Member Newsletter

August 11, 2022

Previous Editions

Overview of Federal Updates

Electronic Attachments Rule Sent to OMB.
Feds Issue Guidance on Nondiscrimination in Telehealth.
Senate FY23 Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill Removes UPI Funding Ban.
Congress Includes Digital Identity Provision in Semiconductor Bill.
CMS Hospital Final Rule Increases Payments for Acute Care Hospitals and Advances Health Equity, Maternal Health.
CMS Updates FY 2023 ICD-10-CM Code Files.
CMS Announces ICD-10 MS-DRG Grouper Version 40.
ONC Opens ISA Comment Period.
PCORI Reviews Telehealth Strategies for the Delivery of Maternal Health Care.

Download the Federal Update curated by WEDI Federal Affairs staff

Electronic Attachments Rule Sent to OMB

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has received the “Administrative Simplification: Adoption of Standards for Health Care Attachment Transactions and Electronic Signatures, and Modification to Referral Certification and Authorization Standard (CMS-0053)” rule. This rule proposes new standards for health plans and providers to support health care claims and prior authorization transactions, and standards for electronic signatures to be used in conjunction with health care attachments transactions. This rule also proposes to adopt a modification to the standard for the referral certification and authorization transaction. OMB has up to 90 days to review the regulation. OMB review is typically the last stage prior to publication of the regulation.

Read the OMB Attachments Posting

A big THANK YOU to all current & retired WEDI Board of Directors for all your dedication and support throughout the years!

WEDI Submits Letter to CMS on Administrative Simplification Guidance

WEDI submitted comments in response to the publication by CMS of administrative simplification guidance in the areas of: (i) Covered Entities’ responsibility for ensuring Business Associates’ compliance with HIPAA regulations; and (ii) Health plans’ payment of health care claims using Virtual Credit Cards (VCCs) and adopted HIPAA standards for Health Care Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) and Remittance Advice (ERA) transactions.

Comment Letter

No Surprises Act compliance: Sizing up the challenges

A WEDI forum addresses the difficulties in providing consumers with accurate estimates of healthcare expenses in advance of receiving services.

The No Surprises Act is based on the premise that cost-conscious consumers who get accurate healthcare price information before services are delivered will be empowered to make wiser decisions.

The challenges facing providers in their early efforts to comply with the Act by preparing simple, understandable and accurate price quotes to consumers were addressed at the WEDI Summer Forum in Chicago August 2 and 3.

Full Summary

WEDI Summer Forum

August 2-3 WEDI held a very successful Summer Forum in Chicago and it was fantastic to see so many familiar and new faces!

On the first day attendees heard from the WEDI No Surprises Act Task Group Co-Chairs Beth Davis and Terry Cunningham who offered insight and overview on recent guidance and reviewed their industry survey. They also led small group discussions of specific NSA use cases. In addition, providers and payers shared their experiences implementing the NSA.

Day two featured an overview of the FHIR at Scale Taskforce (FAST), a standards and operating rules update from X12 and CAQH CORE, and multiple presentations on data exchange technical solutions. Finally, the Forum concluded with small group discussions focused on reviewing critical business issues, discussing how new technology and new ideas can address these challenges.

Virtual Registration for presentations and slide decks will remain open until August 15th.

Virtual Registration