Watch Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist Dr. Mark Shelton’s responses to WFAA, where he spoke about the importance of the recent stay at home order issued in Tarrant County. Originally aired on 3/24/20.
New guidance from the AMA provides special coding advice during the COVID-19 public health emergency. One resource outlinescoding scenarios designed to help health care professionals apply best coding practices. The scenarios include telehealth services for all patients. Examples specifically related to COVID-19 testing include coding for when a patient: comes to the office for E/M visit, and is tested for COVID-19 during the visit; receives a telehealth visit re: COVID-19 and is directed to come to physician office or physician’s group practice site for testing; receives a virtual check-in/online visit re: COVID-19 (not related to E/M visit), and is directed to come to physician office for testing; and more. There is also a quick-reference flowchart that outlines CPT reporting for COVID-19 testing. A new web page on the AMA site also outlines CMS payment policies and regulatory flexibilities related to COVID-19. Check the AMACOVID-19 resource center to stay up to date and for additional resources.
Below is information about the two COVID-19 testing sites currently available in Tarrant County:
Clinicas Mi Doctor – Seminary La Gran Plaza
4200 South Freeway, Ste. 106
Fort Worth, TX 76115
817-566-0505
City Hospital Emergency Care Center (Open 24 hours)
4551 Western Center Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76137
(817) 644-3340
There have been a total of 71 coronavirus cases in Tarrant County. Currently, 67 of those are still active.
FirstNet, built and maintained by AT&T with first responders and for responders, provides nationwide 4G LTE wireless voice and data. The FirstNet network features First Priority® that supports prioritized and efficient communications, as well as preemptive access to network resources for first responders during times of congestion. This helps ensure fast, efficient, and highly secure communications flow for those on the front lines responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Telehealth applications, which often require video and photos, are data intensive. The data prioritization on FirstNet helps to address that.
FirstNet was commissioned by Congress as a single, nationwide wireless broadband network in response to the communication failures that occurred during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. FirstNet is government authorized, inspected, and supervised, holding AT&T accountable to keeping first responders’ lines of communication open with dedicated mission critical solutions.
Physicians can join or switch to the network at a discounted rate, which includes unlimited data and no throttling. You can register on the FirstNet website, which includes more information on the network. You can also visit an AT&T store and show your credentials (such as a hospital badge or paystub). If you are with another carrier, early termination fees may apply from that carrier.
Remember, you can find the latest news, resources, and government guidance on the coronavirus outbreak by visiting the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Resource Center regularly.
TCMS is organizing a physician task for to support community hospitals at this critical time. Read the below flyer for more details.
If you are interested in volunteering, fill out this form and contact Brian Swift at (312) 330-4894 or bswift@tcms.org.
By Joey Berlin
Originally published on the Texas Medical Association website.
CMS announced Sunday it is moving the deadline for MIPS-eligible clinicians to submit their 2019 MIPS data to April 30, instead of March 31.
Even if that’s not enough time, not submitting your data by then won’t hurt your bottom line. CMS also announced that MIPS-eligible clinicians who haven’t submitted their 2019 data by the April 30 date would simply receive a “neutral payment adjustment” – that is, no payment bonus and no 7% penalty – in calendar year 2021. (MIPS bonuses or penalties for a given performance year are assessed two years later.)
MIPS is a key piece of the agency’s Quality Payment Program, which requires eligible clinicians to participate in the program either through MIPS or alternative payment models.
CMS announced the MIPS extension among a host of new measures under its “extreme and uncontrollable circumstances” policy in order to ease the burden on clinicians participating in a number of federal quality reporting programs.
Any clinicians who have already submitted their 2019 MIPS data, or submit their data by the April 30 deadline, will be scored and receive a payment adjustment under the normal method, CMS said. April 30 is also the new deadline for clinicians to revise their submitted data, if needed, by logging in to the QPP portal. For guidance on submitting your data, download this CMS guide (PDF).
CMS also reports it is evaluating options for providing additional relief for the 2020 QPP performance year (which would affect 2022 payments). Texas Medicine Today will update physicians when CMS releases more information.
The list of new exceptions and extensions for the QPP and other federal quality reporting programs is available here.
For questions, contact the QPP Service Center at (866) 288-8292 or by email.
Remember, you can find the latest news, resources, and government guidance on the coronavirus outbreak by visiting TMA’s COVID-19 Resource Center regularly.
Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Monday, March 23, 2020 at 11:15 a.m. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.
| CITY | CASES | ACTIVE | DEATHS | RECOVERED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Benbrook | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Colleyville | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Euless | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fort Worth | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prairie | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Grapevine | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Haltom City | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Keller | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lakeside | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mansfield | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| N Richland Hills | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Southlake | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Watauga | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| White Settlement | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 57 | 54 | 1 | 2 |
| CITY | Travel | KnownSource | UnknownSource | Pending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Benbrook | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colleyville | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Euless | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Fort Worth | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Grand Prairie | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Grapevine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Haltom City | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keller | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lakeside | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mansfield | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| N Richland Hills | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Southlake | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Watauga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| White Settlement | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 32 | 4 | 14 | 7 |
An update from Stephen Carlton, J.D., the executive director of the Texas Medical Board, published on 3/21/20. You can read the signed letter here.
The Texas Medical Board (TMB) issued initial guidance on February 7, 2020, regarding PMP checks after multiple inquiries. The guidance was intended to be helpful for licensees to understand the upcoming change in the law on March 1, 2020 and address their concerns. No TMB guidance is enforceable nor can they result in any enforcement or disciplinary action.
TMB held a meeting of the TMB Opioid Workgroup on February 18, 2020. One of the primarygoals was to obtain input regarding when to do mandatory PMP checks, who can do them, and how to document these checks. TMB took extensive input from the Opioid Workgroup
Stakeholders. This collaborative effort resulted in the following consensus:
Staff anticipates bringing a proposed rule to the Board consistent with this updated guidance for possible publication as soon as March 5-6. TMB believes this updated guidance fulfills the intent of the law, reflects valuable stakeholder input, and enhances the protection of Texas patients.
Click here for TMB’s latest COVID-19 news and resources.
Tarrant County Physician Online 