CMS issued SE1609 to clarify long-standing policy concerning external infusion pumps. Apparently, both freestanding physician offices and outpatient hospital departments were treating external pumps as an item of durable medical equipment, even when the physician or hospital department set up the pump on the patient, supplied the drug, and programmed the infusion rate and dose into the pump.
Kidney disease is a challenging component to inpatient and outpatient care, incurring significant costs and negative outcomes. CMS and other agencies that measure our quality and cost efficiency use ICD-10-CM codes based on provider documentation and billing to ascertain that a patient has a designated kidney anatomic or functional illness in their risk-adjustment methodologies.
This week’s Medicare updates include National Coverage Analysis for Supervised Exercise Therapy for Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease; ICD-10 coding revisions to National Coverage Determinations; the July 2017 OPPS quarterly update; and more!
