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CMS: Beyond the Policy Podcast: Dispatches from the Blue Button Developers Conference

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
September 5, 2019

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the latest episode of the CMS: Beyond the Policy podcast. This edition features key remarks from CMS Administrator Seema Verma, the application developers, and Medicare beneficiaries on the launch of the pilot project, Data at the Point of Care, and the value of these applications. You can also listen to the podcast on Google Play ...

CMS Offers New Details on Approach to Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
August 30, 2019

As a way of providing more details on the five-part strategy the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking to ensure safety and quality in nursing homes, CMS Administrator Seema Verma has begun a blog series offering more details for each step. This topic was also the subject of CMS’ Beyond the Policy podcast with the administrator and CMS Medical Director and Director of Clinical Standards and Quality Dr. Kate Goodrich, who has worked with the Society on various...

Learn More about CMS’ Proposed MIPS Value Pathways

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Practice Management, Practitioners
August 30, 2019

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule outlining changes in the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The rule contains a request for information (RFI) on ways to simplify the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) by creating a new reporting mechanism through what the agency is calling MIPS Value-Pathway (MVPs). These pathways would allow practitioners to bypass the traditional MIPS reporting across the four different categories. CMS is asking for comments on the rule as many details are still to be determined. To help understand the new...

Dementia Care: Supporting Comfort and Resident Preferences Call September 10

Policy Snapshot
Dementia, Practitioners
August 30, 2019

The Medicare Learning Network is hosting a call on September 10 from 1:30 to 3:00 PM ET, Dementia Care: Supporting Comfort and Resident Preferences. During this call, you’ll be able to gain insight on approaches to care for residents living with dementia that focus on resident preferences, maintaining comfort, and assisting with unmet needs. Additionally, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) representative will provide updates on the progress of the ...

SNF PPS: Patient Driven Payment Model Videos

Policy Snapshot
Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), Skilled Nursing Care, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
August 30, 2019

On October 1, the new Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is replacing the Resource Utilization Group, Version IV (RUG-IV) for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). CMS has videos to help you prepare:

Quality Payment Program Exception Applications Available on QPP.CMS.GOV

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Practice Management, Practitioners
August 22, 2019

The 2019 Quality Payment Program (QPP) Exception Applications for the Promoting Interoperability (PI) performance category and Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances for the Merit-...

Quality Payment Program Exception Applications Available on QPP.CMS.GOV

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Practice Management, Practitioners
August 22, 2019

The 2019 Quality Payment Program (QPP) Exception Applications for the Promoting Interoperability (PI) performance category and Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances for the Merit-...

SNF PPS Patient Driven Payment Model: Get Ready for Implementation on October 1

Policy Snapshot
Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
August 22, 2019

On October 1, the new Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is replacing the Resource Utilization Group, Version IV (RUG-IV) for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). PDPM improves the accuracy and appropriateness of payments by classifying patients into payment groups based on specific, data-driven patient characteristics, while simultaneously reducing administrative burden.

Changes to the Assessment:

Both RUG-IV and PDPM use the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 as the basis for patient assessment and classification, but the...

Society Leaders Tackle the Interoperability Riddle

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practice Management, Electronic Health Records (EHR), Health Information Technology (HIT), Practitioners
August 15, 2019

One of the biggest complaints in today’s digital world is that it has not extended into the health care world. While many hospitals and physician offices have adopted some type of electronic medical record, and there is no shortage of new companies popping up every day, the world of interoperable data exchange still is elusive. In the post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) world, things are even more challenging given that they were left out of the major funding source that spurred the adoption of Health IT in the sector.  Even with the proliferation of Health IT, much of it remains in...

Dementia Care: Supporting Comfort and Resident Preferences Call — September 10

Policy Snapshot
Dementia, Practitioners
August 15, 2019

The Medicare Learning Network is hosting a call on September 10 from 1:30 to 3:00 PM ET, Dementia Care: Supporting Comfort and Resident Preferences. During this call, you’ll be able to gain insight on approaches to care for residents living with dementia that focus on resident preferences, maintaining comfort, and assisting with unmet needs. Additionally, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) representative will provide updates on the progress of the ...