HEALTH CARE WEEK IN REVIEW: FCC Adds $198M for Rural Health Care Providers to Boost Telehealth Services, Encounter Notifications Spur a Better Transition of Care To Prevent Readmissions, Burnout Is At Record High For Primary Care Clinicians, What You Should Know About MIPS Participation and COVID-19

Source: Getty Images
Here's The Latest in Health Care:
• Rural health care providers have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the loss in revenue from canceled or deferred elective procedures and the additional expense of personal protective equipment. In response, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is adding almost $200 million to a rural health care program to help providers invest in telehealth services. Read More
• The transition of care is a critical time for patient intervention to prevent readmissions and emergency room visits. Patients do not oftentimes understand their medication instructions at the time of discharge, so having a solid transition of care protocol is essential to reducing liability, avoiding readmissions, preventing costs, and having greater overall patient satisfaction. Read More
• Nearly half of primary care clinicians reported that their burnout is at an all-time high, largely due to financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey found. Plus, more than 60 percent of respondents said they've had "severe" or "near severe" stress levels in the last four weeks. Read More
• Providers participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2020 didn’t exactly plan on providing care during a global pandemic. Fortunately, CMS has bent the rules a bit for 2020, providing assistance in the wake of COVID-19. CMS announced it will not use data collected during the first six months of 2020 when calculating Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs. Read More
Each Friday, Signor Goat reports the latest from the week in health care. Check back next Friday for your dose of our little medical corner of health care news. Brought to you by pMD, innovators in charge capture, secure messaging, clinical communication, and care navigation software.