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Measles Cases Surge in 2026, CDC Reports 1,281 Infections

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Measles infections in the U.S. are rising sharply in 2026, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 1,281 cases so far—a jump of 145 cases since the last update. If trends continue, the total could surpass 2025’s 2,258 cases. Most infections occur in children and young adults under 19, with the majority of patients either unvaccinated or having unknown vaccination status. States including Texas and Utah are current hot spots, and 12 measles…
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Study Finds Medicare Beneficiaries Average 60 Million Telehealth Visits Annually

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A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that Medicare beneficiaries completed about 60 million telehealth visits annually between 2021 and 2023, highlighting the continued role of virtual care following the pandemic. According to research led by Terrence Liu of the University of Utah, roughly 31 million visits were related to mental health services, while about 29 million were for other medical concerns. The analysis drew on data from the Medical Expenditures…
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CMS Updates: Lab Reporting Requirements and 2026 Payment Adjustment Corrections

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently shared updates impacting laboratories and clinicians participating in the Quality Payment Program (QPP). Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Reporting Independent laboratories, physician office labs, and hospital outreach labs that qualify as applicable laboratories under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) must report private payor data between May 1 and July 31, 2026. The reporting period will include data collected from January 1 through June 30, 2025, including applicable HCPCS…
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Congress Extends Hospital-at-Home Waiver Through 2030, Including Programs in Alabama

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Congress has extended the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver for five additional years through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, allowing hospitals to continue providing inpatient-level care to eligible Medicare patients in their homes. The program, originally launched by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during the COVID-19 public health emergency, allows approved hospitals to treat certain patients at home while maintaining hospital-level monitoring and physician oversight. More than 370 hospitals nationwide currently…
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8 EHR Changes That Could Save Physicians Hours Each Day

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The American Medical Association highlights several simple adjustments practices can make to their electronic health record (EHR) systems that may significantly reduce administrative burden and physician burnout. The recommendations come from the AMA’s STEPS Forward® de-implementation checklist, which focuses on eliminating low-value tasks that do not improve patient care. Key suggested improvements include: According to the AMA, even small workflow changes can free up significant time—allowing physicians to spend more time with patients and less…
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BCBS Michigan Revises Modifier 25 Policy Ahead of May 2026 Implementation

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has updated its policy that will reduce reimbursement for certain evaluation and management (E/M) services billed with modifier 25 on the same day as procedures. Beginning May 1, 2026, the insurer plans to reduce payment by 50% for non-preventive E/M services billed with modifier 25 when performed alongside minor procedures with global periods of 0 or 10 days. The payer clarified that 90-day global procedures were mistakenly included in…
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Eli Lilly Introduces Direct-to-Employer Platform for Zepbound Coverage

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Eli Lilly and Company has launched Employer Connect, a new platform designed to give employers a direct pathway to offer coverage for the weight-loss medication Zepbound outside traditional pharmacy benefit structures. Through the platform, employers can work with independent program administrators—such as Calibrate Health, Teladoc Health, GoodRx, and Cost Plus Drugs—to design obesity treatment benefits for employees. Under the program, Zepbound will be available at a list price of $449 per month for all doses…
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Reminder: APP Plus Quality Data Submission Deadline Approaching for ACOs

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The data submission period for Performance Year (PY) 2025 under the Quality Payment Program (QPP) is currently open, with a deadline of March 31, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Organizations participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program should review and submit their quality data before the deadline, as updates or corrections will not be accepted once the submission window closes. For PY 2025, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are required to report quality data using the…
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CMS Finalizes HCPCS Level II B2 2025 Coding Updates

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the final determinations for the HCPCS Level II Second Biannual (B2) 2025 coding cycle covering non-drug and non-biological items and services. The update includes new codes, revisions to existing codes, and final decisions on submitted coding applications. These determinations help define how certain items and services are reported, categorized under Medicare benefits, and potentially reimbursed. The CMS publication also outlines each request reviewed during the…
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Flu Remains Major Seasonal Threat as COVID-19 Becomes More Predictable

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Recent reporting highlights that the United States has experienced two consecutive severe flu seasons, while the impact of COVID-19 has become more stable and predictable. Experts note that unlike seasonal influenza—which typically peaks in winter—COVID-19 continues to circulate year-round with occasional summer increases. Recent flu seasons have also been complicated by unusual influenza strains that reduced the effectiveness of annual vaccines, though widespread prior infection and vaccination have helped maintain strong protection against severe COVID…
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Insurers Increasing Scrutiny on E/M Billing Practices

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Modifier 25 Reimbursement ChangesBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan plans to reduce reimbursement by 50% for certain office visits billed with modifier 25 when a procedure is performed the same day, beginning May 1. The policy focuses on minor procedures and aims to prevent duplicate payment for evaluation services that may already be included in a procedure’s global period, though some services—such as emergency visits and procedures without a global period—are exempt. Automatic Downcoding PoliciesCigna…
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CDC Report Highlights Rise in KSHV Infections Among Organ Transplant Recipients

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A new report in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights a sharp increase in infections linked to Kaposi Sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV) among U.S. solid organ transplant recipients between 2021 and 2025. During this period, 46 donors were suspected of transmitting the virus—up significantly from previous years—leading to infections in nearly half of the 153 recipients who received organs from those donors, including 25 deaths. Because transplant…
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