The 2016 OPPS final rule includes the first negative payment update for the system, but CMS also listened to commenters' suggestions to make a variety of proposals less onerous either operationally or financially.
CMS finalized its proposals regarding the 2-midnight rule, including moving responsibility for rule enforcement and education from Recovery Auditors to Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO). This latter change occurred October 1, 2015.
Outpatient coding and billing errors lead to more than half of all automated denials by Recovery Auditors, according to the latest RACTrac survey from the American Hospital Association (AHA).
This week’s note from the instructor is written by Debbie Mackaman, RHIA, CPCO, CCDS, regulatory specialist for HCPro and is about changes in using the modifier –CT.
Physicians are constantly reminded that healthcare is undergoing significant change. October 2015 marked one more landmark change: the shift to ICD-10. Many physicians have worried about the transition and likely dreaded the loss of familiar terms, efficiency, or income. How can coders, HIM professionals, or clinical documentation improvement (CDI) specialists engage with physicians to help them now that ICD-10 has been implemented? Let's explore some strategies.
