The Veralon Views blog is an extension of our partnership with leaders who are transforming the healthcare industry. Here, we share expert perspectives from our nationally recognized senior consulting team on issues that are key to the success of your organization.
In the final days of 2020, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the latest coronavirus relief package. This additional round of COVID relief legislation contains welcome news for health care providers: a one-time, one-year increase to physician fee schedule payments for 2021. The legislation creates a 3.75 percent increase in Medicare Physician Fee […]
Are you deciding whether to hold a virtual retreat/meeting or to postpone until it can be in person? Virtual retreats can be very effective, preparing your organization for quicker action when the pandemic clears. Remote meetings will continue well into 2021, and maybe beyond as work models and meeting expectations shift. How can you effectively […]
One of the most impactful final rules released by CMS in recent months is the CY 2021 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS-1736-FC). This rule includes several important policy changes, most notably the elimination of the Inpatient Only List on a phased schedule through CY2024 (when […]
CMS is launching a Radiation Oncology Alternative Payment Model (“RO Model”) that will profoundly affect radiation oncology economics, with a target start date of January 1, 2022. The RO Model will apply (or at least test) a bundled payment methodology affecting about 30% of eligible radiation oncology episodes. Revenue reductions may be as high as […]
In partnership with the AHA, Episode 1 of “Transformation Talks, Leveraging the Community and Innovation to Improve Health” focuses on where we are in the evolution of efforts to solve for social determinants of health (SDOH) and what opportunities we should be leveraging to improve efforts in this area.
Board members of not-for-profit community hospitals face enormous pressure to protect their community’s access to care. Even when the economic reasons for hospital mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are compelling, the decision to give up control to another system cannot be made based on purchase price alone. It’s just one reason why not-for-profit board members must […]
Please click here for the updated Physician Schedule Final Rule.
CMS announced proposed policy changes for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and indicated that it will waive the 60-day publication requirement for the Final Rule and replace it with a 30-day notification. This means that the Final Rule will be effective January 1, 2021 even though it may not be published until December […]
The health care industry continues to consolidate at a rapid pace. Although the pandemic has delayed the implementation of some transactions and even compelled some organizations to cancel plans to merge or affiliate, others that would not likely have sought out affiliation options are now doing so. Under normal circumstances, key due diligence considerations pertaining […]
