Category: Medical Coding

take-5-get-caught-up-on-coding-and-billing-news

Get Caught Up on Coding and Billing News

New COVID-19 vaccine status codes, changes and corrections to the 2022 CPT code set, Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) payment changes, and prior authorization code list changes — that’s what’s on the agenda this month. Read all about it! 3 New Codes Improve COVID-19 Vaccination Status An April 1, 2022, update to the 2022 ICD-10-CM […]
telehealth-key-takeaways-CY2022

Telehealth: Key Takeaways from The CY2022 PFS Final Rule

In November 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued the Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (“Final Rule”) which includes several telehealth policy updates that will go into effect in calendar year 2022.1  As a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency (“PHE”),  CMS expanded the availability of telehealth through the use of […]
new-covid-19-icd-10-cm-and-pcs-codes-coming-in-2022

New COVID-19 ICD-10-CM and PCS Codes Coming in 2022

The package includes three ICD-10-CM and seven procedure codes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have both stated that in April 2022, we will have three new ICD-10-CM codes and seven new procedure codes for COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines. You may recall that in […]
medical-coding-news-in-november

The Medical Coding News in November

Take 5 to read up on recent coding and billing news. There are plenty of coding updates in November, including those made to certain Medicare policies. Payment thresholds for physical, occupational, and speech-language pathology are also posted for the 2022 calendar year, as are Medicare cost sharing amounts. And HCPCS Level II code set updates […]
2022-hcpcs-level-ii-code-changes

Learn More About 2022 HCPCS Level II Code Changes

In first-quarter 2022, the HCPCS Level II code set will get a refresh with several new, revised, and deleted codes. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), there are: 155 new codes, 63 revised codes, and 48 deleted codes. Medical coders and billers: Familiarize yourself now with these code changes so you’re […]
resolve-initial-vs-subsequent-encounter-misconceptions

Resolve Initial vs. Subsequent Encounter Misconceptions

End the sequela struggle for when to include a 7th character with this primer. ICD-10-CM codes aren’t just for coding; they’re also used for payments, statistics, and other health information management activities. Therefore, some codes are designed to meet certain episode of care requirements that translate into costs. For example, a code describing an acute […]
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2021 E/M Guidelines FAQ – December

  Ever since the release of the new 2021 evaluation and management (E/M) guidelines for office and other outpatient services, AAPC has been conducting numerous trainings through webinars, virtual workshops, conference sessions, online courses, and multiple articles in Healthcare Business Monthly and the Knowledge Center blog. In the May issue we started to answer your […]
master-2022-cpt-changes-with-this-expert-overview

Master CPT® 2022 Coding With This Expert Overview

The CPT® 2022 edition incorporates a total of 249 novel codes, along with 93 codes that have been revised, and 63 codes that have been removed. Every segment of the CPT® code set has undergone modifications to codes and guidelines. The most substantial revisions are observed in evaluation and management (E/M) codes, spine-related procedures such […]
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Beware: Proportion of Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries is Shrinking

The volume of Medicare beneficiaries has been slowing growing while the distribution of Medicare plans is quickly changing. Medicare provides federal healthcare coverage for Americans 65 or older, or anyone with end-stage renal disease, regardless of age, as well as certain people with disabilities under the age of 65 who often also have Medicaid benefits […]