Medicare outpatient payments are slated to increase by 2.6 percent next year, a $7.5 billion boost compared to 2020, according the proposed 2021 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule. Released…
Many of us have been immersed in COVID-19 and telehealth billing, coding, and the varying rules among payors of late, all the while the clock has remained ticking on the…
Minorities have been found to be disproportionately affected by adverse outcomes. Federal officials say their first monthly statistical update illustrating the impact of the COVID-19 virus on the Medicare population…
The terms closed and open are major players for traumatic fracture diagnosis coding. Brush up on some basics with this focus on ICD-10-CM coding for rib fracture initial encounters. First,…
Due to the consistent changes in the federal rules & regulations and payer’s policies, the physician billing services are getting complicated on a daily basis. The cacophony of codes can…
As employers grapple with how to screen employees for the coronavirus upon returning to the workplace, several federal agencies have issued new testing rules and guidance. In June, there were…
Telehealth reimbursement rates is one area CMS is assessing in order to make Medicare telehealth expansions permanent after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the agency’s administrator. In a recent Health…
We are learning more every day about the sequela conditions that might arise as a result of COVID-19. The early studies have found decreased lung function that might not be…
On July 20, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report that found that hospitals are overbilling or upcoding hospitals to the tune of $1 billion. OIG reviewed 200…
Hospitals are urged to devote the resources to ensure that medical necessity is met, and the proper status is ordered. The attention given to total joint replacement has been a…
Claims denials can be frustrating for a physician practice to deal with, but leaving them unattended leaves a significant amount of revenue uncollected, says Andria Jacobs, RN, CPHQ, chief operating…
When a physician’s telehealth visit with a Medicare patient on FaceTime cut out after five minutes, they shifted to an audio-only visit, with the physician and patient speaking on the…
Podiatry coding is becoming increasingly complicated, and even the smallest reporting mistakes can lead to claim denials and reduced reimbursement. Worse, the stakes tend to escalate, with minor unchecked errors taking…
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law July 16 that aims to curb instances of surprise medical billing in Georgia. Three things to know:1. The legislation, HB 888, outlines…
The AMA Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Editorial Panel has adopted a new CPT code to report antigen testing of patients suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The code joins other COVID-19 testing…
The FY21 ICD-10-CM codes were released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on July 1, 2020. The new and updated diagnosis codes are another part of the…