CMS Releases 2022 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule On August 2, 2021, CMS published a final rule for the 2022 Calendar Year Inpatient Prospective Payment System…

Senate Passes Massive Infrastructure Bill That Includes Several Health Care Provisions On August 10, 2021, the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 69-31, passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs…

Federal Government Agencies Accelerate Review of COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund Expenditures On August 27, 2021, the Biden administration announced it has hired several separate outside contractors to police the…

…paid by their health plan, unless prohibited by state law. This is known as “balance billing.” An unexpected balance bill is called a surprise bill. Surprise bills and balance…

…office evaluation and management (E/M) services finalized by CMS this month and scheduled to take effect in 2021 will lead to a wide range of payment increases and decreases…

…as “potentially misvalued” in 2020 based on written comments from ISASS asking for review and revaluation. At the January 2021 AMA RVS Update Committee (RUC) meeting, ISASS, working with…

ISASS Comments on Payer Coverage Policy on New Spine Technology ISASS submitted comments to Health Care Services Corporation (HCSC) on a draft coverage policy for Basivertebral Joint Ablation (BVN)….

Proposed Rule Issued to Revoke 2020 Regulatory Actions On October 27, 2021, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its component agencies submitted a proposed rule to…

Bill Introduced in Congress to Limit Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization On May 21, 2021, House Bill 3173 (117th Congress), which seeks to cut red tape on prior authorizations in…

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Latest Challenge to the Affordable Care Act On June 17, 2021, the Affordable Care Act survived a third major challenge as the Supreme Court, in…

ISASS Provides Comments to CMS on Medicare Prior Authorization Policies ISASS jointed a broad coalition, included the Medical Device Manufacturing Association, in submitting a letter on April 7, 2021,…

…of IONM that it be covered. The joint letter was submitted on April 21, 2021. Cigna will review comments and issue a final policy in the coming months. The…