In the News
WHO, CDC Speak Out At Start of World Antibiotic Awareness Week, Physicians First Watch, 11-16-15…
Medicaid Reform Work Begins in Earnest
Following three years of discussion, the North Carolina General Assembly took the initial steps…
CMS Releases Interactive Tool to Map Opioid Prescription Claims
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an interactive online mapping tool,…
CMS Extends Deadline for Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Informal Review Process
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the 2014 Informal Review period…
CMS Finalizes 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
On October 30, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule…
New NC DMA Website Launches
A new North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) website launched on Oct. 27, organized…
Reminder of NCTracks Re-credentialing Process
Please note the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) successfully advocated on your behalf to…
Fair Medical Audits Act Gaining Momentum
US Representatives David Rouzer, (R-NC), and Mark Meadows, (R-NC) have signed on as co-sponsors to…
Final Bowtie Briefing for 2015
Chip wraps up his inaugural series of legislative briefings and has a guest to share in his send…
Chip Baggett's Bowtie Briefing for September 25, 2015
As Chip relates, "the end is near" for the legislative session. Watch the video for this week's…
What the State's Compromise Medicaid Reform Bill May Mean to Your Practice
On September 17, the legislature released their compromise version of Medicaid reform legislation.…
Alliant Offers Mental Health Screening Help for Primary Care Practices
Alliant Quality, the Quality Innovation Network – Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) for…
Bowtie Briefing for September 18, 2015: Budget passes and Medicaid reform bill moves forward
Late last night, the General Assembly passed the budget, and NCMS Legislative Director Chip Baggett…
Bowtie Briefing for September 11, 2015
NCMS Legislative Relations Director Chip Baggett shares his thoughts on this 14th anniversary of…
Bowtie Briefing for August 28, 2015
This week's briefing is a quick one, focusing on some new developments in Medicaid reform and…
Time Is Running Short To Get Medicaid Reform Right
Legislators are still optimistic a Medicaid reform bill will be passed before this extra-long…
CMS Releases Medicare ACO Results for 2014
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday released 2014 quality and financial…
DMA Reviewing Medicaid Recredentialing Compliance
From the North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid…
Bowtie Briefing for August 21, 2015
It's Friday, which means it's time for another Bowtie Briefing. Chip Baggett shares this week's…
Medicaid Reform Is Moving Forward At the Legislature
Yesterday, the North Carolina Senate voted 34-10 to approve HB 372, Medicaid Transformation, a…
Understand the Proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
The North Carolina Medical Society’s (NCMS) Director of Health Policy Jennifer Gasperini has…
2015 MAC Satisfaction Indicator Survey — Please Share Your Opinions!
There is still time to share your views on Palmetto GBA, but don't delay since the survey will…
CMS Posts 2014 Open Payments Financial Data
From CMS Reports The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) posted data for all 2014…
Medicare and Medicaid Turn 50 Tomorrow
On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation amending the Social Security Act and…
Trustees: Medicare Solvent Until 2030
The Medicare Trustees have projected the trust fund that finances Medicare’s hospital insurance…
Comparing the Medicaid Reform Bills and Where the NCMS Stands
With the General Assembly back in session after the July 4th break, Medicaid reform will once again…
Implementation of MACRA Has Started
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the first proposed update…
DMA Details Changes to Payment of Crossover Claims
The North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) today sent a letter to providers detailing…
Medicaid Reform Update
Now that both the North Carolina House and Senate have laid out their respective Medicaid reform…
NC House Health Committee To Vote on Medicaid Reform Bill
Today the North Carolina House Committee on Health will likely vote on HB 372, 2015 Medicaid…
ACO Final Rule Released
On June 4, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule detailing…
CMS Releases Physician Medicare Payment Data
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its second annual…
Potential Benefits In the SGR Repeal Law — MACRA
When the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) was signed into law in April,…
Another Step Toward RAC Reform in the US Senate
The Senate Finance Committee today passed the Audit & Appeal Fairness, Integrity, and Reforms…
CMS Proposes New Rules for Medicaid MCOs
Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposal that would…
Hard-Won RAC Reform Legislation Introduced
In case you missed the announcement, on the Friday afternoon before the long Memorial Day weekend,…
RAC Reform Closer to Reality: Rep. Holding Introduces Legislation
Today, Rep. George Holding (R-NC) introduced legislation entitled “The Fair Medical Audits Act of…
Pioneer ACO Model Generates Medicare Savings, Independent Report Reveals
The US Department of Health and Human Services released an independent evaluation report showing an…
What MACRA Means to You — Detailed Summary of Historic SGR Repeal Bill
The AMA has produced a detailed summary of HR 2, the hard won legislation that repealed the…
ICD-10 Medicare Testing Opportunity Still Available
During the week of July 20-24, 2015, a final sample group of providers will have the opportunity to…
More Codes Open for Billing by PAs and NPs in NCTracks
There is some news in the long-running saga of CPT codes closed to PAs and NPs since the NCTracks…
In the News
What's Next If the Supreme Court Strikes Down Obamacare Aid? NPR, 5-11-15 White House Moves to Fix…
The SGR Has Been Repealed. Now What?
With the long awaited and historic repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula two weeks…
Palmetto GBA Will Continue As North Carolina’s Medicare Administrator
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced as of April 1, 2015, Palmetto GBA…
In the News
Huge Medicare Appeals Backlog Draws Senate Scrutiny, ModernHealthCare, 4-28-15 How Is the…
NCMS Leads Medicaid Reform Efforts
The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) has been leading the charge toward meaningful Medicaid…
3 Percent Medicaid Retroactive Rate Reduction to Begin April 23
The NC Department of Health and Human Services issued a special Bulletin to Medicaid providers last…
CMS Proposal Seeks to Streamline EHR Incentive Programs
On Friday, April 10, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new proposed…