The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announces the first meeting of the new Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee on February 1, 2016. The Committee is required by the MACRA of 2015, and its members were appointed by the Comptroller General.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced 121 new participants in Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiatives designed to improve the care patients receive in the health care system and lower costs. With this announcement, ACOs now represent 49 states and the District of Columbia.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced a new funding opportunity of up to $157 million to test whether screening beneficiaries for health-related social needs and associated referrals to and navigation of community-based services will improve quality and affordability in Medicare and Medicaid.
CMS proposed to revise the discharge planning requirements that hospitals, including long-term care hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation facilities, critical access hospitals, and home health agencies, must meet in order to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
CMS released the Calendar Year 2016 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System policy changes, quality provisions, and payment rates final rule with comment period on October 30, 2015.
CMS has been carefully monitoring the transition and is pleased to report that claims are processing normally. Generally speaking, Medicare claims take several days to be processed and, once processed, Medicare must– by law – wait two weeks before issuing a payment.
ONC announced that two electronic health record (EHR) products, previously certified as products that may be used as part of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, had their certifications terminated.
CMS issued 2014 quality and financial performance results showing that Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) continue to improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, while generating financial savings.
HHS and its agencies including CMS, ONC, and AHRQ are reporting these news items, events, updates and deadlines for providers and hospitals. ICD-10 compliance date is October 1, 2015.