Relevant news, resources, and events

Vol. 3, Qtr. 1 | March 1, 2024

Find resources on the HSAG Physician Practices webpage by clicking the icons below.

More than 1 in 7 adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and about 1 in 3 adults with severe CKD do not know they have it.

March is National Kidney Month and, in honor of this observance, HSAG recommends that you download its 2024 National Kidney Month Resources flyer (PDF), compiled from subject matter experts* to manage your patients' chronic kidney disease.

*Subject matter expert sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Kidney Foundation, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive, Kidney Diseases, and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

CDC. Chronic Kidney Disease in the U.S., 2023. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/ckd-national-facts.html.

Get Reimbursed for Assessing Patients' Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)



The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized new coding and payment for the administration of SDOH risk assessments. Code G0136 must be provided in conjunction with a qualifying visit, including an evaluation and management (E/M) visit, some behavioral health visits, or the Annual Wellness Visit.



For more information about this code, review the CMS Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule Summary (PDF) and use the resources developed by HSAG to aid in assessing and addressing SDOH.

Connect Patients With Supportive Resources in Their Neighborhoods

The AAFP has introduced its Neighborhood Navigator, an interactive tool to help patients identify local supportive resources, such as financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost resources in their neighborhoods. It lists more than 40,000 social services by ZIP Code. Use this tool to help reduce SDOH barriers among your patients.

AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is recruiting practices for a no-cost, 18-month program beginning in June 2024 to promote appropriate antibiotic use while maintaining patient satisfaction and reducing potential side effects in patients seen via telemedicine. 

For more information, review the program flyer: Have You Adopted Your Antibiotic Prescribing Approach for Telemedicine? (PDF) and visit the program website.

This material was prepared by Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG), a Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of CMS or HHS, and any reference to a specific product or entity herein does not constitute endorsement of that product or entity by CMS or HHS. Publication No. XS-12SOW-XC-02212024-01