August 2021

UnitedHealthcare loses Medicare Advantage overpayment suit

By Rebecca Pifer Healthcare Dive Dive Brief: A federal appeals court has ruled against UnitedHealthcare, the biggest private payer in the U.S., and reversed a 2018 decision overturning Medicare’s overpayment rule requiring insurers to refund reimbursement to CMS within 60 days if they learn a diagnosis lacks medical record support. UnitedHealthcare argued in court in…

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AMA finalizes CPT codes for COVID-19 boosters

By Katie Adams for Becker’s Hospital Review The American Medical Association said Aug. 16 the Current Procedural Terminology code set is ready for third doses of Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines. The FDA on Aug. 12 amended the emergency use authorizations for Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines, allowing for a third booster dose in immunocompromised…

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What Does the Future Hold for Telehealth? New Report Gives Hints

Thanks to the pandemic, Americans have gotten used to having appointments with their doctors and other health providers through video chats, phone calls, and text-based e-visits. But what does the future hold for telehealth, and how can providers, insurers, and policymakers use the experience of the past year and a half to decide what kind…

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More than 600K patients affected in UNM Health hack

Meanwhile, Ohio-based Memorial Health System struggles to get back online after a ransomware attack. By Kat Jercich for Healthcare IT News The University of New Mexico Health System began notifying patients earlier this month about a recent cybersecurity incident resulting in potential data exposure. According to the system’s report to the U.S. Department of Health…

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The US Patent Office has granted Dolbey a patent for Vision Click – voice-activated image searching technology

The US Patent Office has granted Dolbey and Company, Inc. patent number 11,024,305 that covers the use of image searching with voice recognition commands. CINCINNATI, OHIO, UNITED STATES, August 2, 2021 — The US Patent Office (USPTO) has granted Dolbey and Company, Inc. patent number 11,024,305 that covers the use of image searching with voice…

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Epic will require all U.S. employees to get COVID-19 vaccine

By Kat Jercich for Healthcare IT News Epic Systems will require all U.S.-based employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 1. The electronic health record giant sent a notice on Friday informing staff of the new policy, along with updated guidance around masking. “We need our staff to be fully vaccinated to continue…

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Journal excerpt: Provider struggles

ACDIS Journal Excerpt from The ACDIS CDI Blog No matter the level of training and preparation you put into implementing a new technology, you’ll likely still encounter some struggles along the adoption journey. Inevitably, regardless of the project, there will always be a few troublesome providers, according to Vaughn Matacale, MD, CCDS, director of the CDI advisor…

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10 best, worst states for healthcare

By Kelly Gooch for Becker’s Hospital Review  Americans receive the best healthcare in Massachusetts, according to an Aug. 2 state ranking published by personal finance website WalletHub. For the ranking, WalletHub compared the 50 states and Washington, D.C., across 44 measures of cost, accessibility and outcome. Measures ranged from cost of medical visit and average monthly insurance premium…

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US News’ Best Hospitals 2021-22 Honor Roll

By Mackenzie Bean for Becker’s Hospital Review  U.S. News & World Report released its best hospitals rankings for 2021-22 on July 27, with Mayo Clinic earning the top spot for the sixth consecutive year. To compile the 32nd annual ranking, U.S. News compared more than 4,750 hospitals nationwide across 15 specialties and 17 procedures and conditions. Data for these…

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CMS releases 4 final payment rules: 16 things to know

By Alia Paavola for Becker’s Hospital Review CMS on July 29 released its annual final payment rules for hospices, inpatient psychiatric facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities. Sixteen things to know about the rules: Hospices Under the final rule, hospices will see a 2 percent increase in payments for fiscal year 2022, compared…

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