This week's note digs into the details of how healthcare providers should manage the transition to the new Medicare cards, which is slated to begin in April 2018.
Q. We acquired a home health agency and now employ home health nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, etc. Can we permit workforce members to use their personal cell phones to communicate with patients? Is there a HIPAA-compliant means of doing so for calls, email, and text messages?
This week’s Medicare updates include the April 2018 quarterly update files for drug pricing, DMEPOS, and ambulatory surgical centers; a prolonged comment period for an NCA on a type of cancer treatment; an announcement of a new technological initiative for Medicare beneficiaries; and more!
Changes to HCPCS and CPT® codes, drug and biological payments, and a new separately payable procedure code are coming in April. The transmittal announcing the updates also includes clarification on the application of the modifier –FY payment reduction.
Coding and documentation can make or break providers’ success under the Quality Payment Program. An examination of specific measures reveals coding and documentation areas to focus on.
