The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued a rule that updates payment policies and payment rates for services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) beginning Jan. 1, 2019 (CY 2019). The
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CMS has issued a final rule that includes update payment policies, payment rates, and quality provisions for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) on or after Jan. 1, 2019 (CY 2019). The 2019 physician fee schedule conversion factor is $36.04, which
Read more →CMS has issued a final rule to update payment policies and rates under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for services furnished on or after Jan. 1, 2019 (CY 2019). This rule updates the acute kidney injury (AKI) dialysis payment rate for
Read more →The application process is now open for the North Carolina Hospital Foundation’s (NCHF) Disaster Relief Fund to aid North Carolina hospital and health system employees who suffered significant property loss to their homes or residences during Hurricane Florence and the subsequent flooding. The
Read more →Join the National Rural Health Association and rural health advocates from across the nation for the largest, rural advocacy event in the country, NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute, Feb. 5-7 in Washington, D.C. Attendees will have the chance to hear from top members of the
Read more →Voters in Nebraska, Idaho and Utah last week approved ballot measures calling for their states to expand Medicaid coverage to low-income adults. “Medicaid expansion will be a real life saver for thousands of Nebraskans,” commented Andy Hale, vice president of advocacy for the Nebraska Hospital Association. Brian Whitlock,
Read more →Nearly 371,700 people selected a 2019 health plan through HealthCare.gov Nov. 1-3, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported. About three-quarters of those selecting plans were renewing coverage and the rest were new consumers. Thirty-nine states, including North Carolina, are using HealthCare.gov for 2019 open
Read more →Racial disparities in heart attack mortality rates may be explained by differences in sociodemographic characteristics, and not race alone, according to a new study published Nov. 2 in JAMA Network Open. The study analyzed data for about 6,400 patients who had heart attacks to compare black
Read more →The Food and Drug Administration’s policies and procedures were insufficient for handling postmarket medical device cybersecurity events, and the agency has not adequately tested its ability to respond to emergencies resulting from cybersecurity events in medical devices, according to a Department of Health
Read more →Nearly 2.4 million Americans are living with Hepatitis C and the amount of new infections each year is “disturbingly high” and growing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week. The number of reported cases more than tripled from 2010 to 2016 nationwide,
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