In response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency, CMS has expanded patient access to telehealth services, allowing beneficiaries to receive a wide range of services without having to visit a healthcare facility.
The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) is a rich source of data. Consider how to use the PEPPER to guide coding and CDI process improvements.
CMS recently issued a major update to frequently asked questions (FAQ) on COVID-19 fee-for-service billing issues. The bulk of the new FAQs concerns hospitals and the ability to invoke various waivers in order to deliver services to patients in their homes using telecommunications technologies.
Physicians and facilities use the same codes to report E/M levels for ED services, but follow different rules. Outpatient coders must be able to assign E/M codes for both physicians’ work and resources utilized by the facility during emergency visits.
Unintentional billing errors can occur even in the most vigilant organization. A comprehensive audit program can help detect these issues. Learn how to develop different types of audits to find and address errors.
