The improper payment rate for routine venipuncture lab tests was 16.3% in 2018, representing more than $20 million, and medical necessity errors accounted 98.9% of the improper payments, according to CMS.
Geriatric patients with frequent emergency department (ED) use are more likely to have comorbidities, be admitted or transferred, and visit three or more hospitals in a year than less frequent ED users, a recently published study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine found.
Pay close attention to new CPT documentation and coding guidance for reporting radiological imaging. For example, a new paragraph titled “Imaging Guidance” in both the surgery and medicine guidelines advises that even when imaging guidance or supervision are included in a surgical procedure code, you must still follow the radiology documentation requirements in the CPT manual.
Slack recently updated its listing of compliance certifications and regulations to include HIPAA, which suggests it may be working toward functionality that would allow healthcare providers to share sensitive patient health information.
Q: Can you bill CPT codes 76981 (ultrasound, elastography; parenchyma [e.g., organ]) and 76982 (ultrasound, elastography; first target lesion) at the same time as CPT codes for liver and breast ultrasounds?
Q: I work for a small hospital. Do we need to ask our business associates (BA) to provide us with copies of their agreements with their BA subcontractors?
Federal fraud watchdog agencies may be taking a closer look at Medicare Advantage in 2019, according to a recent report released by Bass, Barry & Sims, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm.
