Eli's Rehab Report
Don't Be Reluctant With Pain Meds, DEA says
Opioid therapy should include ongoing evaluations As long as your physiatrist regularly assesses intractable-pain patients undergoing opioid therapy, then there's no need to worry. Editor's note: Written as a series of frequently asked questions, the document is available online at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/faq/pain_meds_faqs.pdf.
Many outpatient practices have been reluctant to prescribe opioid pain medications for fear of raising the Drug Enforcement Agency's ire, because the DEA has been known to prosecute physicians who treat pain aggressively.
Yet top pain experts and the DEA have released "Prescription Pain Medications: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Health Care Professionals , and Law Enforcement Personnel," a new document that outlines what medical offices need to do in treating and documenting pain management.
Even if a physician finds a small proportion of patients to be appropriate candidates for opioid therapy, "nothing should be done to limit access to the drugs when they are needed, or to increase the reluctance of prescribers to recommend them," but at the same time, the DEA warns physicians that they should "obey laws and regulations and avoid contributing to diversion."
Heads-up: Opioid therapy should include ongoing evaluations (and documentation) of the following, according to the DEA:
Eli's Rehab Report
- NCCI 10.3 Update:
Count Whirlpool and Hubbard as Component Codes
Watch for diskography, spinal stimulators, inpatient codes bundle
If you continue to report the Hubbard tank [...] - No Need to Hesitate With Spinal Infusion Pumps
Balance opioid therapy between patients and DEA When your physician provides long-term opioid therapy through [...] - Don't Be Reluctant With Pain Meds, DEA says
Opioid therapy should include ongoing evaluations As long as your physiatrist regularly assesses intractable-pain patients [...] - News You Can Use:
75 Percent Rule Gets Another Look
Tweaking criteria could throw a lifeline to threatened facilities Good news for rehab providers trying [...] - You Be the Coder
Multiple Epidurals During Same Session Question: Can I bill for multiple epidurals for the same [...] - Change the Way You Code Chemodenervation and EMG
Use 95870 only with 64612-64614, 64640 You should no longer report chemodenervation injection codes (64612-64614, [...] - Reader Question:
Identify Diskography and IDET Location
Question: Can a physiatrist perform a diskography at the same time as intradiskal electrothermal therapy [...] - Reader Question:
No Need to Repeat PFSH for Well Patient
Question: What should a physiatrist on his daily rounds document for history when the patient [...] - Reader Question:
Look to EMG for Quantitative Motor Unit Potential Analysis
Question: What is the CPT code for quantitative motor unit potential analysis?
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