Developing an outpatient CDI program isn't just about metrics--departments needs to consider how to engage providers and interact with other teams to be truly effective.
It's been more than three years since CMS introduced a subset of modifiers it wants providers to report instead of modifier -59 (distinct procedural service), but they're still optional as barely any new guidance has been released.
Millions of medical records are sent to insurance companies every year by hospital and health system business office personnel to expedite claims payment, respond to payer audits, or fulfill other payer denial requests for information. And any time medical records are handled, HIPAA concerns come into play.
CMS recently released updated guidance on billing intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) after an OIG audit found a 100% error rate in billing certain IMRT planning services.
To effectively report opioid use, abuse, and dependence, coding and billing professionals must be able to recognize symptoms of these disorders and interpret detailed ICD-10-CM guidelines. Additionally, they must be able to identify complications associated with opioid misuse and overdose.
Modifiers -25 and -27 are used in the outpatient facility setting on E/M services. Learn more about how these modifiers should be applied in accordance with coding and Medicare guidelines.