To amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider certain recognized security practices of covered entities and business associates when making certain determinations, and for other purposes.

Issues: Telehealth: Advocated for extension of Medicare telehealth waivers under 1834m of the Social Security Act Surprise medical bills: advocated for independent dispute resolution improvements in No Surprises Act such as exclusion of federal payer rates from consideration APMs: advocated for freeze in qualifying participant thresholds and extension of APM bonus in Value Act; advocated for delay and improvements to radiation oncology model to administration ACOs: advocated to administration to delay or rescind proposals for quality reporting changes in 2021 Provider relief fund: advocated for improvements to reporting requirements and for distributions to group practices in front of administration and congress MIPS: advocated to administration for reductions in reporting burden for 2021 Accelerated advance payment program: advocated to congress to include improved repayment terms in federal legislative package Medicare sequestration: advocated for a delay in the sequestration cuts through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency Medicare payment cuts: advocated against cuts to Medicare reimbursement slated for Jan. 1, 2021 related to the E/M increases Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) program: advocated for a delayed start to the program National Patient Identifier: advocated for the development of a national approach to matching patient records Medicare Document Requirement Lookup Service policy: advocated in support of real time transactions; applicability to all payers Medicare administrative simplification policy: advocated for development of new attachment standards; improved prior authorization processes; enhanced enforcement Application Programming Interface prior authorization standards: advocated for applicability to a wider group of federally-controlled payers; reduced time for payers to respond to practices with authorization determinations Interoperability and information blocking policy: advocated against additional administrative burden for physician practices; delay in enforcement for information blocking requirements until after the COVID-19 public health emergency Bills: HR 8702, Holding Providers Harmless From Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020, all provisions HR 8505, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule, and for other purposes, all provisions HR 133, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, provisions relating to Medicare reimbursement cuts, sequestration cut delay, surprise medical billing, radiation oncology model delay, and APM qualifying participant threshold freeze H.R.7898 - To amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider certain recognized security practices of covered entities and business associates when making certain determinations, and for other purposes

Client expense: $387,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

Issues: Telehealth: Advocated for extension of Medicare telehealth waivers under 1834m of the Social Security Act Surprise medical bills: advocated for independent dispute resolution improvements in No Surprises Act such as exclusion of federal payer rates from consideration APMs: advocated for freeze in qualifying participant thresholds and extension of APM bonus in Value Act; advocated for delay and improvements to radiation oncology model to administration ACOs: advocated to administration to delay or rescind proposals for quality reporting changes in 2021 Provider relief fund: advocated for improvements to reporting requirements and for distributions to group practices in front of administration and congress MIPS: advocated to administration for reductions in reporting burden for 2021 Accelerated advance payment program: advocated to congress to include improved repayment terms in federal legislative package Medicare sequestration: advocated for a delay in the sequestration cuts through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency Medicare payment cuts: advocated against cuts to Medicare reimbursement slated for Jan. 1, 2021 related to the E/M increases Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) program: advocated for a delayed start to the program National Patient Identifier: advocated for the development of a national approach to matching patient records Medicare Document Requirement Lookup Service policy: advocated in support of real time transactions; applicability to all payers Medicare administrative simplification policy: advocated for development of new attachment standards; improved prior authorization processes; enhanced enforcement Application Programming Interface prior authorization standards: advocated for applicability to a wider group of federally-controlled payers; reduced time for payers to respond to practices with authorization determinations Interoperability and information blocking policy: advocated against additional administrative burden for physician practices; delay in enforcement for information blocking requirements until after the COVID-19 public health emergency Bills: HR 8702, Holding Providers Harmless From Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020, all provisions HR 8505, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule, and for other purposes, all provisions HR 133, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, provisions relating to Medicare reimbursement cuts, sequestration cut delay, surprise medical billing, radiation oncology model delay, and APM qualifying participant threshold freeze H.R.7898 - To amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider certain recognized security practices of covered entities and business associates when making certain determinations, and for other purposes