Even the most vocal critic of the American health care system cannot watch coverage of the current Covid-19 crisis without appreciating the heroism of each caregiver and patient fighting its…
Yesterday, CMS unveiled the highly anticipated Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final rule for the 2021 fiscal year (FY). Chief among the rule’s updated policies is a 2.9 percent increase…
Merriam-Webster, which tracks changes to the evolution of the English language, added 535 new words and terms to its dictionary this year, such as “COVID-19,” “physical distancing” and “self-isolate.” E/M…
Sunday morning, I received an email from my father’s assisted living facility, indicating that several residents and staff had tested positive for COVID-19 during their newly implemented routine testing of…
During this week’s Monitor Mondays broadcast, Ronald Hirsch, MD, vice president at R1 RCM, reminded listeners how confusing all the waivers and flexibilities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have been,…
The first major overhaul in more than 25 years to the codes and guidelines for office and other outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) services was included in today’s release of…
Modifier 25 is a particularly meaningful coding tool for physicians who bill for evaluation and management (E/M) services. CPT guidelines define the 25 modifier as “Modifier 25 is defined as…
The use of telemedicine and remote care services are critical to the safe management of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also ensuring uninterrupted care for 100 million Americans with chronic conditions.…
COVID-19 data reporting will no longer be voluntary for hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs, according to a new interim final rule from CMS. The rule released yesterday updated…
Medicare contractors were inconsistent in how they reviewed overpayments during the appeals process, says the Office of Inspector General in a new report. Although MACs and QICs generally reviewed appealed…
We are getting more sophisticated and knowledgeable about COVID-19, but I am still getting a lot of questions. Many of them are variations on the theme of what to do…
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are proposing to eliminate the inpatient-only list over the next three years. Medicare’s often-misunderstood inpatient-only list may soon be departing, as the Centers for…
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven digital transformation across healthcare at an unprecedented speed. Telemedicine has emerged as an essential tool for maintaining patient/doctor communication during the crisis, enabling clinicians and…
Under normal circumstances, the biggest difficulty practices encounter when trying to engage in physician education is timing. Coordinating everyone’s schedules, pulling providers out of the operative and visiting rooms, and…
Claims eligible for the 20 percent add-on payment for COVID-19 hospitalizations will now have to have a positive laboratory test documented in the patient’s medical record, according to recent Medicare…
While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has faced considerable health IT challenges in the past few years, the VA is attempting to increase its interoperability and enhance its health…