Anesthesia Coding Alert
Know Who Need to Receive Updated NPPs
Question: Our office is updating our Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) to include the new patient rights under HIPAA. Will we need to re-issue our NPP to every one of our patients once we update it?
Iowa Subscriber
Answer: Generally, no, you don’t need to give out a copy of your updated NPP to everybody who’s received the old NPP already, says Jim Sheldon-Dean, owner and director of compliance services for Lewis Creek Systems LLC in Charlotte, VT. But you must give one to any patient who wants to receive a copy of the updated NPP — no matter whether the patient received the old NPP or any other version of the document.
Scenario: Think about a situation where a patient visits the physician for one particular episode, at one specific point in time, and then he’s not really your patient anymore, Sheldon-Dean notes. “It wouldn’t make sense to send out an NPP to somebody who may not even be involved with that [physician] anymore.”
Instead, just begin using the new NPP and recycle the old copies while you hand out the new ones, Sheldon-Dean advises. “And make sure you have the new one posted properly on the wall in your office and also on your website if you have a website as well.”
Caveat: Remember that health plans do have an obligation to send out an updated NPP, because that is an active relationship, Sheldon-Dean notes. So health plans must send out any change to their NPP within six months of making that change.
Related Articles
Anesthesia Coding Alert
- Reimbursement:
Correct Calculations Are Your Ticket to Field Avoidance Pay
Know when your payers will allow you to add extra units. When your anesthesiologist does [...] - ICD-10:
Watch for More Codes to Explain Complications of Emphysema
You’ll move from two diagnosis options to five. Underlying conditions can make a difference in [...] - Modifier News:
Stop Fretting Over How to Implement New X {ESPU} Modifiers
CMS reps say you can keep reporting modifier 59 as usual. If you’re still looking [...] - Patient Privacy:
Answer These 7 Questions to Keep on Track With HIPAA Compliance
Heads up: Security checks are not enough. As the number of anesthesia practices moving to [...] - You Be the Coder:
Know How to Report Perioperative Temperature Management
Question: While using active warming, two of the patient’s body temperature measurements were equal to or [...] - Reader Questions:
Watch CCI Edits Before Filing 64415 for Post-Op Nerve Block
Question: Our anesthesiologists are performing nerve blocks with ultrasound guidance for post-op pain relief. Can we [...] - Reader Questions:
Submit 782.0 for Your Allodynia Diagnosis
Question: What is the best diagnosis code for allodynia? Alabama Subscriber Answer: Allodynia is a condition characterized [...] - Reader Questions:
Focus on Reason for Procedure When Choosing a Diagnosis
Question: Should the ICD-9 placed on the 1500 claim form be related to the procedure itself [...] - Reader Questions:
Know Who Need to Receive Updated NPPs
Question: Our office is updating our Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) to include the new [...] - Reader Questions:
Check With Payer On Whether to Bundle Imaging and Epidural Procedures
Question: We like to seek guidance on the inclusion of imaging guidance in the epidural fee. [...]
