When Practices are Too Cautious about HIPAA

Many providers have the belief that HIPAA should be treated like well-regarded advice from your mom: It's better to be safe than sorry. But that mentality is not always the…

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ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes That Identify Weeks Gestation of Pregnancy

ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes that identify weeks gestation of pregnancy and birth weight requirement when billing a delivery CPT Procedure Code Effective for Dates of Service beginning January 1, 2017, and…

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CMS Told To Crack Down On Improper Medicaid Payments

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services needs to step up its involvement in states' Medicaid integrity programs in order to strengthen oversight and identify overpayments, according to a new…

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14 Things To Know About Medical Coding

Medical coders play a crucial role in the revenue cycle process, as they help ensure health systems, hospitals and physicians are properly reimbursed for the services they provide. Here are…

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Clearing Up Confusion Over ICD-10-CM Guidelines

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires covered entities to adhere to the most current International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code set as well…

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Key ICD-10 Changes That Impact Pathology/Lab Coding in 2017

Have you updated your reporting of malignant carcinoid tumors, viral hepatitis, GIST or ovarian cyst coding? You haven’t had to deal with annual ICD-10-CM updates until Oct. 1, 2016. Now…

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What Should Hospital Administrators Concentrate More On?

Hospital administrators have to juggle between various tasks like managing finances, projects and the usual daily hospital operations. To top it all, the priorities are constantly changing from one department…

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ICD-10 Codes Aren’t Oppressive After All

Alexander Miller, M.D., a dermatologist in Yorba Linda, Calif., has a simple message for colleagues grappling with the new ICD-10 codes: Don't panic! "It's just a matter of restructuring one's…

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Modifier 50 Is the Backbone to Your Bilateral Spinal Surgery Reimbursement

Ask your carriers how they want these surgeries reported to avoid reduced reimbursement. Spine surgeons who perform bilateral surgeries such as lumbar laminotomies (63030) should append modifier 50 (Bilateral procedure)…

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The Opioid Payment Crisis

Addiction services may be a societal necessity – especially as the Central Massachusetts opioid crisis proves particularly fatal – but it is a business, and in this area of medicine,…

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How to Take Advantage of New Coding Opportunities in 2017

A new year means new codes and new revenue opportunities for medical practices—but also new challenges to ensure the codes are used correctly. Below is a brief summary of new…

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Reimbursement, Billing in Radiology: Updates and Issues

Radiology, as a business, has become increasingly complex as regulatory demands grow and revenues, both on the hospital and physician side decrease. Doing more with less has become a common…

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Coding for Clarity: Echocardiography Gains Two New CPT Add-On Codes

New technologies need new codes CPT codes describe medical, surgical and diagnostic services and procedures. These codes communicate uniform information about medical services and procedures to healthcare providers, payers, administrators…

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Healthcare Reform Can Create Confusion Over Compliance for Providers

In 2016, the federal government recovered more than $3.3 billion in healthcare fraud judgments and settlements. On Monday, TeamHealth agreed to pay $60 million to settle allegations that a company…

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You Had Better Be Savvy With Your Coding

With the change in payment focusing on quality medicine instead of the old-fashioned fee for service, providers better be savvy with their coding or they will lose out on the…

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