Pain management during the global period of a procedure, if related to that procedure, is not separately reportable. If a provider other than the operating provider performs follow-up care, you must be careful to avoid “unbundling” of that follow-up care. The global period, or global surgical package, bundles all care typically related to surgical service into a […]
CMS has released the inpatient psychiatric facility proposed rule. Approximately $75million is projected to be paid to inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF), according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed 2020 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) released on April 19. IPF-PPS applies to inpatient services for psychiatric hospitals and distinct psychiatric units of […]
This year’s reporting for the Quality Payment Program will affect the 2021 payment year. Kevin J. Corcoran, COE, CPC, CPMA, FNAO, delivered his annual update at Hawaiian Eye 2019, highlighting changes CMS would be making this year for coding, payment issues, regulatory matters, administrative issues and reimbursement issues. The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule did not […]
Moderate sedation coding, also sometimes referred to as conscious sedation, is a drug-induced depression of consciousness. A patient who has been sedated in this way is relaxed and generally insensitive to pain, but remains awake and able to respond to verbal instruction. If medically necessary and properly documented, moderate sedation is a separately reported service. […]
Suggestions for conducting peer-to-peer appeals for denials management. Claims Automation has been a part of the workers’ compensation and auto casualty industries for years, but today, a large opportunity still remains to increase in the claims automation process. The future of automation in the Property and Casualty industry is not to replace jobs but instead […]
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a serious health condition affecting millions of people worldwide. In the United States alone, 15% of adults, or approximately 37 million people, suffer from CKD. This condition, often insidious in its onset, can lead to severe complications and significantly impact quality of life. Key Facts about CKD: Prevalence: More common […]
Preview of CPT® Code Changes for 2020 and 2021 The CPT® Editorial Panel’s February 2019 meeting introduced several key updates set to take effect in CPT 2020 and 2021, including significant revisions, deletions, and additions across multiple specialties. Major Changes for CPT 2021 The most notable update is the revision of office and outpatient E/M […]
The importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medical Coding is often understated and also overstating the same is quite difficult.. to get in-depth with how AI is actually bringing changes in MCA, we must get to the basics of what Medical Billing and Coding really are. Medical Coding Medical coding, if we talk about it […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a policy change modification to the claims processing logic for Modifier 59 Distinct procedural service (and the optional patient-relationship modifiers XE, XS, XP, and XU) on February 15, 2019. These modifiers are only processed when applied to the Column 2 code in a bundled pair, per Correct Coding Initiative […]
Controversy continues to swirl around this subject. A recent article of mine focused on the argument that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have to follow the two-midnight rule. It certainly generated buzz; I received a number of emails with comments and questions. First, I want to note that I love getting comments and questions. I can’t […]