Billing News Mar 2020



Recent Business Intelligence Releases

  • March 18, 2020

CR #: BI-104295 Type: New Feature Universe Name: Adhoc-Procedure Code Level Analysis Notes: The Adhoc-Procedure Code Level Analysis universe has been enhanced with new objects: Submission Payor ID, Submission Payor Name, Submission Payor Type, Submission Payor Group Name, Aging Amount, Aging Bucket Sort, and Aging Bucket...

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House Committees Release Competing Surprise Medical Billing Legislative Proposals

  • March 9, 2020

On February 7, 2020, two House committees released competing proposed bills designed to shield patients from “surprise” medical bills. These bills, like others that were proposed last year, would protect patients from liability for fees charged by out-of-network physicians when patients receive care at in-network emergency departments. The ...

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More States Passing Laws to Preserve Provider Competition

  • March 9, 2020

Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR) published this week an update to its 2014 report on state policies on provider market power published in conjunction with the National Academy of Social Insurance. Using the Database of State Laws Impacting Healthcare Cost and Quality, jointly developed by CPR and the Source on Healthcare Price and Competition at...

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FDA Finalizes Guidances on CLIA Waiver Applications, 510(k) Dual Submissions

  • March 9, 2020

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized two guidances providing recommendation for diagnostics makers looking to submit Clinical Laboratories Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waivers for their tests or conduct studies to support dual 510(k) and CLIA waiver by application submissions. CLIA Waiver Applications  FDA says its...

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Proposed California DTC Genetic Testing Bill

  • March 9, 2020

A state senator in California is introducing a bill to increase the regulation of direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, TechCrunch reports. State Senator Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana) is proposing a new bill, Senate Bill 980, that would expand upon the California Consumer Privacy Act, according to TechCrunch. It adds that the CCPA...

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Blood Test Method May Predict Alzheimer’s Protein Deposits in Brain

  • March 9, 2020

Researchers report an advance in the development of a blood test that could help detect pathological Alzheimer’s disease in people who are showing signs of dementia. This approach could be less invasive and less costly than current brain imaging and spinal fluid tests. The blood test detects the abnormal accumulation of a form of tau protein known...

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HHS Issues Important Notice That It Will Not Enforce Certain Fee Limitations on Individuals' Requests to Transmit Health Records to Third Parties

  • March 9, 2020

On January 28, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued an announcement of financial importance to covered entities and business associates that produce copies of medical records to patients and third parties. HHS announced that it would not enforce the fee limitation described in HHS’s 2016 regulation at 45 C.F.R. § 164....

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Coronavirus Spurs FDA Plea for Stricter Oversight of Medtech Manufacturers

  • March 9, 2020

FDA chief Stephen Hahn yesterday called on Congress to require medtech manufacturers to notify the agency of impending device shortages or supply-chain disruptions. The FDA does not have the same authorities for medical device shortages as it does for drugs and biological products, according to Hahn. Medtech manufacturers are under no legal...

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