Birmingham 205-631-5969

Montgomery 334-277-6201

Client Login

Request Demo

Blog

Southeast Health Medical Center Earns Five-Star Recognition in Forbes’ Inaugural Rankings

Posted on

Forbes unveiled its inaugural Top Hospitals 2026 rankings on Dec. 4, evaluating U.S. general acute care hospitals based on quality, clinical outcomes, value, and patient experience. The new ranking is designed to differ from traditional hospital scorecards by relying heavily on publicly available CMS data and placing the greatest emphasis on measurable patient outcomes. According to Forbes, the methodology stands out in three key ways: it draws primarily from CMS’ Provider Data Catalog, assigns the…
Read Full Article

CDC Alerts Providers to Marburg Virus Outbreak in Ethiopia

Posted on

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory regarding a new outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Ethiopia’s South Ethiopia and Sidama regions. Marburg virus is a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever with a high fatality rate. As of December 3, 2025, no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases linked to this outbreak have been reported in the United States or in countries outside Ethiopia. The CDC…
Read Full Article

CMS Updates eCQI Resource Center with MIPS Value Pathway (MVP) Integration

Posted on

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated the Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center to strengthen continuity and connections across CMS resources. The 2026 Eligible Clinician eCQMs table now includes direct links to MIPS Quality and MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) on the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website. New measure details include: Visit the eCQI Resource Center

CMS Releases 2026 Medicare Participation Update and Final Home Health Payment Rule

Posted on

CMS has issued two major updates for 2026: the Medicare Participation Announcement and the final rule for the CY 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS). Both outline the agency’s strategic priorities for the coming year and the financial impact on home health providers. 2026 Medicare Participation Announcement CMS released its annual participation letter, reaffirming its partnership with clinicians and emphasizing Medicare’s role as one of the nation’s most impactful bipartisan programs. The agency…
Read Full Article

Pediatric Care Is Becoming More Complex: 6 Key Findings

Posted on

A new JAMA Network Open study analyzing more than 26 million pediatric discharges (2000–2022) shows a major shift in the intensity, cost, and location of pediatric inpatient care — especially for children with complex chronic conditions. 1. Sharp rise in medically complex cases Hospital discharges for children with at least one complex chronic condition increased 24.3%, while discharges for children without chronic conditions fell 9.7%, signaling a growing concentration of medically complex patients. 2. Higher…
Read Full Article

What Providers Need to Know About Final 2025 MIPS Eligibility & Preparing for 2026

Posted on

Check Final 2025 MIPS Eligibility Status Enter your 10-digit National Provider Identifier (NPI) in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Participation Status Tool and review your final 2025 eligibility status for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).  We’ve updated your eligibility status based on our review of Medicare Part B claims and Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) data from the second segment of the MIPS Eligibility Determination Period (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025).  Review Your 2025 Eligibility…
Read Full Article

CRI Physician Services Planning for 2026

Posted on

CRI has summarized CMS’s newly released telehealth guidance following the 43-day government shutdown. The update confirms retroactive payments for eligible shutdown-period claims, outlines telehealth flexibilities set to expire Jan. 30, and clarifies practice-location requirements for home-based and virtual-only clinicians. Full details are available in the attached CMS FAQ. Resource: CRI Physician Services Planning for 2026

CMS Finalizes 1.3% Payment Cut for Home Health in 2026: 8 Key Updates

Posted on

CMS has finalized a 1.3% decrease in home health payments for 2026, part of its annual Home Health Prospective Payment System update released Nov. 28. The rule includes permanent and temporary payment adjustments tied to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and several policy changes aimed at easing administrative burdens while strengthening fraud prevention. Here are the eight main updates: Resource: CMS cuts home health pay: 8 things to know 

UnitedHealthcare Announces Key 2026 Medicare Advantage Plan Changes

Posted on

UnitedHealthcare has outlined several updates to its Medicare Advantage plans for 2026, including new referral requirements and changes to supplemental benefit eligibility. 1. Most HMO and POS plans will require referrals.Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, members enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage HMO and POS plans will need a referral from their primary care provider before seeing certain specialists in outpatient, office, or home settings. PCPs must submit the referral to UnitedHealthcare prior to the specialist visit….
Read Full Article

Flu Activity Still Low but Rising: 5 Key Virus Updates

Posted on

Flu activity across the U.S. remains relatively low but is beginning to increase — especially among children and young adults — according to the CDC’s latest FluView report published Dec. 1. In the week ending Nov. 22, flu-related hospitalizations rose sharply to 3,264, a 39% jump from the previous week. Outpatient visits for flu-like illness also edged up to 2.5%, still below the national baseline of 3.1%. Young children (ages 4 and under) continue to…
Read Full Article

RSV Admissions Remain Low but Are Starting to Rise: 4 Key Respiratory Virus Updates

Posted on

Hospitals are beginning to see a gradual uptick in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) admissions, although national numbers remain limited due to delayed federal reporting. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is among those noting earlier-than-usual activity, with Hamilton County recording 32 RSV admissions in the week ending Nov. 15 — slightly up from 28 the week prior. National CDC estimates, last updated Oct. 25, show RSV hospitalizations remain low at 0.2 per 100,000 people, but are trending upward….
Read Full Article