ICYMI, here is recent communication from CMS.
Initiative to Transform Rural Health – new funding opportunities that will increase access and improve quality. The Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model delivers on President Trump’s Executive Order from last week on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access as well as the President’s Medicare Executive Order and CMS’s Rethinking Rural Health initiative. Collectively, the Administration aims to ensure individuals in rural America have access to high quality, affordable health care.
Participate in Field Testing of Cost Measures Now through September 18 – Field testing will take place starting August 17 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) to September 18, 2020. Clinicians and clinician groups who meet the attribution requirements for at least one of the measures listed below will receive a Field Test Report. All stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the draft measure specifications through an online survey, which closes on September 18, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Participation is voluntary.
CMS proposed updates to coverage policies for artificial hearts and ventricular assist devices (VADs), both of which are used to treat patients with life-threatening advanced heart failure. CMS is seeking comments on the proposed national coverage determination. A final decision will be issued no later than 60 days after the conclusion of the 30-day public comment period. Read the proposed decision on the CMS website.
Reminder: The 2021 MIPS Self-Nomination Period Closes on September 1st – CMS wants to remind you that the end of the 2021 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Self-Nomination period is September 1, 2020 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The Self-Nomination Tool on the QPP website will lock at the deadline and additional edits will not be permitted. Find the toolkit in the QPP Resource Library.
Learn More About 2020 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements – In 2020, CMS continues its overhaul of the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program to continue the advancement of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) utilization, focusing on burden reduction, and improving interoperability and patient access to health information. For more information on these reporting requirements and additional Promoting Interoperability Programs information, please review:
- 2020 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements
- 2020 Medicare Hospital Specification Sheets
- 2020 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Overview Fact Sheet
- 2020 Security Risk Analysis Fact Sheet
New Resources available – CMS has released new electronic clinical quality measures (eCQM) educational resources on the eCQI Resource Center, a summary of the eCQM Strategy project, and enhancements to the Measure Collaboration (MC) Workspace.
MLN Matter Articles
- New COVID-19 Policies for Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Hospitals, Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs), and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) due to Provisions of the CARES Act— Revised
- Billing for Home Infusion Therapy Services On or After January 1, 2021
- Correction to Editing Update for Vaccine Services
- International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD10) and Other Coding Revisions to National Coverage Determination (NCDs) – January 2021 Update
- Quarterly Update for Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and Laboratory Services Subject to Reasonable Charge Payment
- Quarterly Update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database (MPFSDB) – October 2020 Update
- Update to Osteoporosis Drug Codes Billable on Home Health Claims
- Influenza Vaccine Payment Allowances – Annual Update for 2020-2021 Season — Revised
- Change to the Payment of Allogeneic Stem Cell Acquisition Services