The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a False Claims Act (FCA) case last week. As you probably know, the FCA makes it illegal for a healthcare provider to submit for…
Telehealth usage was on the rise even before the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey from the American College of Physicians (ACP). The survey results were gathered in…
Medscape compiled a list of relevant ICD-10 codes to prepare physicians for holiday-related medical episodes. Here are 20 codes physicians may have to use: 1. W61.43: Pecked by a turkey…
It’s a change in nomenclature that’s come a bit out of the blue over the last few years. The forces appear to be aligning to gradually push the word “doctor”…
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…
"Upcoding" means reporting a higher-level service or procedure or a more complex diagnosis, than is supported by medical necessity, medical facts, or the provider's documentation. For example, reporting a diagnosis…
Say goodbye to the server, the future of health technology lies in the cloud. Thanks to advances in security and reliability, affordable web-based technology is more popular with physicians than…
The advice from those who have already tried coding with ICD-10? Hire a certified coder if you don’t have one on staff already. “If a physician office doesn’t have a…
Physicians report they are still happy in light of healthcare changes, according to Physicians Practice's 2015 Great American Physician survey. Kareo sponsored the survey. Here are six key points: 1.…
The CMS has made a concession in the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10. For one year past the Oct. 1, 2015 deadline, the CMS will reimburse for wrongly coded claims…
In two editorials published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Gail Wilensky, PhD, a former administrator for the Health Care Financing Administration; along with Eric M. Horowitz, MD, and David…
By the time you put away your Christmas decorations at the end of 2013, you should be breaking out the ICD-10 workbooks for your physicians. According to the recommended CMS…
Filed a claim during the legal battle between the American Medical Association (AMA) and UHC? There’s good news for you.
Posted on 07. Jul, 2011 by rpandit in Hot Coding Topics, Provider News Check whether your group might fall into one of four new categories. The push toward e-prescribing is in full swing, with physicians possibly being subjected to a one percent paym...
When two surgeons work together to perform one procedure, each physician’s individual documentation requirements can get jumbled up. Make sure your physician isn’t passing the documentation buck and that he or she knows to follow these four tips when you submit claims with modifier 62.
Tip 1: Each physician should identify the other as a co-surgeon. Also make sure that the other physician is billing with modifier 62. A lot of confusion can arise when physicians from different practices are reporting the same procedure.
You may find yourself in a situation where one physician may report the other physician’s work as that of an assistant surgeon, in which case the claims would not correspond. This means a denial will hit your desk. One surgeon cannot simply indicate the other as the co-surgeon. Both physicians must submit claims for the same procedure, both with modifier 62. To accomplish this all you only need to call with a simple courtesy to the other physician’s billing or coding department.
Tip 2: Each physician should document her own operative notes. When surgeons are acting as “co-surgeons,” it is implied that they are each performing a distinct part of the procedure, which means they can’t “share” the same documentation. Each physician should provide a note detailing what portion of the procedure he or she performed, how much work was involved, and how long the procedure took. Including a brief explanation of the need for co-surgeons will help to avoid denials and reimbursement delays.
Tip 3: Each physician must link the same diagnosis code to the common procedure code. Though this requirement may seem obvious, if two physicians serve as co-surgeons to perform one procedure, the diagnosis code(s) they link to the CPT® code should be the same. Before submitting a claim with modifier 62, someone...
When two surgeons work together to perform one procedure, each physician’s individual documentation requirements can get jumbled up. Make sure your physician isn’t passing the documentation buck and that he or she knows to follow these four tips when you submit claims with modifier 62.
Tip 1: Each physician should identify the other as a co-surgeon. Also make sure that the other physician is billing with modifier 62. A lot of confusion can arise when physicians from different practices are reporting the same procedure.
You may find yourself in a situation where one physician may report the other physician’s work as that of an assistant surgeon, in which case the claims would not correspond. This means a denial will hit your desk. One surgeon cannot simply indicate the other as the co-surgeon. Both physicians must submit claims for the same procedure, both with modifier 62. To accomplish this all you only need to call with a simple courtesy to the other physician’s billing or coding department.
Tip 2: Each physician should document her own operative notes. When surgeons are acting as “co-surgeons,” it is implied that they are each performing a distinct part of the procedure, which means they can’t “share” the same documentation. Each physician should provide a note detailing what portion of the procedure he or she performed, how much work was involved, and how long the procedure took. Including a brief explanation of the need for co-surgeons will help to avoid denials and reimbursement delays.
Tip 3: Each physician must link the same diagnosis code to the common procedure code. Though this requirement may seem obvious, if two physicians serve as co-surgeons to perform one procedure, the diagnosis code(s) they link to the CPT® code should be the same. Before submitting a claim with modifier 62, someone...