN: Healthcare Worker and Supply Pathways

Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Nursing Center, Patient Safety, Physician Office / July 6, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) continues to support the nation’s COVID-19 response and has released two additional data collection pathways in the COVID-19 Module found within the Patient Safety Component. In addition to the Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity Pathway, the Healthcare Worker Staffing Pathway and the …

CDC’s NHSN: Healthcare Worker and Supply Pathways Read More »

Infection Control Guidance

Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Nursing Center, Patient Safety, Physician Office / July 6, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared interim infection control guidance. This guidance has been updated based on currently available information about COVID-19 and the current situation in the United States, which includes community transmission, infections identified in healthcare personnel (HCP), and shortages of facemasks, N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) (commonly known as …

Infection Control Guidance Read More »

Return-to-Work Criteria for Health Care Professionals with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19

Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Nursing Center, Patient Safety, Physician Office / July 6, 2020

Summary of Recent Changes as of April 13, 2020 Indicates a preference for use of the Test-based strategy to determine when HCP may return to work in healthcare settings Adds return to work criteria for HCP with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms Aligns with recommendations for universal source control for everyone in a …

Return-to-Work Criteria for Health Care Professionals with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 Read More »

Ending Home Isolation

Coalitions, COVID-19 Updates, Patient Safety, Physician Office / July 6, 2020

This website was updated to reflect the updates in the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings. The changes include: Updated PPE recommendations Based on local and regional situational analysis of PPE supplies, facemasks are an acceptable alternative when the supply chain of …

Ending Home Isolation Read More »