The healthcare industry continues to face significant challenges, driven by value-based care initiatives, evolving payer models, and increasingly stringent regulations. To optimize revenue cycle management and ensure financial sustainability, healthcare providers must adapt to these changes . The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, leading to historically low margins and high costs, particularly in labor. Simultaneously, […]
Often, a seemingly routine preventive visit or minor surgery can take an unexpected turn when a patient mentions a new concern, such as “Oh, by the way…” If a physician provides additional care beyond the originally scheduled service, you may be able to bill for a separate evaluation and management (E/M) service using modifier 25. […]
Claim denials are a common challenge for healthcare organizations, often leading to significant revenue loss. While it’s impossible to eliminate denials entirely, proactive Claim denial management can significantly reduce their impact. Industry standards for claim denials are lacking, making it difficult to track and analyze denial trends. Each payer has its own unique policies and […]
The growing U.S. wound care market, fueled by an aging population and rising rates of chronic conditions, presents significant opportunities for healthcare providers. Accurate debridement coding is essential to maximize reimbursement and optimize patient care. Pressure injuries alone affect around 2.5 million Americans each year, leading to more than 60,000 deaths and costing between $9.1 […]
When you bill for distinct, separate procedures, it’s crucial to know which modifiers will ensure full payment for each service. Modifier 59, “Distinct Procedural Service,” acts as a universal tool to unbundle procedures that are typically included in a larger procedure or “bundled” together. This modifier signals to the payer that specific circumstances justify separate […]
With over 67 million Americans—nearly 20% of the population—relying on Medicare, the program plays a crucial role in ensuring access to quality healthcare. Unfortunately, looming Medicare physician reimbursement cuts threaten to undermine this vital service, potentially leading to reduced access to care and compromised patient outcomes Medicare physician reimbursement cuts, such as the proposed 2.8% […]
The medical billing industry, while complex and often mired in regulatory hurdles, is experiencing a period of growth and transformation. A recent survey conducted by healthcare software company, a digital health operating system company, revealed that 65% of medical billing companies hold a positive outlook on the industry’s future. This optimism is fueled by several […]
Healthcare providers face a daunting task in managing the complexity of revenue cycle management (RCM) in today’s healthcare environment. One of the key benefits of outsourcing RCM is that it can significantly reduce these administrative burdens. The administrative burdens faced by healthcare organizations often rise as regulations, reimbursement models, and patient expectations change. As a […]
Healthcare fraud in medical coding, particularly through practices like upcoding and unbundling, has become a major concern for medical coding and billing professionals. A recent healthcare market research survey found that 90% of respondents view upcoding as a significant ethical challenge Upcoding involves assigning higher-level codes to medical services than are warranted, leading to inflated […]
Health care in the United States is constantly changing, with new regulations and policies being developed to improve patient outcomes, increase access to care, and reduce costs. Impact of Healthcare Reform on RCM, keeping up with these changes is essential for Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) professionals. New regulations can impact everything from billing and coding […]