In the 2018 OPPS proposed rule, CMS proposed a change to the current clinical laboratory date-of-service policies for molecular pathology tests and for Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory Tests.
In a series of press releases, CMS announced certain public health emergency policies are in effect for the parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Florida hit by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
The new ICD-10-CM codes for FY 2018, effective October 1, 2017, represent significant changes in some of our documentation and coding practices. Review the changes to the FY 2018 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (the Guidelines), which must be embraced if our documentation, coding, and billing is to withstand compliance scrutiny from outside auditors and accountability agents.
A successful outpatient CDI program will be invaluable to an organization, but without a focus and plan the program can become overwhelmed and ineffective. HIM and CDI need to work closely together to identify the greatest areas of opportunity in the outpatient setting and ensure that goals are aligned throughout the continuum of care.
You may find significant changes to E/M reporting in the near future, including a pivot away from two key elements — history and physical exam — that largely determine a given level of service for your most common patient encounters.
The 2018 OPPS proposed rule includes potential changes to 340B drug discount payments, the inpatient-only list, packaging for low-level drug administration services, and more.
CMS wants your thoughts on its 2018 OPPS proposed changes. In various places in the proposed rule, CMS specifically asks providers to comment on the proposals. You may submit comments to the agency until September 11, 2017.
Resolving claims returned with National Correct Coding Initiative edits or Medically Unlikely Edits can be a time-consuming process. Organizations need processes to promote best practices and keep appeals on track, as well as coding and billing policies that address common front-end problems that lead to these edits.
CMS released the fiscal year (FY) 2018 IPPS final rule August 2, updating Medicare payment and polices for patients discharged from hospitals from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018.
