Q: We are seeing an influx of possible novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients at our facility. How can we prepare to query for COVID-19-related documentation and coding issues that are bound to come our way due to the newness of the diagnosis?
Q: An employee in a psychiatric hospital’s billing department sees a fellow parishioner’s name. He calls other parishioners to tell them that this individual is a patient at the hospital, and they share this information on a prayer chain. Suddenly, several hundred people know that this parishioner is a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Is this an acceptable disclosure?
CMS announced blanket waivers of certain Medicare requirements to prevent gaps in care for beneficiaries affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. The agency released billing instructions and a set of Q&As.
The American Medical Association (AMA) announced Friday that its CPT® Editorial Panel expedited approval of a unique CPT code to report laboratory testing services for COVID-19. The new code supports the urgent public health need for streamlined reporting of testing for the novel coronavirus.
Q: What are the HIPAA rules regarding disclosures of health information to a patient’s same-sex partner when the couple is not married or the partner is not considered a relative under the law?
Q: New electronic health record platforms can identify patients who are impacted by social determinants of health (SDoH), but it’s up to case managers to connect patients to resources that will help mitigate these factors. What approaches are most effective in maximizing patient engagement?
