This week’s Medicare updates include a transmittal implementing the new skilled nursing facility payment model, the introduction of a new app displaying Medicare coverage information, a transmittal about updates to provider enrollment policies, and more!
In 2018, most organizations held the line on coder productivity, according to the results of sister publication HIM Briefings’ 2018 coding productivity survey.
Pay close attention to new CPT documentation and coding guidance for reporting radiological imaging. For example, a new paragraph titled “Imaging Guidance” in both the surgery and medicine guidelines advises that even when imaging guidance or supervision are included in a surgical procedure code, you must still follow the radiology documentation requirements in the CPT manual.
Modifier -JW is used to describe drug amounts that are discarded and not administered to any patient. This does not reduce the payment for the drugs, so this is an informational modifier, but it is a mandatory modifier.
Mandatory participation in Medicare bundled payment programs may yield better results, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released January 22.
