Medicare payment systems undergo many updates at the beginning of the new year. In the January 2024 update to the ASC Payment System, there are new HCPCS Level II codes for the following ambulatory surgical centers, dentist offices, and durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers: Payments can be passed through covered devices Radiation therapy guided by […]
The American Medical Association (AMA) has made significant updates to the 2024 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set. These changes aim to address language barriers and streamline coding for COVID-19 immunizations. One notable update is the addition of Spanish descriptors to the CPT code set, allowing for better communication and understanding of medical services. This […]
Part IV in this series discusses expanding HIM’s visibility and enhancing organizational processes via authorization denial management. In my prior article, I discussed the value of payer policy management, and mentioned that “no authorization” denials represent 10-15 percent of all denials. This focused denial category presents another opportunity for health information management (HIM) professionals. HIM […]
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 […]
Every business not only wants to attract new customers but to keep its existing ones, and hospitals and health systems are no different. Unfortunately, surprise medical bills can be the element that drives patients away from one hospital and into the waiting arms of the competition. New research published this month in Health Affairs provides hospitals with […]
“Separate procedure” may not mean what you think. Many procedural codes in the CPT® Book are designated as “separate procedures.” However, the common misinterpretation of this is that coders can report such codes as such in every case. Not true. First, you must consider: Were there other procedures performed during the same encounter? Did you […]