Despite the strain placed on physicians by the COVID-19 pandemic, insurers continued to impose prior authorization requirements which delayed care and hurt some patients. According to a news release from the American Medical Association (AMA), a new survey showed that nearly 70 percent of the 1,000 respondents showed that health insurers had either reverted to prior authorization […]
With a VR headset, live joint images can be recorded, filmed, and recorded continuously as the patient moves, monitoring the motion range. Since points are taken in 3-D space, the incorporation of live imagery and measurement provides more precision, accuracy, and freedom of movement since there are no device constraints. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented […]
A long-awaited and controversial final rule on healthcare price transparency was released Thursday by the federal government. The rule, mandated under a June 2019 executive order by President Donald Trump, requires private group health plans and individual health insurance market plans to disclose pricing and cost-sharing information in a consumer-friendly format. The mandate, which takes effect on January […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about robust changes to the traditional practice of healthcare in the United States. In a time of social distancing and widespread quarantining, regulatory bodies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), have adapted to the current environment. The most critical goal was to allow healthcare providers to […]
Patients experienced out-of-pocket increases as high as 12% for their healthcare costs last year, according to a new analysis by TransUnion Healthcare. Technology experts have promised artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will revolutionize healthcare. Applications have the potential to streamline workflows and reduce human errors, speeding drug discovery, assisting surgery, and provisioning better […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) takes effect on Oct. 1. When the reform takes effect, long-term post-acute care (LTPAC) facilities will see a big change in how they receive payment for delivering valuable patient care. While the payment reform will inevitably bring challenges, it will also present a significant […]
A new collaboration between the AMA and UnitedHealthcare will work to address the social and environmental factors that affect patients’ health by standardizing data collection on their social determinants of health (SDOH) to help address individuals’ unique needs that often go unmet. The two organizations are supporting the creation of 23 new ICD-10 codes related […]
Undercoding, or reporting a lesser service than was performed and documented, is sometimes employed as a defensive strategy to stave off claims denials or audits. But, undercoding can make a provider an outlier, and may create consequential patient care, compliance, and financial liabilities. For example: Undercoding Leaves Money On The Table, Driving Down Provider […]
Understanding the correct use of chronic condition codes in the coding process. Unexpected and inaccurate medical bills can be alarming and shocking. Coders are often confused regarding when they should code co-morbid chronic conditions and when they should not. This leads to inaccurate coding of levels, or sometimes missing out on the opportunity of […]