While some have said medical coding sits quietly in the middle of the healthcare revenue cycle, it is a key step that, when done inadequately, can impact each part of…
Estimated savings are $75 million over a decade. Federal officials recently announced a series of changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D prescription drug programs they hope will…
Phone call codes during the PHE range from 99441 to 99443, and are all based on time. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…
CMS just issued a correction to its guidance on 2021 Medicare rules for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) services. The correction is effective January 1, 2021 and revises the preamble commentary in the…
According to published results, orthopedic residents who received formal medical coding education better identified proper billing codes for common procedures compared with residents who received no coding education. Researchers at…
The American Medical Association (AMA) today announced that the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®)code set is being updated by the CPT Editorial Panel to include vaccine and administration codes that are…
CMS has codified how it defines “reasonable and necessary” coverage for items and services that may be covered under Medicare Parts A and B in a new final rule. The…
IFR providers expect that the pandemic as well as new regulatory issues will impact their services. 2020 was certainly a historical year, punctuated by the COVID-19 pandemic and an overwhelming…
The average salary for medical coding professionals varies by location, practice setting and credential. The American Academy of Professional Coders conducts an annual survey to gather information about coder salary…
The conversion factor was increased twice in one week. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in a rare move, recently raised the conversion factor (CF) twice in one…
Physicians in general are not trained to think this way, but may be forced to do so in the very near future. During the early part of this month, the…
There are very few places in the U.S. that are experiencing low levels of disease and hospitalization. As I and many experts predicted, the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States…
For many providers, the end of the pandemic is in sight with the recent emergency use authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine. And while this may be true, it is just…
I. Introduction Zone Program Integrity Contractors (“ZPICs”) are charged with the responsibility of investigating alleged instances of fraud, waste, or abuse by health care providers. They are authorized to conduct…
Are you prepared for the sweeping changes made to the “traditional” 1995 and 1997 evaluation and management (E/M) guidelines for office and outpatient visit codes you have been accustomed to…
Medical billing is a complicated process as it is, in which medical billing for mental health services is more complicated than ever and comes with a bunch of unique challenges.…