Q:   Are there any changes to the telehealth billing in 2023? A:  For CY 2023, Medicare is finalizing a number of policies related to services, including making several services that are temporarily available as telehealth services for the Public Health Emergency (PHE) available at least through CY 2023. This allows additional time for the collection of data to help in determining whether or not Medicare will include service(s) as permanent additions to the Medicare Telehealth Services List. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized their proposal to extend the duration of time that services are temporarily included on the telehealth services list during the PHE for at least a period of 151 days following the end of the PHE. This confirms CMS' intention to implement the telehealth provisions to ensure a smooth transition after the end of the PHE. These policies, such as allowing telehealth services to be furnished in any geographic area and in any o...

  Amid all the rules stemming from the No Surprises Act, a looming mandate for providers to send cost estimates to health plans looks like the biggest stress inducer. Various regulations under the No Surprises Act have created strain for healthcare finance professionals since the initial rules were published in mid-2021, but one pending requirement is the consensus choice as the heaviest lift. The obligation to provide an advanced explanation of benefits (AEoB) to insured patients will necessitate a level of interoperability between providers and health plans that doesn’t exist. How to make it happen is a vexing question for industry stakeholders. It's uncertain “how anybody’s going to do that, because nobody has the tools yet to make it successful," said Sandy Lood, vice president of revenue cycle with Cottage Health in Santa Barbara, California. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury, which together oversee implementation of the No Surprises Ac...