CMS added modifier -AO (provider declined alt payment method) and new HCPCS codes to the I/OCE as part of the October 2013 quarterly update found in Transmittal 2763.
Despite its apparently straightforward definition in the CPT® Manual, modifier -59 (distinct procedural service) can be deceptively difficult to append properly.
HIM directors are responsible for the integrity of patients' records-even when a hospital shuts down certain wings of the facility or closes its doors entirely.
Eleven years ago, when hospitals and other healthcare facilities were on the cusp of the new HIPAA Privacy Rule, Kathleen A. Frawley, JD, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA, spoke words that were prophetic.
If there's one conclusion you can reach looking back at data breaches over the last decade, it's that organizations face more threats than ever, according to HIPAA professionals.
