CMS released its final physician fee schedule for 2021 Dec. 2, decreasing the physician fee schedule conversion factor 10 percent to $32.41.
The rule also expanded the list of telehealth services covered by Medicare, ensuring they'll be covered after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are four other updates:
1. The next secretary of HHS will either be New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham or former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD. Ms. Grisham is believed to be the front-runner for the position, and President-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce his pick the week of Dec. 7. Read more.
2. Patient-facing organizations are petitioning Congress to pass legislation to protect consumers from surprise medical bills. More than 60 firms penned a letter that urged the government to pass surprise medical billing protections in light of increased care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.
3. President-elect Biden has three healthcare actions in his sights for the first 100 days of his administration. Read more.
4. Scott Atlas, MD, resigned from President Donald Trump's COVID-19 task force Nov. 30. He was given a 130-day window to participate in the task force, which was set to expire during the first week of December. Dr. Atlas controversially criticized Michigan's COVID-19 restrictions in November and downplayed the effectiveness of masks in curbing the spread of COVID-19. Read more.