If you performed a consult in 2006, the auditor will use 2006 guidelines — not today’s rules.
Most Part B practices have grown accustomed to tucking consult regulations into the backs of their minds, since Medicare no longer pays for...
Hint: You might not need as many codes on the claim as you expect.
CPT 2010 lists several codes for spirometry testing under “Other Procedures” in the Medicine section. The next time you’re faced with determining the best code for...
Save this option for when other collection methods have failed.
You’ve offered discounts, payment plans, and more,but you still haven’t received payment from a patient. You may be forced to do a write-off at this point, says Steve Verno, CMMC,...
This modifier is key to E&M and counseling codes cohabiting on your claim.
Question: Can I report alcohol cessation counseling codes along with E/M codes, or do I have to choose one or the other?
Idaho Subscriber
Answer: You can,...
Pain management specialties might make use of modifier 52 as well.
The situation is bound to happen: A patient undergoing surgery has complications, and your anesthesiologist must stop his services. Are you prepared to recognize a situation that calls for...
Get the latest from the National AAPC CEO and President, Reed Pew.
To all registered AAPC conference participants:
We have chosen Jacksonville, Florida to relocate our conference due to the extent of the flooding in Nashville, TN. It will be...
Don’t be caught asleep: Patient history is one element of proper Dx coding.
Many coders hesitate to report V codes, or simply use them incorrectly, but sometimes this section of ICD-9 most accurately describes the reason for the patient’s condition....
When an EM service occurs during a postop global period for reasons unrelated to the original procedure, use this modifier.
Question: If the cardiologist performs a pacemaker insertion in the hospital and later visits the patient in observation, should I...
You have two options depending on the next step.
Question: Our vascular office performs blooddraws and analysis for a local hospital. Can we bill for a lab draw in an office setting, and if so, what codes should we use?...
The incorrect Fee Schedule calculation could have cost your practice precious dollars.
Earlier this month, President Obama helped you avert a 21 percent pay cut by signing the “Continuing Extension Act of 2010” — but one MAC let several claims...
Get ready for the dawn of new jaw pain, BMI codes, among others.
If you’ve got high hopes that you’ll benefit from many new ICD-9 codes starting this fall, CMS delivers, with over 130 new diagnosis codes debuting on Oct....
Before using modifier Q6 for a non-Medicare patient, check with the commercial payer — here’s why.
Question: We hired a locum tenens for two weeks. Do we code the same for the replacement physician as for a full-time...
Get the specifics on eye irritation to find the most accurate diagnosis code.
The spring allergy snap will be here soon. Be prepared to treat and code eye irritations to recoup all your deserved reimbursement with this advice from the...
Acute episodes, check-ups are both routine for these patients.
When migraine headache coding comes up, ICD-9 codes typically dominate the conversation.
But what about the procedure codes those complicated migraine diagnoses are attached to? There are several common situations in...
Don’t miss CPT 2010 ‘either/or’ instruction for hemorrhoid location.
You can’t choose a hemorrhoidectomy code if you don’t know the distinction between internal and external hemorrhoids. Let our experts guide you through the anatomy and coding maze to help you...
Use these FAQs to achieve level 5.
A patient reports to the emergency department in such severe respiratory distress that she cannot communicate during the history of present illness (HPI) portion of the E/M service. The patient also presents to...