Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

And bringing in an extra $130 to boot

Thanks to your demonstration project coding for chemotherapy-patient pain, nausea, and fatigue, CMS acknowledged that quality cancer care includes quality-of- life and education issues.

At this early stage, the project indicates that oncologists- efforts limit substantial nausea/vomiting to only 2 percent of cancer patients. Only 8 percent have  substantial pain, and 26 percent complain of substantial fatigue. Good news: Paying attention to these symptoms may help oncologists reduce costs by avoiding hospitalizations and treatments that do more harm than good.

To self-enroll in the project and earn an additional $130 per encounter, report on all three factors to Medicare, using chemotherapy assessment codes G9021-G9037. Find out more about proper coding for the project in the January 2005 issue of Oncology Coding Alert.

Search out the Demonstration Project results at www.cms.hhs.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1525.