Medical Coding Updates and Insights Unveiled Effective April 1, 2022, the HCPCS Level II code set, which is employed to record medical services and provisions, will encompass the integration of 37 novel codes. Furthermore, the second quarter revision encompasses the elimination of five codes and a refinement of the description for one modifier. Lay Terms […]
Medicare Advantage plans expanded their supplemental benefits offerings in 2022, with more health plans offering special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill (SSBCI), according to an issue brief commissioned by Better Medicare Alliance. Medicare beneficiaries typically join Medicare Advantage plans because of the array of supplemental benefits that the program offers in addition to traditional […]
Dodge denials for drug testing by knowing which details demand attention. How often do you experience denials when it comes to your definitive drug testing? If the answer is often, this article may provide some answers to why that might be happening. Many payer policies have very clear guidelines, both medical and reimbursement, that dictate […]
FAQs for CPT Changes in 2022 – AAPC’s senior VP of products answers frequently asked questions about new, revised, and deleted CPT® codes for 2022. This month, I will answer questions asked during my Nov. 23, 2021, webinar 2022 CPT® Coding Updates. This webinar shed light on CPT® code updates, why codes were updated, how […]
On Wednesday, February 23, 2022, a federal court in Texas struck down five controversial portions of the interim final rule (“Rule”) jointly issued by three federal executive agencies (“Departments”) that implement the independent dispute resolution (“IDR”) process of the No Surprises Act (“NSA”). The portions of the Rule at issue set forth certain parameters […]
Validating the shift to higher office visit levels and the impact of the 2021 E&M guidelines. Between 2019 and the end of 2021, a lot changed. Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the way in which physicians and hospitals saw patients, but the introduction of the new 2021 Evaluation and Management (E&M) guidelines was […]
The third batch of Phase 4 COVID-19 Provider Relief Funds will offer $560 million to 4,100 providers who faced revenue loss during the pandemic and serve vulnerable populations. HHS is distributing another $560 million in Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments to over 4,100 healthcare providers that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Provider […]
National healthcare spending increased by 3.4 percent in 2021, while the Health Care Price Index (HCPI) maintained a year-over-year growth of around 2 percent, according to Altarum’s February 2022 Health Sector Economic Indicators (HSEI) briefs. Unlike the December 2021 and January 2022 briefs, Altarum included federal government expenditures in the February data, which significantly impacted […]
It’s a well-known fact that the U.S. healthcare system is the most expensive in the world. What may not commonly be as understood is that between 15 to 25 percent of total health care expenditures in the U.S. are attributable to administrative costs, and most of those costs are related to billing activities. With many […]
On Feb. 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) released ICD-11 2022. This is the official version of the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding set that WHO member countries will be implementing worldwide. In fact, according to the WHO release announcement, 35 countries are already using ICD-11. The WHO began developing […]