Tag: Medical billing and coding

95165-CPT-Coding-Conundrums

CPT® 95165 Coding Conundrums

Three tips are all you need to correctly bill allergen immunotherapy, single or multiple antigens. Allergy services, such as those reported with CPT® 95165 Professional services for the supervision of preparation and provision of antigens for allergen immunotherapy, single or multiple antigens (specify number of doses), remain on the radar of third-party payer investigation units […]
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rules-for-skin-excision-coding

Medical Coding Uncertain Lesion Excisions With Certainty

  What to do when the pathology doesn’t correlate to the service provided. The rules for cutaneous (skin) excision coding are straightforward: When the pathology for a lesion is benign, code for excision of benign lesion, 11400-11446; and when the pathology for a lesion is malignant, code for excision of malignant lesion, 11600-11646. But in […]
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How to avoid medical necessity denials

How to avoid medical necessity denials and ensure timely payment. Sick visit on the same day as an annual wellness visit (AWV) Reason for denial: Lack of clear clinical documentation regarding why the physician had to go above and beyond what is normally addressed during an AWV. How to avoid it:“I often tell doctors to […]
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No Surprises Act Implementation

FAQ on No Surprises Act Implementation and Requirements

CMS Releases FAQ for No Surprises Act Implementation, Requirements The No Surprises Act FAQ states that balance billing protections do not apply to individuals with public healthcare coverage and notice and consent forms must be provided and received in written format. June 28, 2022 – CMS has released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the No […]
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13 recent CMS actions

CMS recently released new data on hospital changes of ownership, a health equity plan and said it would end a legal battle with Texas over Medicaid. Becker’s has reported on the following 13 CMS moves since April 8. Finance No hospitals received price transparency notices in April, CMS says CMS issued no additional warning notices […]
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Preventive Medicine Versus E&M Codes

Choosing a proper office visit code can become confusing unless one understands the rules separating preventive medicine and evaluation and management (E&M) coding. Problem-oriented E&M services, office, and other outpatient visit codes 99202-99215 (along with hospital, observation, and consultative encounters) are for patients who present with signs, symptoms, conditions, diagnoses and/or problems that need to […]
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Don’t Overlook These New PLA Codes

A quarterly update for the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS), issued May 4, includes nine new CPT® codes for proprietary laboratory analyses (PLAs). Medical coding and billing staff that process claims for lab testing should be aware of these codes and pricing. 9 New PLA Codes The following PLA (type of service 5) codes are […]
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How to Build ICD-10-PCS Codes From Op Reports

Arrive at the correct procedure code by breaking down the operative report. Even seasoned coding professionals occasionally find it challenging to assign the appropriate ICD-10-PCS codes from the operative report. Mastering the procedural coding system used in the inpatient hospital setting takes practice. Medical coders reporting inpatient services should start by reading the operative report, […]
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Preventing coding and billing errors can reduce claims denials

For primary care practices, earning enough revenue to meet overhead expenses and provide quality care has always been a challenge. But practices often make the challenge even greater through sloppy coding and billing, leading to delayed or incorrect reimbursements from payers. To see the entire video presentation, go here. INTRODUCTION For primary care practices, earning […]
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4 Ways to improve claims efficiency for rural providers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) subsidizes healthcare in defined rural environments, paying encounter rates for provided services provided and the overhead required to provide them. However, it’s not free money. Rural health clinic (RHC) leaders must keep track of the services provided and submit yearly totals. They also must submit and process […]
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