by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Nov 9, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, Quality Payment Program, US Wound Registry
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) opened the Physician Compare quality measure preview period on October 5th. The 30-day preview period closed on Friday, November 6th. It provided an opportunity for individuals and group practices to review their...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 13, 2015 | Quality Payment Program
CMS will be publicly reporting a sub-set of the 2014 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) measures on Physician Compare. Starting October 5, 2015, CMS is has set up a 30-day preview period for select quality measures through the PQRS portal—Provider Quality...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 14, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, Quality Payment Program, US Wound Registry
Are you thinking that PQRS is only for practitioners? More and more hospitals are on the hook to get PQRS right. This year, the Physician Quality Reporting System payment “adjustments” officially move from the incentive to the penalty phase. I’ve talked a lot about...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 19, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, Quality Payment Program, US Wound Registry
More and more of my patients are on Medicare “advantage” plans. Just this week I asked one of them why she decided to take a Medicare replacement plan rather than a traditional Medicare plan. I was pretty sure I knew the answer because my husband got Medicare this...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 14, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care, Quality Payment Program
Every Tuesday this month we’ve been having some straight talk about a US Wound Registry Quality Measure. In the June/July issue of Today’s Wound Clinic (TWC) I present a case history of a 30 year old man who had been treated for a year at another wound center for a...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 30, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
Tuesdays in the month of June, I’m offering some straight talk about a few of the MANY ways in which payment for hyperbaric oxygen therapy is going to change and FAST. Another issue is that of decreased payment of Physician Supervision for HBOT. The American Medical...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 29, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
On Mondays in the month of June I am focusing on the way that quality measures will be used to evaluate practitioner performance inside and outside a healthcare organization, including compensation packages and contracted rates with payers. There are thousands of...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 26, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
Good morning and Happy Friday! Friday’s on the blog are reserved for “Ask the Physician Friday.” If you have any questions for me please feel free to leave them in the comments below, ask on Twitter (@carolinefifemd), or on Facebook (Woodlands Wound...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 25, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
Welcome to “Throwback Thursdays” in June. I’ve noticed that patients are having increasing problems affording wound care supplies as a result of the high deductibles under the Affordable Care Act. We are going back to baby diapers for some patients. Caroline...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 22, 2015 | Quality Payment Program
On April 29th, CMS released the 2013 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program Experience Report. The PQRS/eRx Experience Report is released by CMS annually and provides trends on participation, incentive eligibility,...
