The anticipated changes to the Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN) Form (CMS-R-131) have arrived. This important form is issued to the patient or client by providers, physicians, practitioners, and suppliers in situations where Medicare payment is expected to be denied.
You can begin using the new ABN immediately if you so wish. However, it becomes mandatory on August 31, 2020.
As our country moves forward with a phased approach to reopening, be sure to pay close attention to individual payer policies regarding how long these changes will remain in effect. Keep in mind that private payer, federal programs (Medicare, Medicaid), and Medicare Advantage plans can all have different timelines as well as different coverage.
As practices begin reopening across the nation, there are several things that need to be considered. Policies and Procedures Manuals need to be updated, malpractice carriers need to be contacted and everyone needs to consider mental health screenings and support.
As we begin returning back to work, we will all face a new normal. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of business. While it has certainly been a challenge to keep up with the ever-changing regulations (that’s likely to continue for a little longer), exciting new opportunities have also been created, such as the expansion of telemedicine. There’s also the maze of government funding that needs to be navigated and an increased awareness of OSHA standards to implement.
On April 30, 2020, CMS announced additional sweeping changes to meet the challenges of providing adequate healthcare during this pandemic. These changes expand the March 31st changes. The article covers some of the key changes. See the official announcement in the references below.
COVID-19 Chiropractic Resources contains current, updated information regarding COVID-19. Included are lists of webinars, articles, websites and links pertaining to the ongoing changes.
The recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has several provisions to ease the financial burden being faced by healthcare providers who have been impacted by the effect of the coronavirus. Learn more about how the Provider Relief Fund and the Accelerated and Advance Payment Program work.
The ICD-10-CM Official Coding and Reporting Guidelines have just been updated to include COVID reporting. Additional information beyond the previously released interim guidelines are included. These are the rules that should be followed for claims submission. The notice states that this is for April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020.
On March 31, 2020, CMS announced further changes to their telehealth program in response to this unprecedented public health emergency (PHE). The announcement included far more information than is presented in this article which only summarizes the changes to telehealth. In fact, it does change a little of the information included in our March 31st webinar.
The rules for providing telehealth services during this pandemic have changed and some requirements have been waived. Please keep in mind that “waiving requirements” does not mean that anything goes. Another important consideration is that Medicare and private payers may likely have different rules so you need to make sure that you know individual payer requirements during this time.
