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?
Eight CPT® codes for multianalyte assays with algorithmic analyses (MAAA) procedures are now classified as not covered under OPPS (status indicator E), retroactive to January 1, 2013. These codes are now subject to I/OCE edit 9.
Providers setting charges based on an understanding of their costs is not a new concept, says Jugna Shah, MPH, president and founder of Nimitt Consulting. However, providers struggle with this or fail to do it correctly, and then stand to deteriorate their future payment rates since CMS relies on provider data to set payment rates not only for inpatient and outpatient services, but also for laboratory services.
Chasing down information on incomplete records can be overwhelming and a lost cause. What do you do when a medical record is incomplete 30 days after discharge (or 14 in California's case) and thus does not meet regulatory standards? Do you file it away without an answer to an open query or a signature from the practitioner? What if the responsible practitioner retired, expired, or is no longer practicing at your facility? Are you doing everything you can to get most deficiencies completed prior to the patient being discharged?
One task that almost every healthcare organization is going to have to tackle to comply with the HIPAA omnibus final rule is amending its Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP).
