Physicians can now offer more services via telehealth and get paid. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is adding 11 codes to the list of telehealth services payable under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Coverage is retroactive to March 1, 2020, and is effective for the duration of the public health emergency (PHE) for […]
The American Medical Association updated its Current Procedural Terminology set to include updates to coding for tests that detect influenza and COVID-19. The two new codes, per the AMA’s CPT editorial panel, are: 87636: “Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) and influenza virus types A […]
One of the codes, CPT Code 99072, is for reporting additional supplies used to mitigate spread of the virus. The American Medical Association (AMA) announced, Sept. 8, two new Category I CPT® codes to meet the changing needs of the healthcare industry brought about by the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The codes were approved […]
Providers need a mechanism to be accurately reimbursed for the time and effort that they expend in providing care. Evaluation and Management (E/M) leveling has been the standard method in which to provide appropriate, defensible payments for services. However, it has been successfully argued that the 1995 and 1997 E/M guidelines in place today are […]
A work group put together by the American Medical Association (AMA) that also represents the AMA’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel and the AMA/Specialty Society RVS Update Committee (RUC) has put together revisions to office and outpatient evaluation management (E&M). These will take effect on January 1, 2021. So how will this affect dermatologists? Well, […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about robust changes to the traditional practice of healthcare in the United States. In a time of social distancing and widespread quarantining, regulatory bodies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), have adapted to the current environment. The most critical goal was to allow healthcare providers to […]
Coders should also take note of the new HCPCS Level II codes CMS is considering. CMS released the calendar year (CY) 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) on August 3, introducing 39 new CPT codes, mainly for cardiovascular services. If finalized, the new codes will go into effect January 1, 2021. The proposed update includes five new codes for […]
The American Medical Association (AMA) has recently expanded its Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set to include four additional codes for coronavirus testing. These new codes facilitate providers in reporting a wider range of laboratory tests for the novel coronavirus on medical claims. The newly introduced CPT codes are as follows: •86408: SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody […]
The documents released earlier this month offer details on 42 eCQMs for telehealth services during the 2020 performance period and 39 eCQMs for telehealth services during the 2021 performance period. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released additional details on telehealth reimbursement through quality reporting programs for the 2020 and 2021 performance […]
Become a coding superhero with X-ray vision. When is imaging separately reported, and how? The relative value units (RVUs) for some codes include the provider’s use of imaging to accurately visualize the specimen or problem the code is meant to address. The most notable changes with regards to radiology for 2020 can be found […]