MedPAC Recommends No Medicare Payment Update for 2023
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) issued its latest report to Congress on March 15. Their opinion was simple and direct — Medicare payments don’t need to be increased in 2023. Their report stated, “Overall, access to clinician services for Medicare beneficiaries appears stable and comparable to that for privately insured individuals.” And they continued…
Read MoreACS National Consortium Announces 9 Ways to Increase Cancer Screenings
The American Cancer Society’s National Consortium for Cancer Screening and Care (ACS National Consortium) announced on February 16, 2022, nine recommendations to increase cancer screening levels back to pre-pandemic levels. Evidence indicates that delayed and missed screenings result in more later-stage cancer diagnoses. Cancer screening rates are still below pre-pandemic levels, and the nation…
Read MoreTexas Physicians Win In No Surprises Act Law Suit
A U.S. district court judge granted the Texas Medical Association’s motion for summary judgment agreeing that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ’s interpretation of the No Surprises Act did not line up with the law, as written, and as Congress intended. The ruling came on February 23, 2022. Judge Jeremy Kernodle concurred…
Read MoreDo Second Opinion Reads Need Different Reimbursement Formula?
The value of second opinions for patients is undeniable. Second opinions for breast cancer imaging are often referred to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) – designated centers, and these centers receive thousands of second opinion requests annually. A multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) at an NCI-designed center revealed that the diagnosis changed for 43% of the…
Read MoreCOVID-Delayed Screenings Increase Late-Stage Breast Cancer Diagnoses
The National Cancer Institute, in June 2020, expressed fears that declines in cancer screenings and delays in treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic could contribute to an increase in rates of advanced cancer diagnoses and deaths through 2030. A recent study was led by Jade Zifei Zhou, MD, Ph.D., a hematology/oncology fellow at Moores Cancer…
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