In September 2018, HHS Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued audit Report No. A-01-15-00500 (the “Report”) finding that out of 220 randomly sampled inpatient rehabilitation facility (“IRF”) stays from 2013,…
Reflecting the reality that physicians and their staff spend an increasing amount of time engaging with technology to enhance and improve patient care, the 2019 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code…
A poor patient experience with the hospital billing department can have an impact on patient payments and financial responsibility, according to a new survey published by Connance. The Connance Consumer…
Until the early 1500s, virtually everyone held the truth that the Earth was the center of the universe. Then the Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the planets actually revolve…
The new International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes take effect on Oct.1. It is important to use all new codes on and after that date. Payer…
Residents along the Eastern Seaboard are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, a powerful storm that made landfall Sept. 14 near Wrightsville Beach, N.C. And given that two…
Outpatient coders achieved higher average accuracy scores for the second consecutive year in Central Learning's nationwide ICD-10 coding contest. Contest participants coded a total of 4,471 medical record cases using…
Whether you are dealing with a commercial payer, Medicare, or Medicaid, there are certain types of improper claims that should be avoided if you want to reduce your risk of…
When Donella J. Lubelczyk, RN, BSN, ACM-RN, CRC, CRCR, entered her job as director of revenue cycle at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, she got a surprise when…
Providers are calling on CMS to not finalize a proposal to collapse Medicare reimbursement for evaluation and management (E/M) visits into a single, blended payment rate for E/M Levels 2…
The American Medical Association (AMA) updated the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set in 2019 to include new codes for connected health services in an effort to encourage CMS to…
If you ever wondered why you might receive a blockbuster medical bill even if you have health insurance, the reporting of Kaiser Health News (KHN) can help. KHN, a nonprofit…
The proposed new version of the global manual for diagnosing medical conditions gets many things right about autism — but some items diverge from the manual’s American counterpart and are…
Life expectancy is declining in high-income counties across the world because of the opioid epidemic and a worsening flu season, according to studies published in BMJ, MDLinx reports. Here's what…
In a boost for cardiovascular care in the U.S., new research shows those suffering heart attacks and strokes were less likely to be uninsured for their hospital stays after states…
On August 9, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would redesign the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The proposed changes would accelerate…