Tag: Medicare

Authorization Denials

Stop Authorization Denials in Tracks

Getting bogged down by authorization denials? You’re not alone. Here, we explore common roadblocks and effective strategies to keep your revenue flowing smoothly. Challenge: Drowning in Last-Minute Authorizations Solution: Divide and Conquer with a Multi-Team Approach Separate teams can tackle present and future authorizations. The “Today” team verifies benefits and identifies authorization needs for upcoming […]
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Medicare-Outpatient-Payment-Updates-for-CY-2023

Medicare Outpatient Payment Updates for CY 2023

The proposed outpatient payment updates for 2023, including the 2.7 percent reimbursement increase, do not reflect the inflationary environment in which hospitals are operating. When commenting on the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule for calendar year (CY) 2023, the American Hospital Association (AHA) supported […]
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how-5-steps-transforming-patient-access-saved-20m

How 5 Steps For Transforming Patient Access Saved $20M

  ‘If you can get it right up front, you’re ensuring accuracy, preventing rework, and preventing denials,’ says Alicia Auman, director of patient access at KSB Hospital. Patient access plays a tremendously important role within the revenue cycle, which is why Alicia Auman, director of patient access at KSB Hospital in Dixon, Illinois, has worked […]
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unitedhealthcare-loses-medicare-advantage-overpayment-suit.

UnitedHealthcare loses Medicare Advantage overpayment suit

Dive Brief: A federal appeals court has ruled against UnitedHealthcare, the biggest private payer in the U.S., and reversed a 2018 decision overturning Medicare’s overpayment rule requiring insurers to refund reimbursement to CMS within 60 days if they learn a diagnosis lacks medical record support. UnitedHealthcare argued in court in November the overpayment rule was […]
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Telehealth Reimbursement Changes

Telehealth Reimbursement May Be Changing. How Should Providers Prepare?

The future potential of telehealth hinges on how it’s reimbursed. Virtual care may be popular among patients, but if providers can’t get paid for their services, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to continue to provide them. The government has signaled its support for reimbursing some telehealth services, at least in the short term. The Centers […]
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Medicare Reimbursement or Telehealth

CMS Provides Medicare Reimbursement for More Telehealth During PHE

CMS recently added 11 new services to the Medicare telehealth services list, qualifying the services for Medicare reimbursement through the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The new telehealth services cover some cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services, as well as certain neurostimulator analysis and programming services. The additions to the Medicare telehealth list were made in […]
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Patient Collection Tips

Nine Tips for Collecting Patient Balances

Practices have been creative during COVID-19 to ensure safe patient access: Telephone visits. Curbside immunizations. Drive-up virus testing. Even checking patients in for their in-office visits while they wait in the car. However, each of these scenarios poses one significant challenge: Collecting copayments and coinsurance. “With COVID-19, you’ve got to find ways to meaningfully engage […]
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FESS Codes

Check Your FESS Codes Claims for Improper Payment Adjustments

MACs may be applying the multiple endoscopy rules incorrectly. In the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the proposal to apply the special rule for multiple endoscopic procedures to the family of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) codes. Practices are now getting remittance advice […]
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New-Patient-EM-Denials

New Patient E/M Denials: Mystery Solved

New patient evaluation and management (E/M) claims are being denied when the patient was previously seen by a specialty physician assistant or specialty nurse practitioner on staff. This is happening when another provider of a different specialty in the same multi-specialty group sees the patient for the first time and bills a new patient E/M […]
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