General Surgery Coding Alert
An End to E/M Documentation Guidelines?
Recently, the AMA announced on its Web site that on May 16, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson's Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform voted 20-1 to recommend eliminating documentation guidelines for E/M services. According to the announcement, "The AMA has repeatedly informed the Department and the Regulatory Relief Advisory Committee that physicians identify E/M documentation guidelines as the single, largest paperwork burden imposed by the Medicare program."
The Advisory Committee's recommendation will proceed to Secretary Thompson for a final decision. For now, physicians and coders should observe the current E/M documentation standards. Look to future editions of your
General Surgery Coding Alert
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Medicare and third-party payers will not pay for vein ligation and stripping procedures for cosmetic [...] - Preauthorization Bolsters Payment Odds for Vein Ligation
Although payers often classify vein ligation (e.g., 37720, 37730 and 37785) as cosmetic, many will [...] - You Be the Coder:
Open J-Tube Placement
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Correctly appended, modifier -22 (Unusual procedural services) can significantly increase reimbursement for unexpectedly difficult or [...] - CCI Update:
Minor Changes Mean Few Worries for Version 8.2
National Technical Information Services (NTIS) has released version 8.2 of the national Correct Coding Initiative [...] - Reader Question:
Wound Debridement
Question: We have always used the 11000-series codes for wound debridement, but recently I noticed [...] - Reader Question:
Postsurgical Complications
Question: Our surgeon preformed a cholecystectomy (47600) on a Medicare patient. A week later the [...] - News Brief:
An End to E/M Documentation Guidelines?
Recently, the AMA announced on its Web site that on May 16, Health and Human [...]
