Our experts answer questions about billing vasectomy and sperm analysis, coding for ED visit when the patient is admitted for surgery, billing glucose reading before a PET scan, documentation required for the functional limitation codes, and appropriate reporting of observation.
The 2014 OPPS proposed rule is shorter than normal at 718 pages, but the proposed changes are significant and probably the most sweeping changes since the inception of OPPS, says Jugna Shah, MPH, president and founder of Nimitt Consulting.
Quality of care is a top priority for HHS, CMS, OIG, and DOJ. It also has always been an issue for state surveyors, state attorneys general, and Medicaid Fraud Control Units as they examine skilled nursing facilities. In fact, quality of care is now part of the OIG's annual Work Plan.
Managing coders is challenging enough when you work with them face to face. Manage them when they are off-site, though, and you've got a whole new set of challenges. You may rarely have the chance to shake their hand, see them smile, or read their body language in meetings. Are they productive? Are they happy? If you can't reach them, do you know what's going on?
