Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
In other news
It's not just your imagination--healthcare fraud busts are way up this year. Data obtained from the government show federal health care fraud prosecutions in the first eight months of 2011 are on pace to rise 85 percent over last year, reports the USA Today newspaper. That's "due in large part to ramped-up enforcement efforts under the Obama administration," the paper points out. Federal officials credit the Medicare Fraud Strike Force program that has recently expanded to include nine cities total. The strike forces operate under the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative. "We're just going to build on this model, and we're going to hold those responsible who are stealing from the government," the Department of Justice's criminal division Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer told USA Today. The statistics, released by the non-partisan Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, show 903 prosecutions so far this year, the newspaper says. That number is up 71 percent over the last five years.
Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
- Compliance:
Could Your Billing Service Be Putting You at A Compliance Risk?
This billing service overcharged Medicare by millions for physicians' charges.You've hired a billing service to [...] - Hcpcs Coding:
MAC Denying Your Supplies Claims? Try Modifiers NU, KX
Crutches, refractive lenses, and other supplies will require you to get sharp on modifiers.Suppose a [...] - Audits:
RACs Can't Catch You Off-Guard If You Use These Simple Strategies
It's time to improve your billing, documentation.The RAC program is fully on-board with Medicare and [...] - Part B Mythbuster:
Same-Day E/M Visit? Modifier 25 May Not Always Be Your Best Bet
Keep E/M documentation apart to demonstrate the service's 'separate' statusWhen you report an E/M service [...] - Part B Coding Coach:
Repeat Pap Smear Payment Can Be Yours If You Follow These Simple Steps
The wrong diagnosis code could cost you $41 per patient.If your patient's Pap smear results [...] - Physician Note:
Theft Tops List of HIPAA Breaches, HHS Report Notes
Plus: Federal healthcare prosecutions could rise by 85 percent this year.Just because HIPAA breaches don't [...] - In other news
It's not just your imagination--healthcare fraud busts are way up this year. Data obtained from [...] - Reader Question:
Let Physicians Know That Vague Diagnoses Won't Fly
Question: My physician documented "multilobar pneumonia." Which ICD-9 code should I report?Answer: When coding for [...] - Reader Question:
MACs May Differ on Modifier Policies
Question: If we perform a duplex scan of both upper extremities and of both lower [...]
