January 1, 2021
Briefings on APCs

Section 1862 (l) and Section 1869 (f)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (the Act) sets forth general procedures to develop and evaluate Medicare coverage determinations that are either adopted nationally by CMS or created and applied locally by a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) within the MAC’s own jurisdictional boundaries.

January 1, 2021
Briefings on APCs

This article details 2021 updates to CPT® codes for medicine services including several new codes for continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings and auditory-evoked potentials (AEP), as well as American Medical Association (AMA)-approved CPT codes for COVID-19 immunizations.

December 1, 2020
Briefings on APCs

The HIM department plays a critical role in the revenue cycle, but it’s often placed in a reactive position, limiting its effectiveness. Learn how to improve operations by enhancing the HIM department’s involvement across the revenue cycle.

December 1, 2020
Briefings on APCs

CMS' new final rule prepares for vaccine coverage for Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers without any out-of-pocket costs. CMS will pay for any coronavirus vaccine that receives FDA authorization either through an Emergency Use Authorization or via a license under a Biologics License Application.

December 3, 2020
News & Insights

The 2021 OPPS final rule, released December 2, doesn’t pack many surprises, with CMS generally finalizing most policies as proposed or choosing to continue with current policies. This should aid hospitals required to implement many of its policies in just a few short weeks due to the pandemic-disrupted rulemaking cycle.

December 1, 2020
Briefings on APCs

Modifiers provide a means by which a physician or facility can flag a service that has been altered by a special circumstance but has not changed in definition or code. Break down CPT guidelines for reporting hospital modifiers -25, -50, -59, -LT, and RT.

November 1, 2020
Briefings on APCs

Review 2021 ICD-10-CM codes for behavioral health diagnoses and a breakdown of CPT guidelines for psychiatric diagnostic evaluations.

November 1, 2020
Briefings on APCs

Debbie Jones, CPC, CCA, details ICD-10-CM coding for strabismus and CPT coding for surgical treatments used to correct eye misalignment.

November 1, 2020
Briefings on APCs

Valerie A. Rinkle, MPA, CHRI, writes about Medicare guidance on and updated payment policies for COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and telehealth services.

October 1, 2020
Briefings on APCs

Outpatient coders should be familiar with CPT reporting for knee surgeries based on information in the operative note. This article reviews the anatomy of the knee joint and CPT coding for arthroscopic and reconstructive procedures used to visualize and treat common knee conditions.

Pages