The American Medical Association (AMA) recently released a checklist to help medical practices that have experienced a shutdown during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency take steps to safely reopen.
Q: HRSA says that COVID-19 diagnoses must be in the primary/principal diagnosis field for hospitals to be reimbursed for treatment of uninsured patients, but this violates the coding guidance we’ve received from CMS and Coding Clinic. How should we handle such claims?
Q: If a patient is incapacitated, the Privacy Rule allows for a doctor to discuss the patient’s condition with a family member, according to HHS. What would the protocol be when the patient is divorced, but the ex-husband or ex-wife makes an inquiry about the patient’s status?
CMS updated its novel coronavirus (COVID-19) fee-for-service billing FAQs on April 23 and May 1. The updated FAQs address the appropriate use of disaster-related modifiers, remote physiological monitoring (RPM), and more.
As cyber criminals continue to target healthcare organizations during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is providing the public with guidance and resources to help combat the threats.
CMS released a new interim final rule with comment period that grants organizations another round of flexibilities to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 public health emergency, including permitting hospitals to bill for telehealth services and loosening restrictions on COVID-19 testing.
Q: Do you know if offices have any tablets or computers people can use in which they might log into an account? If so, are there rules governing password retention or auto logouts they need to consider?
