CMS Releases CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule with Telehealth Policy Updates and Key Modifications

November 14, 2024

CMS Releases CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule with Telehealth Policy Updates and Key Modifications

On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Final Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), outlining important Medicare policy updates for the coming year.

As in previous years, the PFS contains multiple proposals affecting telehealth policy. Many temporary federal telehealth waivers in Medicare are set to expire this year, and their extension would require congressional action. However, CMS has made adjustments within its authority to mitigate the effects of these expirations if Congress does not act to extend statutory flexibilities further.

For those interested in further detail, CCHP has released a fact sheet with specific page references to the unpublished version of the PFS, outlining telehealth-specific proposals and updates in depth.

Click Here for Fact Sheet

Click Here to Read Final Calendar Year 2025 Physician Fee Schedule

CART Outpatient Version 1.25.0 Release

November 14, 2024

CART Outpatient Version 1.25.0 Release

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the release of the CMS Abstraction and Report Tool (CART) and is now available on the QualityNet website: https://qualitynet.cms.gov/

This release contains updates to CART Outpatient 1.25.0 to support the Sex Data Element changes as listed in Specifications Manual 17.0a. This CART version must be used for encounter dates 07-01-24 through 9-30-24.

Details of the new Sex Data Elements are listed below:

  • Sex assigned at birth – Required
  • Sexual Orientation – Voluntary
  • Gender Identity – Voluntary

Note: CART for Q4 2024 encounters and future will be available in January 2025 in HQR

The CART 1.25.0 download, as well as installation instructions, edits, and online help are located on the QualityNet website.

  • Select the Hospitals – Outpatient card on the home page of QualityNet,
  • The CART-Outpatient version 1.25.0 can be accessed under the CART Overview page,
  • Edits and Online help Guide are at the bottom of the Download Cart page under resources,
  • Known issues for CART-Outpatient are located on the QualityNet Home page under the Help menu.
    • Select the known Issues link and navigate to hospital Quality Reporting System Known Issues PDF

Click Here to Go to QualityNet website

Click Here to Download CART Version 1.25.0

Who to contact with questions:

HRSA Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit

November 8, 2024

HRSA Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has introduced a new Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit.

The toolkit can be used to conduct self-assessments to understand the focus areas and potential activities needed to achieve your performance improvement goals.

The resources aim to:

  • Foster innovation
  • Enhance patient care
  • Improve health outcomes for underserved populations

Click Here to access the toolkit

RHIhub Topic Guide: Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health

October 28, 2024

RHIhub Topic Guide: Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health

This Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) Topic Guide will help you locate and accurately use statistics and data to:

  • Understand rural health needs and rural/urban disparities
  • Communicate rural health needs
  • Inform decision-making related to service delivery and policy

Click Here to Access Topic Guide

Many providers of rural-relevant data rely on the same small number of federal data sets for their data products.

Click Here to Access Data Sources & Tools Relevant to Rural Health

Reminder: Hospitals and CAH Respiratory Illness Reporting Requirements Begin November 1, 2024

October 22, 2024

Reminder: Hospitals and CAH Respiratory Illness Reporting Requirements Begin November 1, 2024

In the CY2025 Medicare Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System Final Rule (starting on page 898), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to electronically report information related to flu, COVID-19 and RSV via the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

CDC has posted instructions for Reporting Requirements, Frequency, and Pathway as well as templates, training slides, and additional resources.

Reporters may use either the weekly reporting pathway OR the daily reporting pathway to satisfy requirements for Hospital Respiratory Data for CMS CoP; reporters do NOT need to provide data into both pathways to meet the requirement.

Got questions? Please read the linked sources above or reach out to your CMS Regional Representative.

Click Here to Access NHSN Respiratory Data (HRD) Reporting

Telehealth Resources for Patients and Providers

October 17, 2024

Telehealth Resources for Patients and Providers

The Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) has the following telehealth resources for patients and providers:

  • Telehealth for emergency preparedness
    • Telehealth is important for providing medical care during an emergency, such as a pandemic or natural disaster. Providers can use telehealth to perform quick assessments, triage patients, and deliver patient care.
    • This best practice guide provides detailed information and resources on using telehealth for emergency preparedness.
  • Preparing patients for Telehealth
    • The transition to telehealth is an adjustment for patients as well as health care providers. By preparing your patients for remote medical care, you help ensure their comfort and maintain quality care.
  • Telehealth for special needs children (Patient Resource)
    • Telehealth can be used to support children and families with unique health care needs.
  • Telehealth Events
    • Find upcoming webinars, conference, and other events around telehealth.

Pricing Transparency Tools Available

October 17, 2024

Pricing Transparency Tools Available

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed and maintains tools to support hospitals in meeting some of the machine-readable file (MRF) requirements for Hospital Price Transparency.

  • Online Validator
    • Tests machine readable files against the required CMS template layouts and data specifications (45 CFR 180.50(c)(2)).
    • The online validator runs in a user’s web browser, and it is recommended for nontechnical users.
  • Command Line (CLI) Validator
    • Tests machine readable files against the required CMS template layouts and data specifications (45 CFR 180.50(c)(2)).
    • The CLI is a downloaded tool that runs locally in the user’s terminal, and it is recommended for technically proficient users validating multiple files simultaneously or integrating the validator into a software pipeline.
  • MRF Naming Wizard
    • Assists users in generating the MRF file name in accordance with the naming convention requirements (45 CFR 180.50(d)(5)).
  • TXT File Generator
    • Assists users in generating a TXT file with the required attributes of information to improve accessibility to MRFs (45 CFR 180.50(d)(6)(i)).

Preventing and Responding to Intimate partner Violence

October 10, 2024

Preventing and Responding to Intimate partner Violence

Download the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Implementation Framework that has activities and resources for HRSA-supported settings of care to prevent and respond to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the communities they serve.

The Framework has five building blocks to:

  • Train and support the health care workforce
  • Engage with partners and their communities
  • Deliver care that is responsive to trauma and diverse cultures
  • Coordinate and carry out steps to prevent and respond to IPV
  • Use data to drive decision-making

HRSA recognizes each organization is unique and has a range of experience in implementing IPV prevention and response initiatives. Organizations can pick the building blocks and activities that best align with their resources and needs.

Click Here to Access the Implementation Framework

Health Care Artificial Intelligence Toolkit

October 7, 2024

Health Care Artificial Intelligence Toolkit

This guide is designed to help community health clinics and rural hospitals navigate information regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.  It discusses:

  • Foundational considerations
  • Governance for AI applications
  • Steps to assess and mitigate discriminatory impacts of AI systems in healthcare

The toolkit also includes an AI tool vendor evaluation checklist for community health clinics and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)

Click Here to Access Health Care Artificial Intelligence Toolkit

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 4, 2024

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, advocates, health care workers, survivors, and community partners across the country work together to end domestic violence.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) safety-net settings of care can support domestic violence awareness by sharing content and resources.

Download HRSA’s Implementation Framework that has activities and resources for HRSA-supported settings of care to prevent and respond to intimate partner violence in the communities they serve.

Click Here to Download Implementation Framework