Stories with related Professional Interests

G-Code Payment Frustration Persists With Inconsistent Implementation - 06/25/2024

Deepening ongoing physician concerns over Medicare’s add-on code for complex care, two major payers have either reduced payment for G2211 claims or announced plans to stop paying certain claims associated with the code altogether. Read more.

Don’t Forfeit Your APM Incentive Payment; Act Now - 08/14/2023

If you participated in an advanced alternative payment model in the 2021 Quality Payment Program and haven’t yet received your 2023 incentive payment, you have until Sept. 1 to update your billing information – or forfeit the payment.

Pass-Through Billing Generally Not Permitted - 09/14/2022

Pass-through billing occurs when an ordering physician requests a service and bills insurance for it but does not perform the service. Insurance companies generally forbid this practice.

Nickel and Dimed: Physicians Can Avoid Electronic Credit Cards and Their Fees - 07/29/2022

Some small medical insurance companies are trying to force physicians to receive payment via electronic credit cards, but medical practices can avoid this costly problem.

Medicare Advantage Plans Wrongly Denied Prior Auth, Payment Requests, Fed Report Shows - 05/06/2022

About 13% of prior authorization denials in Medicare Advantage likely prevented or delayed necessary care, according to an analysis by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. The report also found that nearly one-fifth of the time Medicare Advantage plans denied payment requests when the request met Medicare coverage rules and should have earned approval.

AMA: High Concentration in Insurance Markets - 03/31/2022

Most U.S. commercial health insurance markets are “highly concentrated” among the top insurers in those markets, and evidence strongly suggests insurers are “causing competitive harm to consumers and providers of care.” Those were the findings of the American Medical Association’s 2021 update to its annual study, Competition in Health Insurance.

How to Calculate Underpaid Amount in Prompt Pay Rules - 11/17/2021

Even if the insurance company pays on time but underpays you - if it doesn't pay in full by the statutory deadline, it still must pay you a penalty based on the number of days the payment is late and the underpaid amount of the claim.

Late Fees Under Prompt Pay — How Much and When - 11/17/2021

Let’s say your contracted insurance carrier violates prompt pay laws and misses the deadline for paying or responding to your claim. When can you collect late fees and how much?

Sample Letter: Enlisting Patients Assistance for Claims Payment - 11/17/2021

This is a sample letter regarding a patient's outstanding health insurance payment.

United Walks Back Payment Cut on Nonphysician Billing - 08/05/2021

Following strong pushback from the Texas Medical Association, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has effectively reversed its payment-cutting policy change on “incident-to” billing for services performed by nonphysician practitioners (NPPs). 

CMS Finalizes Lower-Than-Proposed Cost-Sharing for Marketplace Plans; Enrollment Closes Aug. 15 - 06/17/2021

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has settled on a lower maximum for consumers’ out-of-pocket costs for federal health insurance marketplace plans in 2022 than what the agency proposed last November.

Federal Agencies Adopt Rule Mandating Health Plan Price Transparency - 11/24/2020

A number of health plans will be required to be more transparent about coverage pricing starting in early 2021 after the recent adoption of a rule by three federal agencies.

Blue Cross Bundles Payment for Some Diagnostic Services - 11/16/2020

Effective July 1, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas will cut payments for certain diagnostic procedures. The cut will apply to diagnostic cardiovascular and ophthalmology procedures that are billed for the same patient on the same day.

Mixed Bag: Some Payers Capitalize on COVID Chaos; Others Help Make Care Easier - 10/30/2020

Physicians believe some payers are taking advantage of COVID chaos with their drug policies, but also see some plans taking steps to make care easier during the pandemic.