As 2020 comes to a close, most of us are looking forward to a (hopefully) brighter 2021. This year has been full of challenges and new experiences, but we have learned a lot. Pandemic or not, there are some things that you and your practice can do to ensure that you are prepared to make 2021 a success.
Tips for your practice
Dr. John I. Allen
Assess staff morale: It seems simple but checking in with your staff can go a long way. Everyone is dealing with challenges both in and out of the workplace. Check in, show them you care, and think of ways that you can make their work a positive experience in the new year. During our May 2020 GI division chief townhall, John Inadomi, MD, gave a great presentation on the importance of staff morale during the pandemic.
Listen to colleagues: Find out about their experiences, challenges, and solutions. In October, the American Gastroenterological Association held a town hall with some great information and resources called “Adapting to Changing Practice Paradigms.” The agenda covered topics from telehealth to private equity and planning for the next potential wave of COVID-19.
Celebrate the wins: It can often feel like not much went right in 2020, but we did accomplish significant wins for GIs, including achieving payment parity for telephone evaluation and management (E/M) visits with video visits, increases in digestive disease and GI cancer research funding, and inclusion/expansion of GI cancers research opportunities. We couldn’t have done it without you, though, and we will continue to need your help to move important issues forward in 2021. Get involved today! Visit “Get Involved” under Advocacy and Policy on www.gastro.org.
Prepare for E/M changes: The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) E/M for new and established patient office/outpatient codes (99201-99205, 99211-99215), guidelines, and Medicare payments will undergo major changes beginning Jan. 1, 2021. See the AGA’s coding and reimbursement experts’ article from the March 2020 issue of GI & Hepatology News, “Prepare for major changes to E/M coding starting in 2021,” to learn about the changes and get resources to help practices prepare.
Keep up with new Medicare payment rules: The release of the 2021 physician payments and rules for the Medicare program was delayed this year because of the COVID-19 public health emergency. We were dismayed to learn that Medicare did not make any changes that substantively mitigated the expected cuts to most specialties. Instead of a 5% cut for GI, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services now projects GI will experience a 4% payment cut for 2021. AGA is calling on Congress to pass legislation to stop the cuts. This situation is evolving quickly. Watch for AGA member alerts for breaking news and resources, including the AGA’s “Medicare plans significant payment cuts for 2021.”
