MGMA COMMENTS ON CMS’ HIPAA ATTACHMENT STANDARDS PROPOSED RULE
Last week, MGMA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to its proposed rulemaking to establish Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) attachment standards. The proposed rule would establish electronic standards for sending attachments in claims and prior authorization transactions. Attachments are currently transmitted through a primarily manual process, and CMS has been tasked with establishing attachment standards for decades.
MGMA’s comments focused on the need for CMS to ensure the prior authorization attachment standard aligns with all other aspects of the agency’s prior authorization reform efforts, instituting an improved HIPAA attachment standards development process focusing on real-world testing, and implementing a claims attachment standard that works for medical groups.
MGMA TO CONGRESS: REPEAL THE PATIENT ID PROHIBITION
MGMA joined over 150 other healthcare organizations in a letter asking Congress to repeal Section 510 in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill. A narrow interpretation of the language in Section 510 has prevented progress on a unique patient identifier resulting in numerous negative consequences to patient care and financial burdens to medical groups.
MGMA also joined nearly 50 organizations in a letter requesting $7 million of the funds appropriated to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to be designated for patient matching in Fiscal Year 2024.
MGMA ENDORSES THE CHRONIC CARE MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2023
MGMA and over two dozen other healthcare stakeholder organizations sent a letter to Congress in support of the Chronic Care Management Improvement Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation would increase access to chronic care management (CCM) services for Medicare beneficiaries and enable group practices to better manage the chronic conditions of their patients by removing the burdensome cost sharing requirement. Currently, Medicare beneficiaries are subject to a 20% co-insurance requirement for CCM services, increasing the administrative burden on practices by requiring the continuous collection of minimal fees from patients.
Join in #MGMAAdvocacy today by sending a letter to your members of Congress urging them to pass legislation to remove patient cost sharing for CCM services!
MGMA and over two dozen other healthcare stakeholder organizations sent a letter to Congress in support of the Chronic Care Management Improvement Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation would increase access to chronic care management (CCM) services for Medicare beneficiaries and enable group practices to better manage the chronic conditions of their patients by removing the burdensome cost sharing requirement. Currently, Medicare beneficiaries are subject to a 20% co-insurance requirement for CCM services, increasing the administrative burden on practices by requiring the continuous collection of minimal fees from patients.
Join in #MGMAAdvocacy today by sending a letter to your members of Congress urging them to pass legislation to remove patient cost sharing for CCM services!
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY: MEMBER QUESTION OF THE WEEK!
n preparation for the end of the declared COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023, MGMA has been tracking frequently asked member questions related to its unwinding. Please see a common member question on this issue below:
Q: Will the U0005 add-on payment for COVID-19 diagnostic testing run on high-throughput tech expire with the end of the PHE?
A: When the PHE ends, the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes created by CMS during the PHE (U0003, U0004, U0005) will no longer be payable. Payment rates for these types of COVID-19 tests will be reimbursed under standard Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule.
