Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
Chiropractors Aren't Eligible to Order/Refer Services to Medicare Beneficiaries, CMS Says
Plus: CMS makes it easier for you to determine the source of Medicare payments. As if Medicare's ordering/referring guidelines aren't murky enough, CMS has added another change to the process that could affect your Part B practice. According to an email that CMS distributed on Aug. 17, chiropractors are not eligible to order and refer items or services to Medicare beneficiaries. Noting that chiropractors were "incorrectly included" in previous lists of physicians and practitioner types that can order and refer, CMS pointed out that the Social Security Act and other documents previously included the phrase, "doctors of chiropractic medicine are not eligible to order and refer," so CMS is revising documents to reflect this. "Medicare coverage extends only to treatment by means of manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation," CMS explains in the email. "All other services furnished or ordered by chiropractors are not covered."
Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
- E/M Coding:
Get to the Bottom of the 'Double Dipping' Debate
One MAC goes on record about using the same element twice.The physician has left you [...] - ICD-10 Readiness:
Start Small When Prepping for ICD-10 Conversion, CMS Says
Acquaint yourself with the top 30 diagnoses that your practice sees and you'll get a [...] - E/M Documentation:
Documenting 'All Others Negative' Could Cost Your Physician $87 Per Visit
Ensure that your MAC accepts this commonly-documented phrase before you see your documentation downcoded.There's no [...] - Physician Note:
Chiropractors Aren't Eligible to Order/Refer Services to Medicare Beneficiaries, CMS Says
Plus: CMS makes it easier for you to determine the source of Medicare payments.As if [...] - In other news
It's always nice to get money from Medicare, but when you don't know why your [...] - Reader Question:
Consider Modifier 22 for Extra Work
Question: Our surgeons often encounter complicated recurrent ventral hernia repairs that involve infection. Can we [...] - Reader Question:
Know How 'Vitals' Contribute to Exam
Question: Can you please explain how taking the vital signs contributes to determining the E/M [...] - Reader Question:
Look for Coding Clues in Global Period Indicator
Question: Our cardiologist was called in to consult for an inpatient presenting with angina. The [...] - Reader Question:
Modifier 76 Denotes Repeat Procedure
Question: After our physician performed manipulation he performed an x-ray, but he was not happy [...]
