On November 17, CMS released an online tool to help clinicians understand the Medicare Quality Payment Program, part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a proposed contract action for a program entitled "Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC)."

The CMS has announced a delay in the effective date of planned cardiac care bundled payment initiatives and the expansion of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model...

If finalized, the changes would become effective in January 2019.

Comments to the proposed rule will be accepted through August 21, 2017.

Previously, Medicare carriers and auditors had required evidence that the beneficiary would show clinical improvement in order for the service to be considered medically necessary for coverage.

CMS also stressed that computerized provider order entry is the preferred method for order documentation.

The MUC List includes measures for private clinician practices, hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis facilities.

Cyberattacks on healthcare systems are becoming more frequent and increasingly devastating. As demonstrated by the recent crippling ransomware attacks on hospital computers

On February 13, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a $100,000 settlement with the court-appointed receiver of FileFax Inc., a defunct medical records storage, maintenance...

The DOJ estimates that the targeted frauds account for approximately $1.3 billion in billing to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE.

The insurer must also improve its procedures for policyholder mailings and ensure that its workforce members are adequately trained.

Consumer wearables manufacturer Fitbit announced on February 13 that it is acquiring Twine Health, a "health activation platform" used by employers to manage their workforces' health at the population level.

CMS released a statement on January 9 that the ICD-10 updates that went into use on October 1, 2016 created problems with CMS's ability to process certain data in the PQRS...

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final regulations on January 18, including new guidance under Section 199A for the 20% deduction for qualified business income (QBI).

The Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released new HIPAA guidance explaining how healthcare providers have broad ability to share health information with a patient's family members without the patient's permission during certain crisis situations, without violating HIPAA privacy regulations.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that the Quality Payment Program Hardship Exception Application for the 2017 transition year is now available.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported a record year in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enforcement ...

Implementation of the final rule, originally released in January and previously discussed here, had already been postponed three times this year, most recently until October 1, 2017.

If approved, the hardship exception is valid for only one payment year.