HIM’s role in eliminating LGBT health disparities

May 3, 2017
HIM Briefings

Overcoming barriers to care for LGBT individuals can require a culture shift at an organization, but it can be as simple as adding additional options to forms. It’s up to organizations to close the gap, and HIM plays a central role in identifying barriers, implementing change, and fostering a culturally competent environment.

CDI best practices for E/M leveling

May 10, 2017
HIM Briefings

Regulatory compliance reforms have forced CMS to set the bar high for meeting evaluation and management (E/M) standards. This is especially true for clinical documentation improvement (CDI) performance for coding and billing level four and five patient visits in outpatient settings.

Compliance with provider-based department regulations

May 17, 2017
HIM Briefings

Reimbursement for provider-based departments (PBD) can be complex, and regulations affecting it have changed frequently over the past year. Section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, the 2017 outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) final rule, and the 21st Century Cures Act changed the payment methodology and made multiple adjustments to the definition of excepted (on-campus or grandfathered off-campus) and non-excepted (off-campus) PBDs. Hospitals must know the regulations inside and out and understand how they apply to their PBDs and to avoid denials or noncompliance.

RACs moving forward: Year of uncertainty is over

May 24, 2017
HIM Briefings

When it comes to dealing with Medicare Recovery Auditors (RACs), there is never a dull moment for HIM professionals. Any shift in the RAC program quickly emerges as front-page news for HIM leaders.

HIM Briefings Q&A

May 31, 2017
HIM Briefings

This month's Q&A answers our readers' HIPAA questions on returning insurance cards, making appointments for family members, and email encryption.

Master renal definitions in MACRA, MIPS, and bundled payment

May 31, 2017
HIM Briefings

Kidney disease is a challenging component to inpatient and outpatient care, incurring significant costs and negative outcomes. CMS and other agencies that measure our quality and cost efficiency use ICD-10-CM codes based on provider documentation and billing to ascertain that a patient has a designated kidney anatomic or functional illness in their risk-adjustment methodologies.