This week’s updates include revisions to State Operations Manual (SOM), Appendix A -Survey Protocol, Regulations and Interpretive Guidelines for Hospitals; Claim Status Category and Claim Status Codes update; and more!
As the year rolls to a close and you start to look forward to 2016, it's time to step back, look at your program, and set some goals for next year. Karen Zander, RN, MS, CMAC, FAAN, principal and co-owner of The Center for Case Management in Wellesley, Massachusetts, says it's always a good idea for case managers to stick to tried and true best practices that have been proven effective over time.
CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) released final rules October 6 with the intention of simplifying EHR requirements and allowing providers and consumers to exchange health information with greater flexibility. This includes the final rule with comment period for the EHR incentive programs and final rule for the 2015 edition health IT certification criteria.
Regulations adopted in October 2013 allow hospitals to bill Part B for inpatient cases that are internally reviewed and "self-denied" within one year of the date of service. But utilization review staff are unsure when to use the old condition code 44 process and when to opt for the new process using condition code W2. Operationalizing these rules can prove to be challenging, causing recoding, rebilling, and expensive slowdowns in the revenue cycle.
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.
