Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Today (Friday, February 3, 2023), the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) launched a new virtual home for telehealth content on Medicaid.gov. The redesigned pages make it easier for users to find information about how telehealth can be utilized under Medicaid. Visitors will find resources…… Continue reading Telehealth Website Update on Medicaid.Gov   

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare SummaryThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about infections with an extensively drug-resistant strain of Verona Integron-mediated Metallo-β-lactamase (VIM) and Guiana-Extended Spectrum-β-Lactamase (GES)-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (VIM-GES-CRPA) in 12 states. Most patients reported using artificial tears.…… Continue reading Outbreak of Extensively Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Associated with Artificial Tears   

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Late afternoon of Thursday, February 2, 2023, CMS posted Transmittal 11832 – same title as this blog. This is a 6-page Transmittal.  Be sure to review and share this Transmittal with your team, with special attention starting on page 2.

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On January 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and our law enforcement partners launched a multi-state coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend individuals engaged in a scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts.…… Continue reading 2023 OIG Operation Nightingale Enforcement Action  

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Therapy Services webpage is being updated to: Reflect the KX modifier threshold amounts for CY 2023 in the “Implementation of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018” section on the landing page. There’s a lot of information in this section of that landing page. Update the…… Continue reading CY 2023 Therapy Services Updates

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Today (January 30, 2023), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), finalized the policies for the Medicare Advantage (MA) Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) program, which is CMS’s primary audit and oversight tool of MA…… Continue reading CMS Issues Final Rule to Protect Medicare, Strengthen Medicare Advantage and Hold Insurers Accountable   

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare “As an Activity Professional, you are part of a vitally important profession that helps people live a life that is full of fun and meaningful activities. The holistic and person-directed approach to caring for our elders you provide is a sight to behold. You are the…… Continue reading National Activity Professionals Week: January 23– January 27, 2023 

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The purpose of this Transmittal 11808 Change Request (CR) is to incorporate into Chapter 10 of Pub. 100-08 certain provider enrollment policies included in the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule.  The CR is dated January 24, 2023.  The Effective Date is…… Continue reading Incorporation of Recent Provider Enrollment Regulatory Changes into Chapter 10 of CMS Publication (Pub.) 100-08

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare                 My apologies for missing this important proposed rule!  CMS-4201-P was published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2022.  The subtitle of  this proposed rule is Contract Year 2024 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost…… Continue reading Still Time for Comment on Proposed Rule: CMS-4201-P

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare    COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause severe disease resulting in preventable deaths, thousands to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and millions of illnesses each year in the United States. This combined disease burden can impose a strain on healthcare systems during periods of…… Continue reading CDC Releases Two Respiratory Disease Dashboards