Billing News May 2023



CMS Releases Updated CLIA Regulations

  • May 16, 2023

On May 11, 2023, CMS released additional guidance regarding CLIA Regulations now that the public health emergency has ended. Key highlights include: May 11, 2023 – Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated guidance allowing pathologists the ability to continue to review digital data and...

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COVID-19: In Vitro Diagnostic Testing Policy 0557

  • May 8, 2023

 U0003 Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), amplified probe technique, making use of high throughput technologies as described by CMS-2020-01-R (Code deleted 5/11/2023) U0004 2019-nCoV Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19...

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Iowa Officially Becomes the 6th State with an Enacted Consumer Data Privacy Rights Law

  • May 8, 2023

On March 29th, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate Bill 262 into law, making Iowa only the 6th U.S. state to enact a Consumer Data Privacy Rights Law. The new law will go into effect on January 1, 2025.

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DMHC California plans: Continued Access to COVID-19 Tests, Vaccines and Treatment with No Cost-Sharing

  • May 8, 2023

Health plans regulated by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) must cover COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatment with no health plan prior authorization or enrollee cost-sharing. Enrollee cost-sharing includes co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles or other enrollee out-of-pocket costs not including health plan premiums. California...

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Radiology societies ‘alarmed’ by administrative burden, costs posed by new Cigna policy

  • May 8, 2023

Medical societies representing radiology and other specialties say they are “alarmed” by the cost and administrative burden posed by a new policy from Cigna. The Bloomfield, Connecticut-based health insurer recently announced that beginning May 25, it will require the submission of medical office notes when physicians seek payment in...

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SALSA INTRODUCED IN THE 118TH CONGRESS

  • May 8, 2023

On Tuesday, March 28, 2023, the bipartisan, bicameral sponsors of the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA) reintroduced the legislation in the 118th Congress. SALSA would protect laboratories from drastic cuts to reimbursement associated with the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) of 2014 in January of 2024 and in future years....

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US FDA authorizes second Omicron-updated COVID booster for older adults

  • May 8, 2023

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized a second dose of Omicron-targeting COVID-19 vaccines for older adults as well as those with a weak immune system. The agency also said the updated shots from Pfizer (PFE.N)-BioNTech (22UAy.DE) and Moderna (MRNA.O) would become the new primary COVID vaccine, and...

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What is the New CDC Guidance for Hepatitis B Testing in Adults?

  • May 8, 2023

Adults should be tested for HBV at least once in their lifetime, according to updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the first update to HBV screening guidelines since 2008, the agency said. The guidance now recommends using the triple panel (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg], anti-hepatitis...

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