Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
CMS Changes Course: Physicians Need Not Personally Complete PECOS Application
Plus: Check out CCI 15.1s retroactive deletions to keep reimbursement flowing. What a difference three months makes, especially when it comes to CMS requirements for filling out its Internet-based Provider Enrollment,Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) forms. Old way: During a Jan. 13 CMS open-door forum, Medicare officials relayed the frustrating news that physicians or non-physician practitioners (NPPs) had to personally fill out their PECOS enrollment forms -- they were not able to designate an employee or third-party billing service to do the work on their behalf. New way: CMS changed its tune this week, with an April 1 press release from Valerie Haugen, a director with CMS,announcing that the person filling out the PECOS form may be an employee of the provider or supplier organization, or an employee of a separate organization. The only catch: The designated employee must complete a security consent form, which the employer must sign. More than one person may be approved to use Internet-based PECOS on behalf of a given provider or supplier organization,but the security consent form is completed only one time, the CMS release indicated.
Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
- MEDICARE ADVANTAGE :
CMS Overhauls Medicare Advantage Program
Oversight of MA could tighten significantly. CMS is buckling down on the Medicare Advantage program [...] - BILLING :
Avoid Separation Anxiety When It Comes to Submitting Claims
Measure charges and take action, experts say. So youve got a handle on your accounts [...] - PART B MYTHBUSTER :
Know the Rules for Coding Patient Discharges Followed by Readmissions
Tip: Find out the reason for readmission before you code. Myth: Once you discharge a [...] - HOSPICE :
Higher Hospice Payment Rates Arrived on April 3 -- Are You Prepared?
Keep in mind: Big cuts still lie ahead for the hospice industry in the coming [...] - READER QUESTION :
Use Time and Modifiers Carefully When Reporting EMG Services
Tip: Counting minutes may not aid reimbursement. Question: Our physician performed EMGs in a hospital [...] - Part B Coding Coach :
Keep Chronic Pain Denials at Bay With Surefire Diagnosis Tips
Be careful not to put words in your physicians mouth, or risk audit woes. Imagine [...] - PHYSICIAN NOTES :
CMS Changes Course: Physicians Need Not Personally Complete PECOS Application
Plus: Check out CCI 15.1s retroactive deletions to keep reimbursement flowing. What a difference three [...] - In other news ...When you scan the Correct Coding Initiative's (CCI's) new deletion database, don't limit your search to pairs with termination dates of April 1 (column E).
CCI 15.1 made several edit pairs retroactive to Jan. 1, 2009. If you did not [...]
