Joanne Finnegan

CMS’ plans to update evaluation and management codes is either a good idea that will simplify documentation and free up doctors’ time to spend with patients or a bad one that will leave physicians who treat high-acuity patients underpaid.

CMS issued a proposed rule yesterday that makes what officials called “historic changes” to the Medicare program, including changes to E&M documentation requirements, new telehealth reimbursement opportunities and changes to the MIPS program.

Lots of factors are at play when it comes to high healthcare costs. But doctors are sure of one thing: They aren’t to blame.

Patients are at a higher risk of receiving surprise medical bills, as a new study found more health plans on the ACA insurance exchange markets offer restrictive networks.

Under a demonstration project, CMS will move ahead with plans to test whether certain Medicare Advantage plans should qualify as an advanced alternative payment model and exempt doctors from MIPS.

It’s quite literally paid off for primary care physicians who have participated in CareFirst’s patient-centered medical home model and demonstrated both quality care and cost savings.

Chet Burrell, president and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, is counting the days to his retirement. He weighs in on the company’s status in ACA marketplaces and the joint insurance venture between JPMorgan, Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway.

It costs physician practices in the U.S. billions of dollars and hundreds of hours to report quality measures each year, a process that the American Medical Group Association says can be simplified with the use of 14 key measures.