SuperCoder Blog

Have you checked out our free, new E/M Calculator yet? Using it is straightforward, but having a guide can be handy when a tool is new. Here’s how it works.

1. Access the E/M Calculator

If you’re going to use a tool, the first step is to get to it! If you aren’t a subscriber to one of our online coding packages, you can open the calculator by following the directions on our E/M Calculator page.

For those of you who use our online coding packages, the calculator is included with your subscription. After you sign in, look …

Filing third-party claims is a big part of the business of medicine, but collecting payment from patients is also crucial to a healthy organization. There are challenges, though. Check out these tips on steering clear of problems and on handling those issues that do come up.

1. Have a Policy and Let Patients Know

You can prevent a lot of stress and confusion for both your team and your patients by having a clear policy about payment. You want to be sure patients understand that policy and that you follow it consistently.

Set the tone by collecting appropriate payments at check-in so patients know payment is …

What’s the word to know for CPT® 2019 PICC updates? Imaging! Make sure your documentation and coding are ready to handle these three revisions and two additions for peripherally inserted central venous catheters, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

A tip for coding history buffs: The AMA CPT® Editorial Panel discussed these changes as far back as September 2017. The summary of panel actions is available online, but the information is a simple note that two new codes, a 36584 revision, and guideline clarifications were accepted.

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Medicare released the CY 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). One of the big questions from the proposed rule was whether E/M payment rules would change. Here are some highlights on what made it into the final rule for E/M and what didn’t.

The News You’ve Been Waiting for …

The proposal to combine payment rates for E/M levels two to five (meaning they would all pay the same) has been postponed and will likely look different when …

Sometimes it’s the simple things that can help your appeal for a medical insurance claim. Work through these questions to be sure you’re giving a claim its best chance.

Did You Cite the Claim?

You may get your appeal back if you don’t make it clear which original claim you’re referencing. Plenty of coders and billers have learned this one the hard way.

Bonus tip: While we’re in the transition period to MBIs for Medicare, your MAC may accept either the MBI or HICN to identify …

If you come across documentation that refers to ruling out a diagnosis, it’s time to go on high alert. There are some specific rules you need to follow for ICD-10-CM coding. Here are tips straight from the 2019 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (OGs).

1. Know When to Use Codes That Specify ‘Ruled Out’

ICD-10-CM includes some codes with the term “ruled out” in the descriptor. Look especially at these observation Z code categories:

• Z03.- (Encounter for medical observation for suspected diseases and conditions ruled out)
• Z04.- (Encounter for examination and observation for other …
  

We’ve had some fun in the past with Halloween-themed codes, but there are still a few left, especially if we throw some ICD-11 into the witchy brew. Here’s a quick quiz to get you in the spooky spirit.

How to Treat Problematic Arachnid Blood Vessels

Stephen Spider comes into the office complaining about some veins that have become a pest. How do you code the treatment?

Use code 36468 (Injection(s) of sclerosant for spider veins (telangiectasia), limb or trunk) for this one! You’ll want to review the coverage rules for this treatment, though. You and the patient don’t want to …

The CPT® 2019 code set is adding to your options for remote services. Here’s a rundown of the changes you can expect for certain remote monitoring services as well as EHR consultative time.

Turn to 9945X for Remote Physiologic Monitoring

The new code set will add codes for remote physiologic monitoring (like weight, BP, pulse oximetry):

• Use 99453 for set-up and educating the patient
• Use 99454 to represent each 30 days of device supply with recordings or alerts
• Use 99457 for 20 minutes or more per month spent by the provider or clinical staff on treatment management, including communication with the patient or caregiver.

Tip: …

ICD-10-CM has a lot of codes (more than 150!) for pressure ulcers, and that means your clinicians’ documentation game has got to be on point for your to get the most accurate code for the case. These three steps should help you get the job done.

1. Know Where to Look for Pressure Ulcer Stage Documentation

For pressure ulcers, a nurse is often the one who documents stage. So it’s good news you can base code assignment for pressure ulcer stage on medical record documentation by someone other than the “physician or other qualified healthcare practitioner legally accountable for establishing …

Let’s put data to work to help prevent denials! CGS is one of the Medicare contractors that provides information on top claim denial reasons, and here we’ll take a look at some denial triggers from August 2018 and how you can prevent them.

Check Status Before Reporting Duplicate Service

Reporting the exact same service more than once leads to a duplicate service denial. For August 2018, CGS indicates there were more than 120,000 duplicate service denials for Part B in Kentucky and Ohio.

So how can you avoid this common problem? Here’s what CGS suggests:

• Don’t resubmit a claim until you’…