CMS would use the proposed modifiers to implement a 15% payment reduction starting in 2022 for services provided in whole or in part by physical therapy assistants (PTA) and occupational therapy assistants (OTA).
CMS recently released new documentation guidance on medical review of E/M services performed by medical students. A medical student may document E/M services if the physician performs or re-performs the exam and then verifies the student’s documentation.
Many HIM directors find that managing the coding team requires a different type of focus than other functions within the department. This may be true because coding professionals have advanced education, prefer a quiet work environment, and require less direction.
The fiscal year (FY) 2019 ICD-10-CM code update, released on June 11, includes 279 code additions, 143 revisions, and 51 invalidations. The number of changes is significantly less than the past two years, which makes me think we are getting back to the “norm” of expected yearly changes.
Integrating facility and professional fee coding into one centralized department model can help organizations make the most of advances in technology and manage costs.
Payers rely heavily on the use of data and data analytics to manage their risk. Follow these tips for using payer guidelines to understand what they’re looking for and how to improve documentation.
Social determinants of health are social factors, such as homelessness, illiteracy, a history of childhood trauma, and joblessness or underemployment, that can affect a person’s health. Coding for these factors is important because CMS officials now use some of them to adjust quality measures for patients who are dual-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and coding these factors may help shape future health policy.
In the April 2018 OPPS update transmittal, CMS announced new HCPCS code C9749 (repair of nasal vestibular lateral wall stenosis with implant[s]), effective April 1, 2018.
