APMA News Brief

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will ask its claims processors to hold physician payment claims for the first two weeks in January while it implements a slight decrease in the Medicare pay rate.

Visit http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/Reimbursement/49425 to view the full article online.

There is growing interest in the health care information technology community in an emerging data exchange technology known as FHIR (pronounced "fire"). FHIR, or Fast Health Interoperability Resources, is a proposed interoperability standard developed by the health care IT standards body known as HL7.

Visit http://www.govhealthit.com/news/fhir-and-future-interoperability to view the full article online.

Connolly LLC will be the recovery audit contractor responsible for reviewing durable medical equipment, hospice and home health claims on a nationwide basis, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced.

Visit http://www.mcknights.com/cms-begins-new-round-of-recovery-audit-contracts-says-improvements-will-be-seen/article/391000/ to view the full article online.

Here's more evidence that for people with Type 1 diabetes, strict blood sugar control matters – in this case, it actually reduces the risk of early death. But another study reveals the grim reality: Those with the condition still die about a decade sooner than those without.

Visit http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/01/06/375395383/tight-control-of-type-1-diabetes-saves-lives-but-its-tough to view the full article online.

There are a lot of changes to this year’s tax code — 46 to be exact — as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). What’s most important is to be aware if your taxes — and your annual refund — will be affected.

Visit https://www.hillsborofreepress.com/special-focus-sections/the-truth-about-affordable-care-act-and-your-taxes to view the full article online.

On The Faith Middleton Show, we'll look at which shoes are most foot friendly; why cosmetic foot surgery is thriving; and how to take care of the feet to avoid knee and hip surgery, as well as sprained ankles.

Visit http://wnpr.org/post/how-avoid-foot-surgery to view the full article online.

The new year encourages many people to create their list of resolutions, and fitness tends to be at the top. However, starting a new sport or exercise routine can lead to foot injuries if the proper precautions are not taken.

Visit http://www.emaxhealth.com/12410/avoiding-foot-injuries-during-sports to view the full article online.

Many of us already know diabetes increases the risks of cardiovascular disease including hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. But, when left uncontrolled and untreated, its impact can take a costly toll on the body’s extremities ... particularly the feet.

Visit http://www.oaoa.com/people/health/levi_stone/article_d0ac8d4e-94e5-11e4-af04-e7e5fd4cc1b0.html to view the full article online.

Dr. Daralie Wilkerson, a podiatrist at Parkland Hospital says we don't stop to think about the long hours we spend on our feet during our normal daily routine. She shares some tip to better care for your feet in this edition of Vital Signs.

Visit http://keranews.org/post/dont-take-your-feet-granted-how-take-better-care-them to view the full article online.

A House member critical of some of Vermont’s health care reform measures is expected to be removed from the House Health Care Committee.

Visit http://wamc.org/post/health-reform-critics-dismayed-house-committee-reassignment to view the full article online.

In both the healthcare and education verticals, compliance is a major area of responsibility. In addition to the existing regulations which are constantly evolving, new regulations are being added on an ongoing basis – both of which can make compliance a challenge.

Visit http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/12031909/evolving-regulatory-landscape-in-healthcare-and-education-makes-streamlining-of-security-and-safety-data-essential to view the full article online.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will revise its Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) program to sharpen agency oversight, reduce the burden on providers and increase transparency.

Visit http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/cms-revises-rac-program-increase-transparency-oversight/2015-01-06 to view the full article online.

Going into 2015, one of the biggest challenges facing employers continues to be the implementation of the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"). Applicable large employers need to make decisions regarding the measurement period that will be used for purposes of determining which employees are "full-time employees." Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: Visit APMA's healthcare reform page to learn more about key provisions in the ACA for podiatrists and more.

Clinical laboratories will be watching and waiting in the new year for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to resolve several unsettled issues concerning fees for molecular pathology tests, as well as coding for drug-screening tests.

Visit http://www.genengnews.com/keywordsandtools/print/3/36957/ to view the full article online.

Long a pioneer in adopting electronic medical records, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is on the verge of making them work together in new ways.

Visit http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/leadership/upmc-new-leaders-same-big-health-tech-ambitions/d/d-id/1318430 to view the full article online.

ICD-10 resources from CMS can help providers develop a transition plan tailored to their specialty and rate of progress. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: APMA’s ICD-10 Resources will help you prepare for the transition to happen Oct. 1, 2015.

In a December 2014 statement on the implementation of ICD-10, U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) called the new coding set "an important milestone in the future of healthcare technologies."

Visit http://icd10monitor.com/enews/item/1331-the-future-of-icd-10-cm-pcs to view the full article online.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released proposed regulations to clarify and build on current regulatory requirements for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Don’t miss APMA’s resources on ACOs.

As the healthcare industry transitions to the ICD-10 coding system in 2015, physician practices will need to have an aggressive action plan in place for meeting the many challenges associated with implementing the new code set.

Visit http://icd10monitor.com/enews/item/1334-a-high-impact-low-cost-approach-to-physician-practice-icd-10-implementation-in-2015 to view the full article online.