The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) has released a 2020 report on their Outsourcing and Perception Survey which was conducted and analyzed by Association Research, Inc. Click HERE to see the survey report in totality. The study explains in greater detail industry perceptions of cancer registry outsourcing and sheds light on the ramifications of outsourcing according to 1,690 survey responses. Here are …
E/M office and other and other outpatient visit guidelines will be changing as of January 1, 2021. Below are further details regarding these changes: Read Part I and Part II of this blog for more information. Major E/M revisions for 2021 regarding time of patient encounters include Extensive E/M guidelines additions, revisions, and restructuring Deletion of code 99201 and revision of …
Conducting regular audits of your coding and billing procedures is a great way to identify and eliminate upcoding and incorrect coding incidences within your practice. In a recent article from Becker’s , it is estimated that hospitals overbilled Medicare by $1 billion from inaccurate coding. The office of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General cited that this …
When you are considering the pros and cons of a variable vs fixed cost structure, don’t overlook certain specialty areas such as registries. For example, On April 2, 2020, the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) sent out a newsletter stating that ACS Accreditation and Verification Programs have been granted an extension of one year for hospitals currently accredited and verified. …
With our E/M office or other outpatient visits guidelines changing on January 1, 2021, below are the details explaining the changes. Choosing the correct E/M level beginning January 1, 2021 is based on: The level of medical decision making (MDM) as defined for each service; or The total time for E/M services performed on the date of encounter New to MDM The CPT Editorial Panel …
It has been almost 30 years since evaluation and management (E/M) office visit documentation and coding has been changed. These changes take place beginning January 1st, 2021. The revised guidelines will improve documentation redundancy and support medical necessity. In the past, the code selection was based on 3 key elements (history, examination, and medical decision making (MDM)) or time spent face-to-face in counseling or coordination …
As we continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 in the United States and continue canceling meetings to avoid travel and risks of exposure, many families are also concerned about their loved ones currently going through cancer treatment. And many others are currently being diagnosed with cancer during this worldwide pandemic. The big question is how does this impact those hospitals with a Cancer Program? …
The current pandemic has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to take the unusual step of establishing a unique ICD-10 code for COVID-19 cases, U07.1 five months prior to the traditional U.S. implementation date for new codes. The use of the code became effective with April 1, 2020 discharges and was accompanied by updated coding guidance to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.1 Currently healthcare, the private sector, and the government are overwhelming concentrating on “flattening the curve” and …
What Does CMS Say? Congress passed wavier 1135 that states Medicare and other commercial carriers have temporarily expanded services for reimbursement on several telehealth services. Click here for list of covered services during this Public Health Emergency (PHE) due to COVID-19. For additional information on COVID-19, click here. CMS is now releasing News Alerts almost daily since March 31st. One initiative brought forward is Put Patients Over Paperwork. …
Making changes on the fly is never easy in any industry, especially healthcare – figuring out what platform to use, training staff and patients on how to operate video conferences, but more importantly, will you get paid? With the Corona Pandemic turning our revenue cycle upside-down due to the cancelling of most elective procedures, it’s more important than ever that …