Tag Archive | "Medicare"
Make the CCI Manual Your Go-To Guide for Shoulder Arthroscopy With Debridement
Before you code debridement with shoulder arthroscopy, make sure you know what the Medicare Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) manual has to say. You’ll find the highlights here to help you get started. Where to look: You’ll find these instructions in chapter IV, section E, of the Medicare CCI manual. Same Shoulder? Stick to the Basic […]
Continue reading...Keep Your Finger on the OIG Pulse by Knowing Where to Find Audit Targets
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
OIG audit targets can feel like moving targets with the website updated each month. Find out where you can go to keep tabs on the Office of Inspector General’s Work Plan items, and see an example of a recently added area to watch. (Tip: For more OIG information, you also can check out this free […]
Continue reading...Look Ahead to These 3 Trends for April 2019 CCI Updates
Monday, March 4, 2019
Think Medicare’s April CCI updates are small potatoes? You may reevaluate that stance when you learn there are more than 11,000 additions planned for April 1, 2019. To help make it manageable, watch the three areas below. Our focus: The topic here is Medicare practitioner procedure-to-procedure (PTP) Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits that will be […]
Continue reading...Here’s Why the MPFS Should Be at the Top of Your Modifier Checklist
Monday, February 25, 2019
When you think of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), fees might be the first word that comes to mind. But modifiers should be a close second. Here’s how you can use the MPFS to improve your modifier accuracy for Medicare claims. Start here: To read about the MPFS bilateral indicator and modifier 50, read […]
Continue reading...Do You Know About Medicare Add-On Code Edits? You Should!
Monday, February 11, 2019
Pairing an add-on code with an appropriate primary code is a key factor in bringing in that extra add-on reimbursement. The CPT® manual often provides a listing of appropriate primary codes for an add-on code, but not always. In those cases, you may find answers in Medicare’s Add-On Code Edits, our topic for today. Know […]
Continue reading...Primary Care and Specialists Need to Know These Twin Add-On Codes by 2021
Monday, January 28, 2019
The 2019 MPFS proposed rule discussed potential add-on G codes to represent E/M visit complexity. Here’s a quick look at the intent of the proposed codes and what the final rule had to say about their implementation in 2021. See What Happens to This Code for Specialists In the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) […]
Continue reading...Here’s How Medical Documentation Can Help or Hurt for Reimbursement
Thursday, January 24, 2019
The 2018 CERT report estimates 58 percent of Medicare improper payments were caused by insufficient documentation (and this is an ongoing trend). More than half is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you consider that those documentation problems could lead to having to repay Medicare or having to spend time working on underpayments. Here’s a […]
Continue reading...Outpatient Coders: Are These C Codes on Your Procedure Reporting List?
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
The HCPCS 2019 code set features several new C codes related to reporting procedures. If you use C codes, make sure you’ve got these updates on your radar. Reminder: HCPCS C codes are intended for use by Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) hospitals. The codes are used to report device categories, new technology procedures, and […]
Continue reading...Say Cheese! Medicare Is Paying for Photo and Video Evals in 2019
Thursday, January 17, 2019
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how much is evaluating a picture worth? Medicare has taken a stance on that. As of Jan. 1, 2019, Medicare is paying for remote evaluation of pre-recorded patient videos and images reported using G2010. Here’s what we know from the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. Compare Our […]
Continue reading...Take the Mystery Out of the MPFS Conversion Factor and Calculations
Monday, January 14, 2019
In the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), the conversion factor is 36.0391 compared to 35.9996 in 2018. But that sort of information helps only if you know what a conversion factor is and what to do with it. Here’s a primer you can turn to when you need to brush up on your MPFS […]
Continue reading...
Thursday, March 21, 2019
0 Comments