Managers should not assume that they can review every guideline, every item in Coding Clinic, or every coding-related issue targeted by the Office of Inspector General or Recovery Auditor.
One area of CPT coding that saw big changes for 2017 is for dialysis circuit coding. The existing codes have all been deleted, and new codes have been created (36901-36909) for reporting these procedures.
Each year, CMS reviews procedures on the inpatient-only list, which consists of services typically provided on inpatients and not payable under the OPPS, to consider whether they are being performed safely and consistently in outpatient departments.
As it does each year, CMS reviewed its packaging policies and proposed numerous modifications for 2017, finalizing a move to conditionally package at the claim level and deleting the controversial modifier used to identify separately reportable laboratory tests.
CMS made certain concessions from its proposed site-neutral payment policies required by Section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act, but it is still moving forward with implementation January 1, 2017, according to the 2017 OPPS final rule.
