Doctors’ practices are hurt by coronavirus pandemic, just when they’re most needed

Published: Wed, 04/29/20

Before the coronavirus epidemic, Dr. Juliette Erickson and the four other physicians at Family Medicine of Grays Harbor would see as many as 130 patients a day. Things changed dramatically at the Aberdeen practice with the March stay-at-home...

CMS Reevaluates Accelerated Payment Program and Suspends Advance Payment Program

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is reevaluating the amounts that will be paid under its Accelerated Payment Program and suspending its Advance Payment Program to Part B suppliers effective immediately.

COVID-19: Update on Medicare Audits During the Pandemic

When the President of the United States declares an emergency or disaster under either the Stafford Act or the National Emergencies Act, in conjunction with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ declaration of a public health emergency...

CMS Announces Broadened Coverage for Essential Diagnostic Testing amid COVID-19

As coverages and regulations continue to broaden, often on a day-to-day basis, guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic frequently open up additional factors to consider – for instance, issues with homebound patients.

Will Telehealth Fraud Grow Amid the COVID-19 Crisis

The use of telehealth is ramping up as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic because fewer patients are visiting a doctor's office for treatment of various conditions. Now, the latest arrest in connection with an alleged $410 million healthcare fraud scheme serves as...

What Providers Need to Know About COVID-19 Coding and Billing

The healthcare system is facing an unprecedented crisis, but accurate COVID-19 coding and billing can help providers weather the storm and prepare for future outbreaks.

You Have COVID-19 Questions, We Have Answers

During the Talk Ten Tuesdays weekly Internet radio broadcast last week, we received many questions which we never got to answer. I am going to share some of those answers with you now.

Attorney General Frosh Warns Providers Against Billing Patients for COVID-19 Testing

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today warned health care providers against collecting or billing for patient copays, coinsurance, or deductibles for costs related to COVID-19 testing. In a letter to the Maryland Board of Physicians and MedChi, the state medical society, Attorney General Frosh reminds...

CMS Clarifies Patient Financial Responsibility for COVID-19 Testing

When the first guidance on COVID-19 testing was released on March 13, CMS made it clear that there would be no beneficiary cost obligations for the COVID-19 test. This, though, was simply a basic tenet of the Medicare payment system; there is never beneficiary coinsurance or deductibles on approved lab tests.