Financial indicators, staffing, and leadership are three key factors emergency departments should prioritize for effective revenue cycle management during the COVID-19 crisis. At the start of the year, emergency departments (EDs) across the country began to prepare for an expected surge of patients infected with COVID-19, altering revenue cycle management and operational strategies. By March, […]
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to send more Utah residents to hospitals. Given the rise in hospital visits, addressing the need for cost transparency and clarity for patients has become more urgent than ever. Surprise Medical bills, a familiar issue, is receiving even more attention and press coverage during this unprecedented time. In a 2019 Kaiser […]
In unprecedented crisis of COVID-19, the first instinct is to triage our activities, often weeding out the ones that seem to be the least important. Some of those will never surface again and just become part of the detritus left behind. Tucked into the recent CARES Act, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act […]
The healthcare system is facing an unprecedented crisis, but accurate COVID-19 coding and billing can help providers weather the storm and prepare for future outbreaks. The COVID-19 pandemic is putting strain on the healthcare system, but accurately capturing data and documenting cases of the novel coronavirus can help ease the burden on providers. COVID-19 coding […]
Reimbursement details have not yet been established. The American Medical Association (AMA) CPT® Editorial Panel has made adjustments to one code and introduced two new codes to enhance the specificity of serology laboratory testing. These codes, released on April 10, are immediately applicable. Reimbursement arrangements for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are […]
The President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on Friday, March 27, formalizing a piece of legislation meant to support and stimulate the economy in the midst of the global pandemic, to the tune of over $2 trillion. This article will address provisions of the CARES Act that will assist healthcare […]
Prior authorizations, or prior approvals, are strategies that payers use to control costs and ensure their members only receive medically necessary care. The cost-control process requires providers to acquire advance approval from payers before delivering specific services or items for a patient. Payers are increasingly using prior authorizations to lower their costs and improve care […]
In addition to patient billing and policy, healthcare M&A and workforce diversity will also be major trends going into the new year, according to PwC’s Health Research Institute. Patient billing, policy and regulation, healthcare mergers and acquisitions, and workforce diversity will be some of the top priorities for provider organizations in 2020, predicted researchers at PwC’s Health […]
Now is the time to begin preparing for the new code set. It is good to be back to talk about ICD-11. Yes, it’s a reality now, and all providers can start to get prepared for this significant new ICD-11 coding system. ICD-11 has been years in the making, and it is a result of […]
88% of providers are eager to implement clinical document improvement technology that leverages AI, and 93% believe the systems can streamline document creation. Forty-four percent of healthcare organizations already use artificial intelligence (AI) in one form or another, and more hospitals are looking to apply the technology to coding and clinical documentation improvement, a recent […]