Medicare - Articles

CMS Encourages Medicaid MCOs and CHIP to Employ Section Waivers to Improve SDoH and Reduce Healthcare Costs
August 21st, 2022 - Aimee Wilcox
Over the past few years, at least 15 states have consistently pursued the goal of using social determinants of health (SDOH) in their overall healthcare analysis and treatment programs for patients, and CMS has taken notice. Data and outcomes obtained from these state programs have essentially provided an outline of how the government intends to pursue health equity through managed care contracts (MCOs) and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). What is CMS seeing that they like so much and how might that affect future MCO contracts?
The Beginning of the End of COVID-19-Related Emergency Blanket Waivers
July 19th, 2022 - Aimee L. Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT
It appears that the end of the 1135 waivers related to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) has begun. According to CMS, the residents of skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, and inpatient hospice centers have struggled due to the effects of some of the 1135 waivers. CMS is focusing primarily on removing the 1135 blanket waivers that pertain to certain aspects of care, training, and maintenance of these facilities to ensure the weakest of our citizens are guaranteed adequate care.
Medicare Advantage (MA) Benchmarking Policies Are Headed for Change
July 12th, 2022 - Aimee L. Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT
More than 43% of Medicare beneficiaries are not enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, which were established to control costs and improve quality. However, as noted in the March MedPac Report Executive Summary of 2021, these plans average an estimated 104% of Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) spending. How does CMS plan to manage Medicare Advantage plans now?
Q/A: Service Period for 99490
June 6th, 2022 - Chris Woolstenhulme
Question: If CCM hours/work is to be billed monthly, and CCM tasks are done daily throughout the month, should it be saved until the end of the month to bill, and should each date be billed as DOS in one claim? Answer: According to CMS, “The service period for CPT 99490 ...
Critical Care Services Changes in the Medicare 2022 Final Rule
February 11th, 2022 - Raquel Shumway
Critical Care Services — Medicare's final ruling has been released. This article discusses the changes to critical care services, including bundled services, concurrent services, global surgery, time spent performing CCS services, and documentation requirements. It also lists the two new modifiers.

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Cross-A-Code Instructions in Find-A-Code
November 18th, 2020 - Raquel Shumway
Cross-A-Codeis a toll found in Find-A-Code which helps you to locate codes in other code sets that help you when submitting a claim.
Special Needs Plans Help Beneficiaries and Risk Adjustment Reporting
October 22nd, 2020 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT, Director of Content
It is no secret that Medicare and Medicaid are steadily moving towards their goal of value-based health care. Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) identifies and rewards payers, and subsequently their providers, for increasing the efficiency and quality of care they provide to Medicare...
CMS Expands Telehealth Again
October 20th, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
On October 14, 2020, CMS announced further changes to expand telehealth coverage. Eleven (11) new codes have been added to their list of covered services bringing the current total to 144 services. The new services include some neurostimulator analysis and programming services as well as some cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services.
New Value-Based Payment Models for Primary Care (Primary Care First and Direct Contracting)
August 28th, 2020 - Jared Staheli
This article summarizes the new Medicare value-based payment models: Primary Care First and Direct Contracting.
2021 Brings Another Risk Adjustment Calculation Change
August 24th, 2020 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT, Director of Content
In 2021, a big change in Risk Adjustment score calculations will take place, which will affect payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans for the coming year and take us closer to quality and value-based programs instead of fee-for-service (FFS) or risk-adjusted (RA). Currently, CMS pays a per-enrollee capitated...
Office of Inspector General Says Medicare Advantage Organizations are Denying Services Inappropriately
July 21st, 2020 - Aimee Wilcox
We attended the recent virtual RISE National Conference and had the opportunity to listen to presenters share their knowledge about risk adjustment and HCC reporting and data validation. Among the presenters were representatives from the Office of Inspector General (OIG), who presented findings from encounter data from 2012-2016. They began ...
New ABN Form is Here
July 7th, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
The anticipated changes to the Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN) Form (CMS-R-131) have arrived. This important form is issued to the patient or client by providers, physicians, practitioners, and suppliers in situations where Medicare payment is expected to be denied. You can begin using the new ABN immediately if you so wish. However, it becomes mandatory on August 31, 2020.
MEGA- NCCI Edit Changes - WHO Knew?
June 10th, 2020 - Christine Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
There was no huge announcement when CMS released new files in April. The files that were released on April 7, 2020, actually replaced files to update the NCCI edits on Procedure to Procedure (PTP) edits and Medically Unlikely Edits (MUE).  The updated files included; 291,902 Deleted Procedure to Procedure (PTP) edits 197  Deleted Medically Unlikely ...
Changes in Medicare Advantage and Part D
June 2nd, 2020 - Christine Taxin
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized several changes in Medicare Advantage and Part D on Friday. The Trump administration has finalized several changes in Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D in anticipation of bid submissions on June 1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released Friday that includes ...
Where is the CCI Edit with Modifier 25 on E/M?
May 20th, 2020 - Christine Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
If you are not seeing a CCI edit when reporting an E/M code with a certain procedure, it may be that there is no edit. CMS does not have a CCI edit for every CPT code, however, there are still general coding rules that must be followed.  The use of Modifier 25 is one example ...
Additional Telehealth Changes Announced by CMS
May 4th, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
On April 30, 2020, CMS announced additional sweeping changes to meet the challenges of providing adequate healthcare during this pandemic. These changes expand the March 31st changes. The article covers some of the key changes. See the official announcement in the references below.
Effective Risk Adjustment Requires Accurate Calculations
April 27th, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Risk adjustment is simply a way of making sure that there are sufficient funds to adequately take care of the healthcare needs of a certain population. It’s a predictive modeling methodology based on the diagnoses of the individuals in that population. As payers move to value based models, they heavily rely on risk adjustment to ensure proper funding.
SOME of Us Non-Essentials May be Able to Get Back on the Road!
April 20th, 2020 - Christine Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
The day is coming when the freeways will have 5:00 pm stop-and-go traffic again, no doubt. However, when it comes to re-opening our world, CMS has Recommendations! Changes are finally here; we are starting to see a decline in COVID-19 cases in some states and certain locations. It may be time ...
Now That is Fraud! Genetic Testing "Public alert"
April 20th, 2020 - Christine Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Genetic testing is becoming very popular. In fact, so popular you might see it in places you would not expect such as a community event, fairs or any event happening in your community. Some labs may even offer FREE screening for genetic testing. Watch for FREE screening announcements or advertisements ...
CMS Important Information on COVID-19 Released
April 13th, 2020 - Christine Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
CMS has recently released some important information on their last MLN, the highlights are below. COVID-19: Dear Clinician Letter CMS posted a letter to clinicians that outlines a summary of actions CMS has taken to ensure clinicians have maximum flexibility to reduce unnecessary barriers to providing patient care during the unprecedented outbreak ...
CMS Announces Final 2021 HCC Risk Adjustment Changes
April 13th, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
On April 6, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published their final Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D payment methodologies for CY 2021. Read more to be prepared for these upcoming changes.
More Telehealth Changes Announced by CMS
April 2nd, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
On March 31, 2020, CMS announced further changes to their telehealth program in response to this unprecedented public health emergency (PHE). See this article for further information as well as references & links to CMS information
COVID-19 Chiropractic Resources
March 31st, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
COVID-19 Chiropractic Resources contains current, updated information regarding COVID-19. Included are lists of webinars, articles, websites and links pertaining to the ongoing changes.
Medicare Part D Coverage Gap (Donut Hole) Closes in 2020
March 26th, 2020 - Jared Staheli
Overview of the Part D coverage gap, how it got closed, what the picture looks like for 2020, and long-term outlook.
2020 Medicare Part D Coverage Gap (AKA donut hole)
March 26th, 2020 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Not every Medicare drug plan has complete coverage for prescription drugs - most have some sort of coverage gap, known as the “Donut Hole”. The coverage gap is a temporary limit on coverage under the drug plan. This coverage gap will not affect everyone and begins after you have used ...
Medicare Begins Covering Acupuncture Services
February 19th, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Medicare is changing their policy regarding coverage of acupuncture, but in order to provide these services, you must follow their rules.
Denials due to MUE Usage - This May be Why!
January 7th, 2020 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
CMS assigns Medically Unlikely Edits (MUE's) for HCPCS/CPT codes, although not every code has an MUE. MUE edits are used to limit tests and treatments provided to a Medicare patient for a single date of service or for a single line item on a claim form. It is important to understand MUE's are ...
CMS Report on QPP Shows Increasing Involvement
January 6th, 2020 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
MIPS 2018 participation increased according to the final report issued by CMS on January 6, 2020.
CMS- Patient Driven Payment Model Effective October 01, 2019
December 19th, 2019 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
According to CMS, In July 2018, CMS finalized a new case-mix classification model, the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), that, effective beginning October 1, 2019, will be used under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for classifying SNF patients in a covered Part A stay. Using the new Patient-Driven ...
CMS says Codes are on the Move!
December 9th, 2019 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Have you noticed your LCDs are missing something? CMS is moving codes out of LCDs and into Billing and Coding Articles. MACs began moving ICD-10-CM, CPT/HCPCS, Bill Type, and Revenue codes in January 2019, and will continue through January 2020. Therefore, if there is an LCD with its codes removed, you will find ...
Changes to Portable X-Ray Requirements
November 19th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
On September 30, 2019, CMS published a final rule which made changes to portable x-ray services requirements as found in the law.
And Then There Were Fees...
November 11th, 2019 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Find-A-Code offers fees and pricing for just about everything, this article will address two of some of the most common payment systems with CMS. (OPPS) -Outpatient Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System. (MPFS)- Medicare Physician Fee Schedule The Fees section on each code page is determined on the type of services...
Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs): Unlikely, But Not Always Impossible
October 18th, 2019 - Namas
Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs) were created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help lower the error rate for paid Part B claims. MUEs are the maximum units of a HCPCS or CPT code that a provider would bill under most circumstances for the same patient on ...
Why is HIPAA So Important?
October 11th, 2019 - Namas
Why is HIPAA So Important? Some may think that what they do to protect patient information may be a bit extreme. Others in specialty medical fields and research understand its importance a little more. Most of that importance lies in the information being protected. Every patient has a unique set of ...
CMS and HHS Tighten Enrollment Rules and Increase Penalties
October 1st, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
This ruling impacts what providers and suppliers are required to disclose to be considered eligible to participate in Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The original proposed rule came out in 2016 and this final rule will go into effect on November 4, 2019. There have been known problems ...
So How Do I Get Paid for This? APC, OPPS, IPPS, DRG?
August 21st, 2019 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
You know how to find a procedure code and you may even know how to do the procedure, but where does the reimbursement come from?  It seems to be a mystery to many of us, so let's clear up some common confusion and review some of the main reimbursement systems.  One of the ...
Are You Aware of Medicare Advantage Plans Timely Filing Rules?
August 20th, 2019 - Aimee Wilcox
The Medicare Fee for Service (FFS) program (Traditional or Original Medicare) has a timely filing requirement; a clean claim for services rendered must be received within one year of the date of service or risk payment denial. As any company who has billed Medicare services can attest, the one-year timely filing ...
Will Medicare Change Their Rules Regarding Coverage of Services Provided by a Chiropractor?
August 13th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Two separate pieces of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R. 2883 and H.R. 3654) have the potential to change some of Medicare’s policies regarding doctors of chiropractic. Find out what these two bills are all about and how they could affect Medicare policies.
The Slippery Slope For CDI Specialists
August 2nd, 2019 - Namas
Who knew that when Jack & Jill when up the hill to fetch a pail of water, they would have to ensure that in order to keep the level of water the same on the way back down, they would need to both support the pail. Many of you in this industry are ...
Anthem is Changing their Timely Filing Requirements for All Plans, Including Medicare Advantage
July 26th, 2019 - Namas
Anthem has been very busy sending out notices stating that, beginning October 1, 2019, all timely filing deadlines for claims will be 90 days. We've seen this letter, or something very similar, sent to doctors and other healthcare providers from California to Kentucky. In their notice, Anthem states: "Effective for all commercial ...
Q/A: What do I Need to Document for Periodic Adjustments on a Medicare Patient?
July 22nd, 2019 - Evan Gwilliam DC MBA BS CPC NCICS CCPC CCCPC CPC-I MCS-P CPMA
Question: What type of documentation is required for a Medicare patient with degenerative joint disease who get adjusted once or twice a month for occasional flare-ups of the D. J. D. region? The noted adjustments give good relief of the patient's symptoms. Answer: There is no question that these adjustments would be considered ...
Act Now on CMS Proposal to Cover Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain
July 17th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Now is the time to comment on a proposal to cover acupuncture for chronic low back pain. This comment period is the part of the HHS response to the opioid crisis. You only have until August 14th to officially comment.
Helping Others Understand How to Apply Incident to Guidelines
July 5th, 2019 - Namas
Over the past few months, I have worked with different organizations that have been misinterpreting the "incident to" guidelines and, in return, have been billing for services rendered by staff that are not qualified to perform the services per AMA and CPT. What I found within the variances is that ...
2018 Medicare Improper Payment Report Shows Slight Improvement but There's Still Work to be Done
June 27th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
The Medicare Improper Payment Report for 2018 is not a measurement of fraud. Rather, it is an estimate of the claims paid by Medicare which did not meet Medicare coverage, coding, and billing rules. The estimated Medicare FFS payment accuracy rate (claims paid correctly) from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, was 91.9 percent. ...
Extrapolation Policies Apply to RAD-V Audits
June 17th, 2019 - Aimee Wilcox
Risk Adjustment is a program that was implemented to identify and support Medicare beneficiaries with health conditions, illnesses, or injuries that put them at risk of death or organ system/bodily function failure. Through Risk Adjustment (RA), Medicare ensures their beneficiaries are being followed at least annually for any healthcare conditions ...
A United Approach
June 14th, 2019 - Namas
A United Approach As auditors, we all have a different perspective when evaluating documentation. It would be unreasonable to think that we all view things the same way. In my opinion, differing perspectives are what makes a great team because you can coalesce on a particular chart, work it through and ...
Now is Your Chance to Speak Up! Tell CMS What You Think!
June 13th, 2019 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
CMS is asking for your input, we all have ideas on how we would change healthcare documentation requirements and get rid of the burdensome requirements and regulations if it were up to us, so go ahead, speak up! Patients over Paperwork Initiative is being looked at to help significantly cut ...
Medicare Revises Their Appeals Process
April 29th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
On April 12, 2019, Medicare announced that there will be some changes to their appeals process effective June 13, 2019. According to the MLN Matters release (see References), the following policy revisions in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual (MCPM), Chapter 29 are taking place: The policy on use of electronic signatures Timing ...
Medicare Revises Their Appeals Process
April 26th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Content
There are policy revisions in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual (MCPM), Chapter 29 taking place June 13, 2019. This will give you a heads up on those changes.
What is Medical Necessity and How Does Documentation Support It?
April 23rd, 2019 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CMHP, CST, MA, MT
We recently fielded the question, “What is medical necessity and how do I know if it's been met?" The AMA defines medical necessity as: It is important to understand that while the AMA provides general guidance on what they consider medically necessary services, these particular coding guidelines are generic and may be ...
Auditing Chiropractic Services
April 22nd, 2019 - By Evan M. Gwilliam, DC MBA BS CPC CCPC CPC-I QCC MCS-P CPMA CMHP AAPC Fellow Clinical Director, PayDC Chiropractic EHR Software President, Gwilliam Consulting LLC drgwil@gmail.com
Chiropractic is unique from other types of health care and auditors need to be aware of the nuances of this field. Chiropractic has become the focus of more and more audits as doctors seem to struggle to create records that properly support the care provided to the patient throughout the entire episode.
Q/A: What do I do When a Medicare Patient Refuses to Sign an ABN?
April 8th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Question: What do I do when a Medicare patient refuses to sign an ABN? Answer: That depends on whether the patient is still demanding to have/receive the service/supply. If they aren’t demanding the service, then there is no need to force the issue. Just make sure that you still have an ...
Q/A: Can I Tell a Medicare Patient Which Option to Check on the ABN?
April 1st, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Question My patient seemed confused about which of the options they should check. Can I just tell them which one they should check? Answer No! That could be construed as coercion. The official instructions state “Under no circumstances can the notifier decide for the beneficiary which of the 3 checkboxes to select.” Now, this ...
Clearing Up Some Medicare Participation Misunderstandings
March 25th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Even though we may think we truly understand what it means to be a participating provider, Medicare doesn’t quite work the way that other insurance plans do. Far too many providers do not understand the difference and get into hot water. To further complicate matters, the rules are different for ...
The Impact of Medical Necessity on High Level E/M Services
March 21st, 2019 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT, Director of Content
I was recently asked the question, "Does 99233 require documentation of a past medical, family, and/or social history (PFSH)?" The quick answer is, "it depends." Code 99233 has the following minimal component requirement: Subsequent inpatient E/M encounters can meet the code level requirement either by component scoring & medical necessity or time & medical necessity. ...
Revised ABN Requirements Still Fuzzy
March 18th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Although it has been quite some time since ChiroCode published an article about the revised instructions for non-participating providers who use the ABN, there are still some outstanding questions about this change. So far, Medicare has not provided additional guidance about this question despite requests by us for clarification. Medicare now requires non-participating providers to include the ...
Date of Service Reporting for Radiology Services
March 7th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Providers need to ensure that they are reporting radiology dates of service the way the payer has requested. Unlike other many other professional services which only have one date of service (DOS), radiology services can span multiple dates. Medicare requirements may differ from professional organization recommendations.
Q/A: Can you Help me Understand the New Medicare Insurance Cards?
March 7th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
As many of you are aware, CMS began issuing new Medicare identification cards last year which required the replacement of social security numbers with a new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). All cards have now been mailed out and patient's should have the new cards when they come in. Currently, we are in the transition period until January 2020.
Medicare Supplemental Policies (MediGap) and Extremity Adjustments
February 25th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
The nice thing about MediGap policies is that they pay for some of the healthcare costs that an original Medicare plan (Part B) does not cover. So when a patient has Medicare and a Medicare supplement (MediGap) and their condition is related to an extremity (a noncovered service), Medicare must ...
Understanding NCCI Edits
February 20th, 2019 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CMHP, CST, MA, MT
Medicare creates and maintains the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits and NCCI Policy Manual, which identify code pair edits. When performed on the same patient, on the same day, and by the same provider, the secondary code is considered an integral part of the primary code, and payment for ...
Coding Medicare Initial Preventive Physical Exams (IPPE)
February 12th, 2019 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT, Director of Content
The Medicare Initial Preventive Physical Exam (IPPE), also commonly referred to as the “Welcome to Medicare Physical”, may seem daunting to many, but when broken out to identify the requirements is fairly straightforward. Purpose An IPPE helps the Medicare beneficiary (the patient) get to know their healthcare provider at a time when they ...
HHS Proposes Significant Changes to Patient Access Rules
February 11th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
In a significant announcement on February 11, 2019, HHS proposed new rules aimed at improving interoperability of electronic health information. This announcement was made in support of the MyHealthEData initiative which was announced by the Trump administration on March 6, 2018. The goal of that initiative was to break down ...
Charging Missed Appointment Fees for Medicare Patients
February 7th, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Some providers mistakenly think that they cannot bill a missed appointment fee for Medicare beneficiaries. You can, but Medicare has specific rules that must be followed. These rules are outlined in the Medicare Claims Policy Manual, Chapter 1, Section 30.3.13. You must have an official “Missed Appointment Policy” which is ...
Attestations Teaching Physicians vs Split Shared Visits
February 1st, 2019 - BC Advantage
Physicians often use the term "attestation" to refer to any kind of statement they insert into a progress note for an encounter involving work by a resident, non-physician practitioner (NPP), or scribe. However, for compliance and documentation purposes, "attestation" has a specific meaning and there are distinct requirements for what ...
Empowering Medicare Beneficiaries
January 28th, 2019 - Kristy Ritchie
BLOG: CMS announced a NEWS release today making it easier to help Medicare Beneficiaries access cost and quality information. CMS announced,  "Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new app that gives consumers a modernized Medicare experience with direct access on a mobile device to some of ...
Home Oxygen Therapy
January 22nd, 2019 - Raquel Shumway
Home Oxygen Therapy Guidelines
CMS Finalizes Major Changes to ACO Program
January 3rd, 2019 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Back in August of 2018, as part of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program), CMS proposed some sweeping changes for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). There has been some controversy over these changes which require ACOs to move to two-sided models. In this Final Rule which was scheduled to be published in the Federal Register ...
Medicare Advantage Providers are not Required to be Enrolled in Medicare
December 18th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
There was a ruling that was requiring providers to be enrolled in Medicare in order to provide services for Part C (Medicare Advantage (MA)) and/or Part D. However, on April 2, 2018, CMS released the 2019 Final Rules for MA and Part D which changed this previous ruling. According to ...
Errors Billing Outpatient Services When Patient is also Inpatient
November 29th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
The OIG recently reported that Medicare inappropriately paid acute-care hospitals for outpatient services provided to patients who were inpatients of another facility including long term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and critical access hospitals. CMS suggests using the following resources to ensure compliance: Medicare Inappropriately Paid Acute-Care Hospitals for ...
Reciprocal Billing and Locum Tenens Arrangements Changes
November 26th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
CMS has made changes to their payment policies for reciprocal billing arrangements and Fee-For-Time compensation arrangements (formerly referred to as locum tenens arrangements). Providers need to be aware of these changes and update their policies as appropriate.
Allergy Immunotherapy Coding Guidelines (CMS) Effective: 01/01/2006
November 26th, 2018 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Immunotherapy (Allergy Shots) is a medical treatment to used to treat and prevent reactions or desensitize the immune system to specific allergens that trigger allergy symptoms. Payers have specific coverage guidance and rules for reporting injections, the specific type of antigen(s) provided and how they should be reported. Below are the coding guidelines from ...
Are you Ready for CMS' 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule?
November 7th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
The waiting is over, the Final Rule for CMS' 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) is available - all 2,379 pages for those looking for a little light reading. As anticipated, there are some pretty significant changes. Most of us were carefully watching the proposed changes to the Evaluation and ...
Medi-Cal Coverage Criteria for Hospital Beds and Accessories
November 7th, 2018 - Raquel Shumway
Medi-Cal coverage of child and adult hospital beds and accessaries. What is covered and what documentation is required.
CMS: Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Expanded Model
November 1st, 2018 - Find-A-Code
CMS announces the Medicare Diabetes prevention program is now a new covered service. Per a recent MLN news release. Medicare Beneficiaries will be notified in 2019 in a Medicare handout. Diabetes affects more than 25 percent of Americans aged 65 or older, and its prevalence is projected to increase approximately...
Common Allergy CPT Codes and MUEs
October 30th, 2018 - Find-A-Code™
Below is a list of common CPT codes for Allergy and Immunology. Each code is listed with the following information: Medicare Unlikely Edits (MUEs) for both a Non-Facility (NF) and Facility (F) setting. Professional/Technical Component (PC/TC) Indicator. Key Indicator or Procedure Code Status Indicator, which is a Medicare assigned "Indicator" to each code in ...
Allergy Testing 10/29/2018
October 29th, 2018 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Allergy testing may be performed due to exaggerated sensitivity or hypersensitivity.  Using findings based on the patient’s complaint and face-to-face exam. Testing may be required to identify and determine a patient's immunologic sensitivity or reaction to certain allergens using certain CPT codes.  According to CMS, LCD 33261, allergy testing can be ...
Wolters Kluwer Drug Pricing
October 17th, 2018 - Find-A-Code
Wolters Kluwer provides unit and package pricing for multiple drug price types: Average Wholesale Price (AWP), Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC), Direct Price (DP), Manufacturer's Suggested Wholesale Price (SWP), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Federal Upper Limit (CMS FUL), Average Average Wholesale Price (AAWP), Generic Equivalent Average Price (GEAP). Average...
Type of Bill Codes
October 11th, 2018 - Find-A-Code
Type of bill codes identifies the type of bill being submitted to a payer. Type of bill codes are four-digit alphanumeric codes that specify different pieces of information on claim form UB-04 or form CMS-1450 and is reported in box 4 on line 1. First Digit = Leading zero. Ignored by CMSSecond ...
Chiropractic OIG Audit Recommendations - Lessons Learned
September 28th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
The OIG recently concluded an audit on a chiropractic office located in Florida and had some significant findings. They recommended the following: Refund to the Federal Government the portion of the estimated $169,737 overpayment for claims for chiropractic services that did not comply with Medicare requirements and are within the 4-year ...
The Potential Impacts of a Flat Rate EM Reimbursement on our Industry
September 26th, 2018 - BC Advantage
The proposed E&M changes by CMS would decrease provider administrative work burden by, per CMS, 51 hours a year; however, how will reducing documentation requirements truly affect the professionals of the healthcare industry? First, let’s discuss the 30,000-foot overview of the most impactful E&M changes—which is the change to the...
Keys to Successful Claims Filing
August 30th, 2018 - Noridian Medicare
There are many factors that can contribute to your success in filing claims and getting reimbursed. The information below is from the CMS website. Completing Item 12, Patient's or Authorized Person's Signature, on the CMS-1500 form for a non-assigned claim A signature on file (SOF) indicates the supplier has obtained the beneficiary's one-time authorization on ...
PSAVE Pilot Program - What Does it Mean to You?
August 20th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Noridian's pilot program Provider Self-Audit with Validation and Extrapolation (PSAVE) has been extended which means that it has been successful for the payer, which means that they are saving money. Historically, when a pilot program is proven to be successful, it isn’t too long before other MACs follow. Before signing up to participate, providers need to carefully evaluate the program. Are the benefits worth the costs?
Medicare Timed Codes Guidelines
August 16th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Medicare's guidelines for reporting of timed codes is found in Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapter 5, Section 20.2. Also known as the '8 minute' rule, it describes how to calculate time for appropriate reporting when more than one timed code is performed at the same time. It should be noted that while ...
BREAKING NEWS: CMS Proposes to Change E&M Coding
August 15th, 2018 - Christine Taxin
On July 16th 2018, anyone subscribed to the CMS Quality Payment Program received an e-mail containing a letter to doctors from Seem Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). There are some widespread changes proposed in this letter of which you need to be aware. Where ...
Q/A: Is it Legal to Shred Archived Patient Records After a Certain Amount of Time?
August 3rd, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Shredding patient records. When is it appropriate? Read more to find out.
Patients Over Paperwork?! We have Great News!
July 18th, 2018 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Spend more time with patients and less time documenting? Great Concept! Document meaningful information? Sound good? CMS is proposing just that! CMS released a new proposal July 12, 2018, focused on streamlining clinician billing and expanding access to high-quality care. The goal is to improve and restore the doctor-patient relationship, modernize Medicare ...
Attention Providers - Please Make Time to Read this Letter
July 17th, 2018 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
In an effort to show CMS is committed to changing the rules to accommodate their providers CMS released a letter to Doctors of Medicare Beneficiaries. The letter offers encouragement and a promise to reduce the burden of unnecessary rules and requirements. The letter states “President Trump has made it clear that ...
Dual Medicare-Medicaid Billing Problems
July 12th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
It is important to keep in mind that Medicaid is run at a state level so there can be some differences when it comes to coverage. However, the rules regarding balance billing of covered services is set at the federal level. The law states (emphasis added): A state plan must provide ...
Dual Medicare-Medicaid Billing Problems
July 12th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
It is important to keep in mind that Medicaid is run at a state level so there can be some differences when it comes to coverage. However, the rules regarding balance billing of covered services is set at the federal level. The law states (emphasis added): A state plan must provide ...
ESRD Claims Error: Transitional Drug Adjustment Add-On Payment Adjustment
July 9th, 2018 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Medicare sent out a news release to inform of incorrect reimbursement and correction. "End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) claims are incorrectly reimbursed if they: Are eligible for Transitional Drug Adjustment Add-On Payment Adjustment and Contain non-covered charges After we fix the system on January 1, 2019, your Medicare Administrative Contractor will mass adjust claims ...
Q/A: Do I Have a Patient with Part C sign an ABN if we are Out-of-Network?
June 22nd, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Do we need an ABN if the patient has Part C and we are out-of-network? Read More.
Q/A: Can a PT Assistant Perform Physical Therapy Modalities?
June 18th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Whether or not a physical therapy assistant (PTA) may perform physical therapy modalities depends on two factors: state law and payer policies. Read here for more.
Medicare Claim Submission Exceptions
June 18th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
There are several exceptions to the Medicare "Mandatory Claim Submission Rule." What are they?
Home Oxygen Therapy -- CMN for Oxygen
June 14th, 2018 - Raquel Shumway
The Certificate of Medical Necessity (CMN) for Oxygen is a required form that helps to document the medical necessity for oxygen therapy. It also documents other coverage criteria for the oxygen use. For payment on a home oxygen claim, the information in the supplier’s records or the patient’s medical record must be substantiated with the information in the CMN.
Will Medicare's Proposed Reformations Affect Your Practice?
June 12th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Recently, Medicare's Innovation Center released an informal Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on several different system reformation proposals. As the market moves towards more value based payment systems, innovation and new models are being sought to both reduce costs and increase quality. This article outlines the ideas presented in the ...
Why Is Medicare Denying My Claims for Mammography and Breast Biopsies?
June 4th, 2018 - BC Advantage
When Medicare updated their systems with the updates to mammography and breast biopsy policies some ICD-10-CM codes were inadvertently left out. The omitted new codes are N63.11-N63.14, N63.21-N63.24, N63.31, N63.32, N63.41, and N63.42, which will replace the truncated ICD-10 diagnosis N63. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will...
AMA vs Medicare rules and the use of the PT modifier
May 22nd, 2018 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Be sure to review the specific payer policy you are submitting claims to. Medicare’s policy requires the use of a different code when a screening colonoscopy becomes a diagnostic procedure requiring you to bill with CPT code 00811 when treating a Medicare Beneficiary. The use of the PT modifier is ...
Q/A: Am I Supposed to List the Frequency and Duration on the ABN?
May 22nd, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
How to fill out Box D (Services) on the ABN form. What information is required?
Will Chiropractors Benefit from Medicare's Proposed Reformations?
May 7th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Recently, Medicare's Innovation Center released an informal Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on several different system reformation proposals. As the market moves towards value based payment systems, new models are being sought to both reduce costs and increase quality. This article outlines some of the ideas presented in the RFI which ...
Webinar: Basic E&M Avoiding Common Errors
May 1st, 2018 - Find-A-Code
Join us for AAPC CEU approved Education and Outreach with Noridian BASIC E AND M AVOIDING COMMON ERRORS Start Date: 5/15/18 Duration: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM - Pacific Daylight Time Type: Web-based Workshop Register Now: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7977003427311130113 Abstract: This presentation is designed to provide basic information on the billing and...
Indications for Serotypes A and B Botulinum Toxins
April 16th, 2018 - Find-A-Code
According to Novitas LCD L27476, the following indications apply: 1. Blepharospasm and strabismus2. Spastic dystonia or focal dystonias to relieve pain, to assist posturing and walking, to increase range of motion, to assist in the outcome of physical therapy, and/or to reduce spasm thus allowing adequate perineal hygiene.3. Spasmodic dysphonia4. Achalasia and cardiospasm when ...
Medicare Telemedicine Changes for 2018
March 29th, 2018 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CMHP, CST, MA, MT
Find-A-Code presented a webinar on “Coding and Auditing Telemedicine Services,” on March 29, 2018, which did not include the new and updated CMS information published in the MNL Matters Number: MM10393 on January 2, 2018. New and exciting changes were introduced in this article, which is addressed below. Originating Site Fee Each ...
Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) Beginning April 1, 2018 (This is Not a Joke)
March 21st, 2018 - Brittney Murdock, QCC, CMCS, CPC
The law requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to remove Social Security Numbers (SSNs) from all Medicare cards by April 2019. A new unique Medicare number will replace the current Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) on the new Medicare cards. The new cards will be mailed in...
Documentation for Urological Supplies
March 9th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on required documentation for urological supplies.
Documentation for Ordering Oxygen Supplies and Equipment
March 9th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on required documentation for Ordering Oxygen Supplies and Equipment.
Documentation for Enteral Nutrition
March 9th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on required documentation for enteral nutrition. ...
Documentation for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities
March 8th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on required documentation for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF).
Documentation and Orders for Laboratory Tests
March 8th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on required documentation for ordering laboratory tests.
Documentation for Home Health Services (Part A non DRG)
March 8th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medical Learning Network provides coverage guidance, which should be documented, for home health services.
Documentation and Orders for Respiratory Assistive Device
March 8th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on required documentation for a respiratory assistive device and ordering guidelines.
Documentation for Skilled Nursing Facilities
March 8th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on required documentation for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF).
Preventing Denials for Home Blood Glucose Monitors (BGM)
March 8th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on how to Prevent Denials for Home Blood Glucose Monitors (BGM)...
Delivering Bacterial Culture Lab Orders
March 8th, 2018 - Medicare Learning Network
The Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on delivering orders for bacterial culture laboratory tests...
New Bipartisian Budget Act of 2018 Provisions
March 1st, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
On February 9, 2018, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was signed into law. There were some changes which will affect Medicare payments. The following is a brief summary, for a more comprehensive summary see the References. Therapy Caps: Some therapy caps (e.g., occupational, physical therapy, speech-language pathology) were discontinued. However, modifier KX will ...
Q/A: With a Maintenance Patient of Medicare age that has a Medicare Replacement Plan (Part C), do They Need to Fill out an ABN?
February 26th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Q/A: With a maintenance patient of medicare age that has a medicare replacement plan (Part C), do they need to fill out an ABN?
No HCPCS Code Available? Now What?
February 21st, 2018 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
HCPCS level II codes classify products into categories for the purpose of claims processing. HCPCS level II codes are alphanumeric with a descriptive terminology that identifies the item or service used primarily for billing purposes. There are several types of HCPCS level II codes such as: Permanent National Codes Dental Codes Miscellaneous Codes Temporary National ...
Medicare Using Private Payor Prices to Set Payment Rates for Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests Starting January 2018
February 6th, 2018 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
On June 17, 2016, CMS announced the release of its final rule implementing section 216(a) of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA). This final rule requires reporting entities to report private payor rates paid to laboratories for lab tests, which will be used to calculate Medicare payment ...
Referring and Ordering Physician - CMS-1500 Box 17
January 29th, 2018 - Christine Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
Enter the name of the referring or ordering physician if the service or item was ordered or referred by a physician. All physicians who order services or refer Medicare beneficiaries must report this data. Similarly, if Medicare policy requires you to report a supervising physician, enter this information in Item ...
Creating a Culture of Compliance in 2018
January 26th, 2018 - Sean M. Weiss, CHC, CEMA, CMCO, CP MA, CPC-P, CMPE, CPC
This year (2018), health care organizations (Hospitals, Health Systems and Physician Groups/Practices) must focus on the criticality of creating a culture of compliance to ensure effectiveness and efficiency....
Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization Programs
January 25th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs) are a more comprehensive level of care than Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs - click here to read more about IOPs). When the patient requires a minimum of 20 hours per week and hospitalization is not clinically indicated, a PHP can be the most effective type of ...
How do I Find Out How Much I Can Charge for a 98941 for a Medicare Beneficiary?
January 25th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
What can I charge for a 98941 for a Medicare Beneficiary? Read Here to find out more.
NEW on Find-A-Code...National Coverage Determinations (NCDs)
January 23rd, 2018 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CMHP, CST, MA, MT
Medicare limits its coverage of services to those considered to be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of an injury or illness based on coverage guidelines. National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) are created based on research, evidence-based processes, public participation, and other resources, and made available to the public. ...
Medicare's Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Services and Collaborative Care Program
January 18th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Over the last several years, primary care has begun to integrate behavioral health services to better address shortfalls in patient quality of care. Some of the first codes were the Health and Behavior Assessment/Intervention (96152-96155) codes, which were added in 2002. Since then, many different models have been experimented with and have ...
Patient Relationship Codes
January 16th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Section 1848(r)(4) of MACRA requires that claims submitted for items and services furnished by a physician or applicable practitioner on or after January 1, 2018, include codes for the following: care episode groups patient condition groups patient relationship categories Previously, CMS decided to use procedure code modifiers to report patient relationship codes on Medicare ...
Medicare Requiring Specific Modifiers on Therapy Services
January 15th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Medicare's MLN Matters Number: MM10176 was recently revised to identify services subject to their therapy cap. The revision became effective on January 1, 2018 and some providers have begun to receive claim rejections because they are not using the appropriate modifier. The article states the following: Services furnished under the Outpatient ...
Billing with a GP Modifier
January 15th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Q: When patients have a true Medicare secondary insurance we've always billed other Medicare non-covered codes such as G0283 for electric stimulation with modifier GY because we are aware Medicare will not pay for that service but the secondary insurance does. We just were notified by our MAC that GY is not a valid modifier and I have to enter a GP or other therapy modifier. What is the new proper modifier to enter?
New MIPS Reporting Option for 2017 Data
January 11th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
If you were eligible clinician in 2017, this new reporting method could help you.
Preventative Services: Ultrasound Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
January 11th, 2018 - Find-A-Code
The following information from the Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on Ultrasound Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP)
January 11th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) are considered to be an intermediate level of care which is commonly considered after the patient has been discharged from inpatient care. For some patients and/or conditions they can also provide an effective level of care when hospitalization is not clinically indicated or preferred. The following ...
MIPS - To Participate or Not Participate - That is the Question
January 10th, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Medicare’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Final Rule increased the threshold for participation. With this increase, a significant number of providers fall into the exempt category and they are now breathing a sigh of relief. However, there’s one hidden tidbit which you may have missed - the potential damage to ...
Medicare Reimburses for Discarded/Wasted Drugs
January 5th, 2018 - Aimee Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT
Your organization may be leaking revenue without realizing the leak can be stopped. If your organization purchases single-use packets or single dose vials for individual patient use and ends up discarding some of the drug, Medicare has now authorized payment for the discarded or wasted portion. Stop leaking revenue today by reading this article and implementing the guidance provided here.
CMS Launches Data Submission System for Clinicians in the Quality Payment Program
January 4th, 2018 - Find-A-Code
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that doctors and other eligible clinicians participating in the Quality Payment Program can begin submitting their 2017 performance data using a new system on the Quality Payment Program website (qpp.cms.gov). The data submission system is an improvement from the former...
Filing a CMS-1500 Claim form to Medicare PUB-100 40.1.1.1
January 4th, 2018 - Find-A-Code
An independent clinical laboratory may file a paper claim form shall file Form CMS-1500 for a referred laboratory service (as it would any laboratory service). The line item services must be submitted with a modifier 90. An independent clinical laboratory that submits claims in paper format) may not combine non-referred (i.e., ...
Physical Therapist can now bill for a substitute Physical Therapist
January 4th, 2018 - Find-A-Code
As of 6/13/2017 Medicare contractors shall accept claims from Physical Therapists, Provider Specialty 65 – Physical Therapist in Private Practice, for services provided by a substitute physical therapist under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement when submitted with the Q6 modifier. The A/B MAC Part B may pay the patient’s regular physician for physicians' ...
Quality Payment Program in 2018
January 2nd, 2018 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
I checked the government website to see if I am an eligible clinician and it says that I am not. I just don't want to get blindsided with a letter saying I will be penalized. Is there anything you would suggest or recommend that I do now to protect myself from future penalties. Thank you
Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Expanded Model Information
December 12th, 2017 - Jared Staheli
Diabetes treatment places an ever-increasing strain on the resources of the U.S. healthcare system. CMS estimated that in 2016 alone, Medicare incurred an additional $42 billion in costs due to the number of beneficiaries with diabetes. The best way to keep these costs down in the future is by preventing ...
Understanding ASC Pricing
November 22nd, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
ASCs (Ambulatory Surgical Centers) have a separate fee schedule with a base allowed amount that is adjusted for each state using Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSA). Under the ASC payment system, Medicare pays facilities for specific ASC covered surgical procedures, however, there are only certain types of procedures that are eligible for payment ...
Four Final Rules Affecting CMS Payments for 2018
November 7th, 2017 - Wyn Staheli
It’s a season for changes. CMS just finalized four rules which directly impact the following payment systems: Physician Fee Schedule Final Policy, Payment, and Quality Provisions for CY 2018 Hospital OPPS and ASC Payment System and Quality Reporting Programs Changes for 2018 HHAs: Payment Changes for 2018 Quality Payment Program Rule for Year 2 This ...
E&M Guidelines with NGS is Not Mandatory
September 20th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, CPC, CMRS
Changes with the 1995 Documentation Guidelines for Evaluation and Management services, is not considered mandatory. NGS had originally planned a change in examination requirements for Expanded Problem Focused and Detailed levels of service. The decision to not mandate the changes was due to feedback and multiple provider queries from NGS providers. All medical records that are reviewed will be ...
Medicare Improper Payment Report (2016)
September 1st, 2017 - Wyn Staheli
The Medicare Improper Payment Report for 2016 has been released by the OIG. Please note that the improper payment rate does not measure fraud. Rather, it estimates the payments that did not meet Medicare coverage, coding, and billing rules. The estimated Medicare FFS payment accuracy rate (claims...
Preventive Services: Annual Wellness Visit (AWV)
September 1st, 2017 - Find-A-Code
The following information from the Medicare Learning Network provides guidance on Annual Wellness Visits (AWV)
Preventive Services: Alcohol Misuse Screening and Counseling
September 1st, 2017 - Find-A-Code
The following information from the Medicare Learning Network (MLN) provides guidance on Alcohol Misuse Screening and Counseling.......
Changes to the Medicare Appeals Process
August 25th, 2017 - Sean Weiss, CHC, CMCO, CEMC, CPMA, CMPE, CPC-P, CPC
On June 29th, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued the Medicare Program: "Changes to the Medicare Claims and Entitlement, Medicare Advantage and Organization Determination, and Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Determination Appeals Procedures final rule."
NEW Mandatory ABN Form to Take Effect June 21, 2017
August 17th, 2017 - Mario Fucinari DC, CCSP, CPCO, MCS-P, MCS-I
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised the Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN) Form. The revised Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131, is issued to the patient or client by providers, physicians, practitioners, and suppliers in situations where Medicare payment is expected to be ...
Medicare Announces New Cards to Be Issued
August 17th, 2017 - ChiroCode
Identity theft has become a major problem in the United States. As a prevention measure, the Centers for Medicare& Medicaid Services (CMS) is readying a fraud prevention initiative that removes Social Security numbers from Medicare cards to help combat identity theft, and safeguard taxpayer dollars. Personal identity theft affects a large ...
Increased Medicare payment rates for FY 2018!
August 4th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, CPC, CMRS
We can look forward to a few prospective payments for Skilled Nursing Facilities, Hospice and Inpatient Rehab; CMS released their final rule and reported on key highlights of the new FY 2018 Medicare payment rules. CMS States, “The 2018 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System Final Rule increases Medicare payment rates ...
Proposed Payment Changes in 2018 and 2019 for Medicare Home Health Agencies
July 26th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, CPC, CMRS
CMS announced today the payment rates and wage index system for 2018 has a new proposed rule for Medicare Home Health Agencies.  CMS stated, “The new payment system aims to encourage innovation and collaboration and to incentivize home health providers to meet or exceed industry quality standards.”  The proposed rule ...
New payments for Psychiatric Collaborative Care Services (COCM) from Medicare
June 29th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, CPC, CMRS
Medicare has agreed to make separate payments to physicians and non-physicians for Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) services beginning Jan. 1st, 2017. Any condition new or pre-existing behavioral health or substance use disorders are eligible. Beneficiaries may have comorbid, chronic, or other medical conditions they are being treated for as well. Using the ...
Auditing Incident-to Services
June 16th, 2017 - Michael Miscoe, Esq.
To effectively audit incident-to services under Medicare, the auditor must first have an operational understanding of the rule. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it sounds. Auditors must also understand that the incident-to rule is a Medicare only rule. This is one area where the maxim "if you are ...
CMS Overpaid Providers $729 Million in Incentive Payments
June 16th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, CPC, CMRS
Medicare paid hundreds of millions in electronic health record incentive payments that did not comply with federal requirements according to the OIG.  The OIG estimated CMS inappropriately paid $729,424,395 to EPs who did not meet the requirements for meaningful use. Eligible professional’s (EP’s) are physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists or chiropractors, if ...
Billing Medicare for Certain Replaced Devices
June 8th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, CPC, CMRS
When billing for certain replaced devices, Medicare payments should be reduced when a replacement device (cardiac or otherwise) is received by a hospital at a reduced cost (including no cost), or with a credit that is 50 percent or greater than the cost of the device. Correct billing in such situations ...
Therapy Caps, Limits and Providers
May 4th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, CPC, CMRS
The annual combined therapy cap is per beneficiary each calendar year. For 2017, this includes Medicare Part B outpatient therapy cap for Occupational Therapy (OT) $1,980, Physical Therapy (PT) and Speech-Language Pathology Services (SLP) $1,980. In addition there is an exception process, if the therapy services are higher than the limited amounts, the beneficiary ...
Deadline
April 28th, 2017 - Christine Taxin
Prescribers, including dentists, who write prescriptions for Part D drugs are to be enrolled in an approved status or validly opted out with Medicare, in order for their patients’ prescriptions to be covered under Medicare Part D. Full enforcement of Part D prescriber enrollment requirement will begin on January 1, 2019. ...
The Quality Payment Programs
April 24th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, CPC, CMRS
Medicare has given the option for participation in the Quality Payment Program offering two tracks you can choose from as well as the option to pick your pace. You can choose to start anytime between January 1 and October 2, 2017: Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) or The Merit-based Incentive Payment System ...
Acute Postoperative Pain Management
March 20th, 2017 - Wyn Stahel
Caution needs to be observed when reporting post-operative pain management (POPM). In accordance with NCCI edits policies, postoperative pain management is considered bundled in the surgical code(s). There are only a few instances where it may be billed separately. Medicare Global Surgery Rules prevent separate payment for postoperative pain management when ...
Medicaid Reviews
February 23rd, 2017 - Wyn Staheli
All federal healthcare programs are required to implement programs to prevent and reduce provider fraud, waste, and abuse and this includes the Medicaid program. Two groups work in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG): the Medicaid Integrity Program (MIP) works at ...
CMS Issues Proposed Rule to Increase Patients’ Health Insurance Choices for 2018
February 15th, 2017 - CMS.gov
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a proposed rule for 2018, which proposes new reforms that are critical to stabilizing the individual and small group health insurance markets to help protect patients.
Medicare Conversion Factor
February 8th, 2017 - Wyn Staheli
In April of 2015, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula which is used to calculate the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Conversion Factor was repealed as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The conversion factor will increase by 0.5% each year until 2019 and ...
Medicare Revises their Appeals Process
February 6th, 2017 - Wyn Staheli
On January 17, 2017, a Final Rule was published in the Federal Register outlining changes to the Medicare Appeals process in an order to streamline procedures and reduce the current backlog of appeals at the third and fourth levels of appeal. This new policy takes effect on March 20, 3017. ...
Medicare Coverage of Behavioral Health Services
February 1st, 2017 - Wyn Staheli
Medicare's coverage of mental health services is based upon the medical necessity as defined within the Medicare Benefits Policy Manual and the Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs). It should also be noted that not all types of providers may perform all Medicare covered services. For example, an...
Sleep Studies: Billing with Reduced Hours
January 12th, 2017 - Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
When using codes 95800, 95801, 95806, 95807, 95810, and 95811, and fewer than six hours of recording is performed, you must report the reduced services using modifier 52. Also, when using 95782 and 95783, and fewer than seven hours of recording is performed, modifier 52 would be appended to the appropriate code. 95805 would require modifier 52 if fewer than four hours of recording is performed. Medicare recognizes the ...
ABN FAQs
December 20th, 2016 - Evan M. Gwilliam DC MBA BS CPC CCPC QCC CPC-I MCS-P CPMA CMHP
This handy FAQ addresses the uses and mis-uses of the ABN form.
Know how you can leverage your practice performance with 6 revenue cycle metrics
December 20th, 2016 - Ango Mark
Are you one of those busy physicians who pay just a cursory glance at monthly collections? Then you should be prepared to lose revenue every single day like this obgyn practice in southeast Georgia. It is essential for medical practices to track financial performance metrics, as every dollar that...
VACCINE AND VACCINE ADMINISTRATION PAYMENTS UNDER MEDICARE PART D
December 16th, 2016 - Brittney Murdock, QCC, CMCS, CPC
Please note: The information in this publication applies only to Medicare Part D; the Prescription Drug Benefit. Except for vaccines covered under Medicare Part B, Medicare Part D plans cover all commercially available vaccines as long as the vaccine is reasonable and necessary to prevent illness. Health care professionals (sometimes known as ...
CMS Announces Additional Opportunities for Clinicians Under the Quality Payment Program
December 15th, 2016 - Brittney Murdock, CPC
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced more new opportunities for clinicians to join Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) to improve care and earn additional incentive payments under the Quality Payment Program, which implements the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Beginning in January...
60 Day Final Rule
December 12th, 2016 - Wyn Staheli, Director of Research
Effective March 14, 2016, the CMS Final Rule clarifying the standards for handling overpayments for both Medicare and Medicaid takes effect. Failure to report and subsequently return an overpayment within 60 days after the overpayment was “identified” is a violation of the False Claims Act.
MACRA facts that every clinician should know [Infographic]
November 11th, 2016 - Adam Smith
MACRA is here and the new program is going to sunset several (un) popular programs such as Meaningful Use and the Value Based Payment Modifier model. Everybody who is anybody is busy discussing about MACRA and its ramifications. But as with any big updates the myths are jostling for space with the...
Government Healthcare Programs
September 17th, 2016 - Wyn Staheli
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversees all government health care programs. They are administered by various agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Veterans Administration (VA) and even at the state level. Here are the basic government programs: Medicare Federal Workers’ Compensation Military and Veterans Medicaid Federal ...
Vaccines are Not Just for Kids
August 16th, 2016 - Find-A-Code
National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination. All adults should get vaccines to protect their health. Even healthy adults can become seriously ill, and can pass certain illnesses on to others. Talk to your Medicare patients about vaccines they ...
When the Government Tries to Change the Rules
August 11th, 2016 - Sean Weiss
We all know that the government doesn't fight fair. This is why it is so critical for healthcare professionals to understand their recourse when the government does not follow their own guidelines. Providing audit appeal defense services to clients all over the country, we are seeing MACs and ZPICs making determinations ...
1500 Claim Form Tips
August 3rd, 2016 - ChiroCode
The following rules for the 1500 claim form are excerpts from NUCC and Medicare instructions, but they are generally universal and apply to claims submitted either electronically or on paper. Please note that payment rules can change frequently for any payer, so consult with specific insurance payers for their adaptations. The ...
ICD-10 Changes for 2017
August 3rd, 2016 - Wyn Staheli
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the Proposed Rule regarding the updates to the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS code sets for Fiscal Year 2017 which begins October 1, 2016. Comments regarding the proposed ICD changes are due May 6th and CMS has stated that the Final Rule ...
How group practices are surviving the value based payment model in 2016!
June 3rd, 2016 - Adam Smith
As the healthcare industry undergoes dramatic transformation, group practices are facing a lot of turbulence to their financial structuring. Moving away from fee-for-service business models to value-based reimbursement setup is a daunting endeavor, but, that’s where the industry is heading...
6 Simple steps to create secondary claims using eClinicalWorks!
March 16th, 2016 - Victoria
With the help of web analytics , question and answer websites, forums, we came across the most searched queries . And, today we will discuss one of them. We reached out to Sophia Johnson,eClinicalWorks billing specialist at PracticeBridge to share her insights and she provided us six simple steps to...
E/M service prior to a screening colonoscopy
December 29th, 2015 - Codapedia Editor
CMS does not pay for an Evaluation and Management service prior to a screening colonoscopy. If a patient calls or is sent from another physician to schedule a screening colonoscopy, do not bill any type of E/M service prior to the procedure. Some commercial carriers also follow this policy. If...
Cloned E/M notes
December 29th, 2015 - Codapedia Editor
Have you ever read a physician office note and thought it was strangely familiar? Or, not just familiar but identical to another note? Well, Medicare contractors have noticed the same thing, and the Office of Inspector General has included this on their 2011 Work Plan. Medicare contractors have...
What Does It Mean To Scrub An Insurance Claim?
December 29th, 2015 - David Greene, MD
During the rigorous training physicians undergo to learn their craft, very little education is received on how to deal with submitting claims to insurance companies. It’s unfortunately a necessary evil, as surgeons who contract with insurance companies rely on that reimbursement as the...
Subsequent Observation Services
October 15th, 2015 - Codapedia Editor
CPT® released three new E/M services in 2011, to be used for the second and subsequent days that a patient is in observation status in the hospital. The codes are 99224--99226 and they are out of sequence in the CPT® book. They require the same level of documentation as the three...
Post-operative Hospital Visits
October 15th, 2015 - Betsy Nicoletti, M.S., CPC
In 1992, CMS developed the concept of the Global Surgical Package, which pays for surgical services with a single payment. The full description of services that are included in this payment is described in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 12, Section 40 and in a CMS Fact Sheet.
Teaching Physician Rules
October 15th, 2015 - Betsy Nicoletti
The teaching physician (TP) rules describe a payment method by which Medicare pays an attending physician or teaching physician for services performed jointly with an intern, resident, or fellow, in an approved graduate medical education program (GME). The teaching physician’s presence and participation is required.
Coding for Screening Colonoscopies
October 15th, 2015 - Codapedia Editor
How to code for screening colonoscopies, what modifiers are needed and what diagnosis codes to assign can be challenging for surgeons. An area of particular confusion is screening colonoscopies converted to a diagnostic or therapeutic colonoscopy. To complicate the issue, Medicare uses different...
Medical Necessity is not Medical Decision Making
June 1st, 2015 - Codapedia Editor
I can count on two consistent issues in coding audits. Doctors report that their patients are, in general, sicker than patients in other practices. Coders report that their physicians are, in general, worse documenters than physicians in other practices and select codes that are too high based on...
Category of Code Selection
March 17th, 2015 - Codapedia Editor
Does anyone remember the good old days, when you didn't need to know the patient's insurance to select a category of code? Now, correct selection of an E/M category of code requires the clinician and coder to consider: Where the service was performed The status of the patient...
Consult Documentation Guidelines
September 3rd, 2014 - Jeannie Cagle, BSN, RN, CPC
By Jeannie Cagle, BSN, RN, CPC For those practices that bill consultation codes, the guidelines can be confusing. Yet, it is worth taking the time to learn the rules to get the additional reimbursement paid for consultation codes over new patient codes. Remember the following: · ...
Medicare Inpatient only list - online search tool
April 30th, 2014 - Mike Todai
CMS provides Medicare Inpatient list. There are several links Dr. Hirsch has provided to clarify the topic so I will not spend much time to save reader's time. Our recommendation is that hospitals should ask for CPT® / Procedure codes from the physician / physician office. We have built an...
Medicare Inpatient only list - online search tool
April 30th, 2014 - Mike Todai
CMS provides Medicare Inpatient list. There are several links Dr. Hirsch has provided to clarify the topic so I will not spend much time to save reader's time. Our recommendation is that hospitals should ask for CPT® / Procedure codes from the physician / physician office. We have built an...
Interim pay raise set to take effect Jan. 1 while legislators attempt permanent Medicare fee fix
January 30th, 2014 - Scott Kraft
Your practice is starting 2014 with yet another patch to the sustainable growth rate formula that has hampered Medicare payments to doctors for years. There is reason for cautious optimism this time, however, as the three-month pay fix is designed to give extra time to pass a permanent fix to the...
Bevy of changes make figuring out 2014 Medicare payments more complicated
January 3rd, 2014 - Scott Kraft
Some years, it is relatively simple to project how your Medicare payments will change for the services rendered. When the only factor in Medicare’s complicated payment formula that changes is the conversion factor, the percentage change in your payment is identical to the percentage change in...
6 ways to stop filing duplicate Medicare claims
December 4th, 2013 - Scott Kraft
Whenever a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) releases a list of the top reasons for claims denials, the list almost never fails to include duplicate claims. When the MAC perceives the claim to be a duplicate, based typically on a match of the patient identifying information, furnishing...
Wellness visits for Medicare patients
November 18th, 2013 - Codapedia Editor
Dec 20, 2010 Added Medicare's MLN Matters article as a resource. Hold the champagne--it's true that Health Care Reform added an annual "wellness"visit for every beneficiary, but it's not what you or your doctors think of as an annual exam. In fact, it's has more in common with the...
ICD-10 updates for LCDs, articles due by April 10, 2014
September 10th, 2013 - Scott Kraft
Take out your ICD-10 implementation plan and write down the date of April 10, 2014. That’s the day that CMS has instructed its Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to publish all of the updated local coverage determinations (LCDs) that need to have ICD-10-CM codes replace ICD-9 codes....
Hospice Care
August 28th, 2013 - Codapedia Editor
Patients who sign up with hospice waive their rights to receive Medicare Part B services, and must look to the hospice organization to provide care related to the terminal illness. The hospice provider receives a daily payment to care for the patient on hospice. The patient’s own attending...
Charging Medicare Patients for Missed Appointments
June 20th, 2013 - Cyndee Weston
Previously, each Part B office had their own requirements regarding charging Medicare patients for missed appointments. TRICARE (TriWest Healthcare Alliance) regulations required providers to establish office practice policies regarding "no show" fees and required beneficiaries to sign an...
Certifying home health services
May 15th, 2013 - Codapedia Editor
Starting January 1,2011 physicians must see and examine a patient when ordering Medicare covered home health care services. This is a condition of the health reform act (Affordable Care Act) passed in the spring of 2010. Prior to certifying the patient's order for HH services, the physician must...
Incident to Services for Medicare Patients
April 24th, 2013 - Codapedia Editor
Incident to services is a Medicare provision which allows physician offices to bill for services provided by a Non-Physician Practitioner or nurse or medical assistant under the physician's provider number. The service is then paid at 100% of the Medicare Fee Schedule. NPPs may bill services under...
Medicare Wellness Visits--update
April 24th, 2013 - Codapedia Editor
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Who Qualifies for TCM Services?
April 22nd, 2013 - Lacy Gaskins
Any patient post-discharge whose medical and/or psychosocial problems are complex enough to require TCM services qualifies for these codes. Here are the specifics:   1. Location: “TCM is for higher-risk patients being discharged from an inpatient or observation status to their home, rest home,...
Three-day Window Rule
April 8th, 2013 - Codapedia Editor
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Medicare Secondary Payer
March 22nd, 2013 - Codapedia Editor
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OIG Work Plan 2012
April 2nd, 2012 - Codapedia Editor
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New ABN form mandatory Nov 2011
March 15th, 2012 - Codapedia Editor
An Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) is a written communication given to a patient prior to providing a service that informs the patient that Medicare may not or will not cover the service. It is required when the service is sometimes, but not always, covered. If the service is never covered...
Medicare as a Secondary Payer and Consults
January 10th, 2011 - Codapedia Editor
Now that Medicare doesn't recognize consults (effective 1-1-10), how will we bill for patients who have a commercial insurance as primary, and Medicare as a secondary payer? There are no great options. Options for office “consults” Bill primary with consult codes. Will cross...
Fee Schedule 2010 Impact by Specialty
January 30th, 2010 - Codapedia Editor
Elizabeth Woodcock prepared this Excel summary from the Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, released Friday, October 30, 2009. She graciously shared the file with me, and invited me to post it here. It is in resources. You can access the Final Rule for yourself...
UPDATE CMS ELIMINATES PAYMENT FOR CONSULTS 1-1-2010
January 30th, 2010 - Codapedia Editor
Updated: Dec 16, 2009 By now, we have all heard that CMS will not pay for consuts starting Jan 1, 2010, but we had lingering questions about how to submit claims. Dec 15, CMS released a transmittal, dated Dec 14, 2009, which answers these questions. The transmittal is attached. For services that...
No More Consults? CMSs Proposal for 2010
January 30th, 2010 - Codapedia Editor
July, 2010 By now you've seen the headline! CMS proposes to eliminate payment for consults in 2010! Why? How will they pay for the services? First, the AMA develops and owns CPT® codes, and only they can add, delete, or change the definition of CPT® codes. However, Medicare and private...
ABN
September 18th, 2009 - Charlene Burgett
In an attempt to make the ABN more understandable for my physicians and staff, I developed this explanatory paper that is specific to our office; however, the basics apply to all offices. Charlene Burgett,MS-HCM,CMA(AAMA),CPC,CCP,CMSCS,CPM Administrator, North Scottsdale Family Medicine POMAA...
Prolonged services for office and outpatient visits
July 31st, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
This is an article describing using prolonged services codes in an office setting. There is a separate article in Codapedia about using prolonged services codes in an inpatient setting. There is an article describing using non-face-to-face codes, as well. Prolonged services codes are add-on...
Prolonged Services in an inpatient setting
July 31st, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
This article will describe the coding for using prolonged services in an inpatient setting. The codes are 99356: Prolonged physician service in the inpatient setting, first hour and 99357 each additional 30 minutes. See the CPT® book for the complete descriptions. These codes are used as add...
Assistant surgeon
July 19th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
Some surgical procedures may be performed with both a primary surgeon and an assistant surgeon. Insurance companies typically pay 20% to 25% for the assistant. Medicare allows 16% of the full fee payment for the assistant surgeon.
Supervision Requirements for Diagnostic Tests
July 17th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
Medicare has specific physician supervision requirements for diagnostic tests. Each CPT® code that represents a diagnostic test is given a supervision indicator in the Medicare Fee Schedule. From Chapter 15, of the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual describes these levels of supervision: General...
G0101 Pelvic and breast exam
July 6th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
Medicare does not pay for routine physical exams annually for patients--a sore spot for Primary Care Providers and Medicare beneficiaries alike. They do pay for an initial Welcome to Medicare visit. (See the Codapedia article about that topic.) Medicare does pay for a screening pelvic and breast...
Nurse visits in provider based clinics
May 27th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
Question: Can you bill a nurse visit, 99211, to Medicare in a Provider Based Entity? Answer: You may not bill a nurse visit to Part B, for a physician service, but may bill a facility fee for a nurse visit in a PBE. Discussion: Discussion: The payment rules for a free-standing,...
ROS Checklist
April 22nd, 2009 - Rikki Runyon
Review of Systems CHECKLIST: -General- ? Weight loss or gain ? Fatigue ? Fever or chills ? Weakness ? Trouble sleeping ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Skin- ? Rashes ...
Shared services
April 21st, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
The shared services rule is a Medicare rule, which allows a physician and a Non-Physician Practitioner (NPP) to each provide some portion of an Evaluation and Management service, and to bill the service under the physician's NPI. The level of service is based on the documentation provided by both...
Preventive Medicine Services for Medicare Patients
April 10th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
The most widely known fact about Medicare and preventive medicine is that fee-for-service Medicare does not cover an annual physical exam. This is because in its beginning, Medicare was prohibited from paying for routine services. Over the years, Congress has mandated the payment of some screening...
Incident to Billing or Incident to Service
April 10th, 2009 - Jeannie Cagle, BSN RN CPC
By Jeannie Cagle, BSN, RN, CPC This question appeared in a recent list serve. My two responses are based upon two different assumptions: (1) both providers are physicians, and (2) one of the providers is not a physician. The principal points are that each physician has a unique National Provider...
E-Prescribing and Medicare Bonus Payments
April 1st, 2009 - Crystal Reeves
By Crystal Reeves, CPC, CMPE Question Our doctors want to begin e-prescribing in order to get the Medicare bonus payment. How much is the bonus payment, and how do we let Medicare know that we are e-prescribing? Answer The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA)...
Using Modifer -59
March 31st, 2009 - Crystal Reeves
By Crystal Reeves, CPC, CMPE, Principal Modifier -59 is probably one of the most misunderstood, misused, and most-feared of all CPT® modifiers. Some practices avoid using it all together because they don’t want to be guilty of unbundling. Some practices do not use it because they are not...
Can a Physicians Assistant do a consult?
March 9th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
This question comes up at seminar after seminar. Someone says, "My billing manager told me that PAs (or NPs) can't do consults. Is that true?" It is a half truth. PAs and NPs may perform consults, as long as consults are in their state scope of practice. They may perform consults on...
Locum tenens billing
March 4th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
The locum tenens rules are Medicare rules that allow for a physician practice to bill for a substitute, temporary physician under the provider number of a physician who has left the practice. The physician must be absent from the practice due to illness, vacation, CME or the physician may...
Advance Beneficiary Notice
March 3rd, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
The Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) form was revised by Medicare in April of 2008. There are no longer two forms available, one for lab and one for other services; there is a single form. Starting March 1, 2009, all physicians must use the new form. When completing the ABN, the practice should...
Certification of Home Health Agency Services for Medicare
February 25th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
In 2001, Medicare added two new HCPCS codes to describe certification and recertification of home health services performed by a physician. A qualified NPP may not provide this service because only a physician may order home health services for a patient. There are two codes, G0179 and G0180,...
PT/OT Therapy caps
January 29th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
The MedLearn Matters article on PT/OT caps is attached as a resource.
Welcome to Medicare Visit
January 29th, 2009 - Codapedia Editor
Welcome to Medicare Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) A new benefit under the Medicare Modernization Act Effective date 1-1-05, changes for 2009 Eligibility: Any Medicare beneficiary who enrolls in Medicare on or after January 1, 2005 Time limits: Eligible for benefit in the...

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