Creating and using performance standards benefits HIM directors and the many functions they oversee. But with such a wide range of tasks falling under the HIM umbrella, it can be challenging to set practical standards that yield meaningful results. Follow these tips to get the most of out of your department’s standards.
CMS recently clarified the use of modifier -KX (requirements specified in the medical policy have been met) in response to an Office of Inspector General report that identified conflicting guidance that resulted in $4.6 million in improper payments.
Correct, complete documentation is the foundation of a sound medical record and compliant reimbursement, but getting that foundation in place can be challenging. Clinicians are juggling critical tasks in a high-stress situation, and administrative burden of electronic documentation and the disconnect that results from spending more time looking at a screen than a patient are often cited as the primary factors in physician burnout. Enter the medical scribe.
CMS recently released MLN Matters SE18001 to provide healthcare practitioners with instructions and coding guidance for specimen validity when performed and billed in combination with drug testing. The article was issued to remind laboratories and other providers performing urine drug testing that specimen validity testing (SVT) is not separately billable.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), it is estimated that more than half a million people in the U.S. have Crohn’s disease. For unknown reasons, the disease has become more widespread in both the U.S. and other parts of the world.
A coding audit may be conducted by internal staff or external entities, typically representing the insurers paying for the care. When planning to implement a coding auditing program, the type of reviews, focus areas, and review frequency must all be taken into consideration.
