Tag: HCPCS Codes

many-final-ipps-rules-are-released

Many Final IPPS Rules Are Released

While much attention has been focused on the release of the IPPS Final Rule, other final rules might have gone unnoticed. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) were very busy the first week of August, with the release of final rules for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), hospices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), and inpatient […]
prolonged-services-in-cpt-versus-medicare-allzone

Prolonged Services in CPT versus Medicare

The code 99417 is invalid for Medicare and MA reimbursement. When the CPT® Guidelines were updated for 2021, one of the options for leveling an office or other outpatient evaluation and management (E&M) service was to use time as the leveling agent. The time thresholds for each E&M office visit were also changed from “typical” […]
cms-updates-medicare-part-b-drug-prices

CMS Updates Medicare Part B Drug Prices

Retroactive code pricing updates may require claims lookback. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted a retroactive update to the April Average Sales Price (ASP) pricing file for three Medicare Part B drugs. Also now available are the July ASP and Not Otherwise Classified (NOC) pricing files and the ASP NDC HCPCS […]
2021 MPFS Payment Rates

CMS Recalculates Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rates for 2021

  CMS has updated Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rates for 2021 after a COVID-19 stimulus package mitigated budget neutrality cuts finalized in a December rule. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 passed by Congress on Dec. 21, 2020, enacted a 3.75 percent increase in Physician Fee Schedule payments for all providers in 2021 to “support physicians and other professionals in adjusting […]
2021 Evaluation & Management Code Changes

A Glance at 2021 Evaluation and Management Changes

The evaluation and management (E/M) changes for calendar year 2021 are the result of a collaborative effort between the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS first addressed the changes in the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, in which CMS indicated that it planned on adopting […]
Medicare Reimbursement rate for COVID-19 Testing

CMS Reduces Medicare Reimbursement Rate for Some COVID-19 Tests

The base Medicare reimbursement rate for COVID-19 tests using high throughput technology will decrease to $75 next year unless labs can process results in 2 days or less. CMS will reduce the base Medicare reimbursement rate for COVID-19 tests done by laboratories using high throughput technology, according to a new announcement. The announcement made late last […]
2021 Telehealth Reimbursement

CMS Outlines Telehealth Reimbursement for 2020-21 eCQM Programs

  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 […]
COVID-19 Coding

CMS Releases Medicare Payment Rates for COVID-19 Test CPT Codes

Medicare payment rates for CPT codes 87635, 86769, and 86328 range from $42.13 to $51.31, CMS recently announced. CMS recently revealed how much it will pay for new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes developed by the American Medical Association (AMA) for COVID-19 diagnostic tests. The guidance previously detailed Medicare payment rates for Healthcare Common Procedure […]