By Easton Hallock – Most behavioral health EHR demos follow the same script: a clean intake, a polished note, a claim that drops with one click. The workflows that decide whether a program gets paid rarely make it on screen, because they only appear when real patients move between levels of care, payers and clinicians.

CMS has released important Quality Payment Program updates. 2026 MIPS Value Pathway (MVP) Registration is open until November 30 and a reminder: 2026 Quality Payment Program Exception Applications are available.

By Alexander Vitenas – A payment collected months before surgery and a payment collected after a procedure can leave the same balance due. But they tell different stories. One may be a prepayment tied to a planned treatment before a final charge existed. The other may be payment against an established balance. Looking only at the final number can hide how it came to be.

By Dan L. Dodson – This month’s Defense Desk, brought to you by Fortified Health Security, is a perfect blend for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Learn what six years of hosting a monthly roundtable for healthcare cybersecurity leaders has taught Dan about the value of building the kind of room where that conversation is possible, and how you can build one yourself.