Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), scleroderma and lupus often require management input from both rheumatologists and dermatologists. Usually patients see the two specialists separately. Combining both in a single rheumatology/dermatology clinic appointment can improve outcomes and increase both provider and patient satisfaction. “Physicians talk about tearing down silos of care, where each specialist focuses on their part…
The CMS 2020 Proposed Rule for the Quality Payment Program, released July 29, contains several key changes relevant to MIPS-eligible clinicians.
CMS estimates that under their proposal, released July 29, rheumatologists would see on average a 15% payment increase, beginning in 2021.
Cigna recently announced that they will discontinue payment for consultation codes later this year. As of Oct. 19, 2019, the payer will implement a new policy on Evaluation and Management (R30) that will deny claims billed with CPT codes for consultation services as not valid. Impacted CPT codes are 99241, 99242, 99243, 99244, 99245, 99251,…
Join RISE by Aug. 31 to be ready for 2019 MIPS reporting. The MIPS payment adjustment increases to plus or minus 7 percent this year, so it’s never been more important to make sure you are ready to report your best performance. RISE staff are here to assist you with the submission process so you…
Denied claims represent unpaid services, or lost or delayed revenue. Avoiding claims denials is the responsibility of everyone in a practice. Any deficiency on a focused strategy for denials management will have unfavorable resolutions to denials or lead to writing off the service without payment. With the changing landscape in practice management, the best route…
Has your practice recently hired a nurse practitioner (NP) or physician’s assistant (PA) to help provide care to a growing patient population? Are you considering hiring, but unsure if you have the time or resources to adequately train someone new to the specialty? The Training Rheum is designed to give your professional staff a solid…
When Reshma Khan, MD, a rheumatologist at the Family Arthritis Center, Jupiter, Fla., relocated from Michigan three-and-a-half years ago, she missed the camaraderie and friendships she’d made in Michigan. “I’m a very social person, and after finishing my research, residency and fellowship in Michigan, I missed those close friendships [when I moved to Florida],” Dr….
CHICAGO—Rheumatologists often come to Brian Schwartz, MD, associate professor of medicine and vice chief for clinical affairs in the Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, with a concern: A patient on immunosuppression has a family member who needs a live vaccine, but the patient may be vulnerable to the vaccine’s effects. Should…
When Liz Morasso, LCSW, facilitates a Families Living with Rheumatic Diseases support group at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, she empathizes with the struggles and challenges of her young patients. Ms. Morasso was only 16 years old when she was diagnosed with both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). She knows all too well…