Tag: Allzone Management Services

Low Reimbursement Rates Lead to Rural Hospital Closures

Low Reimbursement Rates Lead to Rural Hospital Closures

Low reimbursement rates, staffing shortages, low patient volumes, and regulatory barriers are some of the root causes of rural hospital closures, the American Hospital Association (AHA) explains in a new report. The report “Rural Hospital Closures Threaten Access: Solutions to Preserve Care in Local Communities” highlights the variety of causes behind rural hospital closures, which […]
2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on Unsustainable Cuts

2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on Unsustainable Cuts

Lower Medicare payments to physicians will lead to patient care by reducing access to services, according to medical groups commenting on the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). In July, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2023 proposed rule and physician groups have been responding, including with detailed comments published […]
Physician Practice Costs Grew 20% Per Claim

Physician Practice Costs Grew 20% Per Claim

Following a private equity acquisition, physician practices saw a 20.2 percent increase in charges per claim, an 11 percent raise in the allowed amount per claim, and a 37.9 percent increase in new patient visits. Private equity acquisition of physician practices in dermatology, gastroenterology, and ophthalmology was associated with increased healthcare spending and utilization, according […]
Prior Authorization Reform in Medicare Advantage

Prior Authorization Reform in Medicare Advantage

Prior Authorization reform in Medicare Advantage would help relieve administrative burden for medical groups and reduce patient care delays, MGMA said. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has urged CMS to implement policies that support prior authorization reform and value-based care contracts within the Medicare Advantage program. MGMA submitted comments to CMS Administrator in response […]
New E/M Billing Guidelines for Unreimbursed Services

New E/M Billing Guidelines for Unreimbursed Services

Recent changes to evaluation and management (E/M) billing guidelines that allow physicians to bill for previously unreimbursed services are producing higher revenues for longer patient visits, according to results of a new study. The study in JAMA Network Open looks at the financial impact of CMS’s 2021 expansion of its time-based billing guidelines to include […]
23 New PLA Codes in Q3 of the CY 2022

23 New PLA Codes in Q3 of the CY 2022

A quarterly update to the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS), issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Aug. 11, includes 23 new CPT® codes for proprietary laboratory analyses (PLA) tests. Medical coding and billing staff processing claims for lab testing should be aware of these code changes that are effective Oct. […]
Value-Based Payment makes up 6.7% of Primary Care Revenue

Value-Based Payment makes up 6.7% of Primary Care Revenue

Value-based payment is severely lacking as a percentage of total medical revenue across practices as providers face scheduling and billing challenges. The transition to value-based payment is moving at a snail’s pace despite healthcare’s long journey with the transition away from fee-for-service, new survey data indicates. Value-based payment made up just 6.74 percent of total […]
Updated Booster Codes for COVID-19 Vaccine Released

Updated Booster Codes for COVID-19 Vaccine Released

Age determines who qualifies for the bivalent formulations from Pfizer and Moderna. On Aug. 31, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to include updated booster bivalent formulations. These latest formulations include messenger RNA components to help build immunity against both […]
ICD-10 Codes for Work-Related Injuries 2022

ICD-10 Codes for Work-Related Injuries 2022

‘Good labors are the great resource for the company’ Here are the ICD-10 CM codes for general injuries in the workplace.   ICD-10-CM – Z77. 29: Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments Z77.29 is a specific/billable code for Exposure to Harmful Substances that is used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. W22. 8XXA – Moving […]