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Practice Management Alert
Practice Management Alert
Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16; Number 12
Collections:
Know When, and How, to Get Tough With Nonpaying Patients
Here’s why experts say that ‘hard’ collection should be a last resort....
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Office Décor:
Brighten Patient's Day With Smart Lighting Choices
If you think your choice of lighting doesn’t matter, think again. Setting just t...
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Procedure Coding:
Carve FBR Evidence From Claim Before Choosing Code
Careful, that splinter removal might be an E/M service. Let’s say your physicia...
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You Be the Expert:
Deciphering Observation Denials
Question: We recently submitted a 99236 code for an observation service our physici...
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Reader Question:
Keep Things Inclusive for Happy Holidays
Question: Could you offer some tips on how we should handle holiday decorations in ...
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Reader Question:
I.D. Type of Telemedicine Before Coding
Question: Often, one of our physicians or qualified nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) pr...
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Reader Question:
Use These Tips, Pump Life Into Your CPR Coding
Question: What are the time requirements associated with CPT® code 92950? Haw...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16; Number 11
Office Management:
Use These Tips to Balance Waiting Area Amenities, Patient Comfort
Expert: Free-flowing traffic patterns a must for waiting areas. Every medical practice...
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Office Management:
Set the Proper Tone in Waiting Area With Soft Colors
Chair material can also impact patient’s practice experience. When you have the ...
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E/M Coding:
Note These Rules to Make Proper Observation Code Choice
Experts: Check with third-party payers on longer one-day stays. Coding for your physic...
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E/M Coding:
Make Documentation Priority 1 for These Observations
Expert: When observation stay goes beyond the pale, payer will have questions. Most o...
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You Be the Expert:
Coding for Hernia Repairs
Question: Encounter notes indicate that an adult patient presents to the surgeon fo...
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Reader Question:
Check Out the New Dx Code for Zika
Question: Is there an ICD-10 code for the Zika virus in the 2017 update? Maryland...
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Reader Question:
Get Hip to Differing Types of PHI
Question: I’m pretty sure I know what types of information constitute protect...
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Reader Question:
Prevent Federal Headaches By Obeying Stark Law
Question: I overheard one of our nurse practitioners (NPs) say that someone at the ...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 10
Accounts Receivable:
Take These Tips to Heart, Catch Up on A/R
Here’s why you need an administrator to conduct regular A/R reviews. Some practi...
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Employee Evaluations:
Look Forward While Discussing Past In Performance Reviews
Experts: A portion of all reviews should be about the future. Tensions can run high wh...
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Quick Tips:
Use This Advice to Start Your Evaluation Forms
Here’s why an expert recommends tailoring your evaluations to each job. Before c...
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You Be the Expert:
Coding PT vs. Chiropractic Services
Question: We are a local chiropractic practice that often receives referrals from l...
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Reader Question:
Look At 5 'W's' for CPPM® Guidance
Question: We are formulating our budgets for training and certifications for 2017, ...
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Reader Question:
Get Individual Breach Notifications Right to Avoid Penalties
Question: We have had a couple of individual breaches of the Health Insurance Porta...
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Reader Question:
Get Creative to Keep Top Performers Happy
Question: In the past year, we have lost two of our best coders and one of our best...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 9
Compliance:
Get BAA If Entity Has to Comply With HIPAA
Remember, not everyone who accesses PHI has to sign BAA. When you’re working wit...
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Time-Based Coding:
Know Counseling Exception, and Time Is On Your Side
Experts: Include documentation noting counseling/coordination time. If you are coding ...
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Time-Based Coding:
Check Out These Counseling Exception Scenarios
Discussing test results, diagnoses often result in time-heavy E/Ms. While there are no...
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You Be the Expert:
Coding For Sunburned Patients
Question: This summer, our practice has seen an overflow of sunburn patients. When ...
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Reader Question:
Master 7th Character, X Placeholder to Hone ICD-10 Skills
Question: I’m still getting the hang of using the ICD-10 coding system, but I...
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Reader Question:
Appeal to Company Reps to Up Patient Enrollment
Question: I am working at a practice that is just starting to see clients in a new ...
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Reader Question:
Put Locum Docs on the Clock
Question: We have to hire a locum tenens (LT) physician for one of our providers wh...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 8
Patient Relations:
Use This Framework When Forming Patient Termination Policy
If you have to end relationship with patient, certified mail is your best friend. Brea...
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Patient Relations:
Check Out These Top Reasons for Ending Patient Relationships
Unpaid bills, difficult patients among possible termination factors. No medical...
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E/M Coding:
Follow This Advice to Grab Concurrent Care Pay
First step: Be sure your provider isn’t duplicating another’s service. Wh...
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CPT® Modifiers:
Use Modifier 26, Snag Your Provider's Portion of Service
If the equipment’s not yours, you might need this modifier. Medical practices of...
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You Be the Expert:
Plugging Coding Holes on Your Nosebleed Encounters
Question: When our physician stops a nosebleed, should we report a CPT® evaluat...
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Reader Question:
Gather Details Before Deciding Patient Status
Question: An intensive care physician asked my pediatrician to see a premature newb...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 7
Patient Relations:
Put Patients at Ease With a Relaxed Reception Area
Cleanliness is next to godliness in the places your patients wait. You can’t mak...
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Patient Relations:
Tailor Reception Area to Patient Population
What works in a pediatrician’s office might not be appropriate for other specialti...
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Medicare News:
Medicare Ruling On JW Modifier Could Boost Bottom Line
Feds: Use JW for some discarded drugs. If your practice loses money on discarded drug...
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CCI:
New Edits Make INR, Anticoagulation Part of Hospital Codes
Here’s the trio of codes you should stop reporting with inpatient E/Ms. The late...
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You Be the Expert:
Spotting Evidence of 'Intractable' Migraines, 'Status Migrainosus'
Question: I do some light diagnosis coding when we are short-staffed and I have the...
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Reader Question:
Tighten Up Risk Assessment Practices in Case OCR Comes Calling
Question: In addition to being the practice manager, I’m also part of our ris...
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Reader Question:
Use Z Codes As Primary Dx -- Sometimes
Question: In our practice, we’re still getting used to the intricacies of the...
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Reader Question:
Implement These Basic Measures, Keep PHI Hackers at Bay
Question: In the past year, we have had to deal with several Health Insurance Porta...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 6
Patient Relations:
Use Conversations, Online Tools to Gauge Patient Satisfaction
Get the most out of patient input by offering feedback options via several methods....
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Scheduling:
Keep Schedule Full With Cancellation Plan
Even a couple of unfilled appointment slots could cost thousands. When a patient calls...
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Training:
Get Staff on Board Before Floating Cancellation Solutions
Without everyone in the practice on board, your protocols might not work. There are se...
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Clip & Save:
Follow These Markers to Ferret Out Chronic Migraine Diagnosis
Remember, ‘chronic’ is in the eye of the payer. Many medical practices, es...
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You Be the Expert:
Look for Additional E/M on Unscheduled Procedure Encounters
Question: I am doing some light coding under the supervision of a senior coder. I w...
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Reader Question:
Start Your ICD-10 Training with Root Work
Question: In addition to my duties as practice manager at our mid-sized medical pra...
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Reader Question:
Keep Out of the Headlines by Protecting PHI
Question: In past issues of Practice Management Alert, I’ve read several arti...
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Reader Question:
Sidestep 'Unprocessable' Denials With These Tips
Question: Due to staff reduction, I have been recruited into doing some coding. I&r...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 5
Compliance:
Get Patient Involved In Benefits Fixes
Incorrect insurance info? Check with patient first, say experts. In previous ...
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Coding:
Use This Critical Care Q&A to Avoid Filing Lifeless Claims
Without a critical illness or injury, you can forget about 99291/99292. One of the mos...
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Clip N Save:
Use This List of Interventions to Spot Possible Critical Care
Reminder: Some of the interventions are separately reportable from 99291/99292. There ...
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Expert Quick Take:
Mind This Advice if Eligibility Denials Are All Too Common
Expert: There’s no single explanation for why the payer deems a patient ineligible...
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You Be the Expert:
Who Is a Business Associate ... and Who Isn't
Question: I have read about business associate agreements (BAAs) in past issues of ...
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Reader Question:
Know Pain's Duration, Get Closer to Acute/Chronic Answer
Question: For diagnosis coding purposes, what is the difference between acute and c...
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Reader Question:
Consider AH/AJ Modifiers for Psychiatry Services
Question: Full disclosure: I am new to psychiatry, and I just accepted a practice m...
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Reader Question:
ID CPT® 'Family' to Make Correct Modifier Decision
Question: I work at a gastroenterologist’s office, and I’m having some ...
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Reader Question:
Wait for Path Report Before Choosing Excision Code
Question: The physician removed a 0.9 cm benign lesion from a patient’s left ...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 4
Compliance:
Validate New Patient Insurance ASAP, Avoid Payment Confusion
Experts: Make sure patient’s insurance info is valid before first visit. Medical...
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CPT® Coding:
Learn HPI Levels with This 'Elemental' Knowledge
Make sure payer recognizes duration before counting it on HPI. Anyone who has to file...
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Quick Tip:
Observe Certain Subpoenas for Patient Info
Remember: No judge’s decree, no patient info for requester. In past issues of Pr...
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ICD-10:
Be Careful When Choosing Dx for Discharges
Remember, diagnoses can change during hospitalization. A patient entering the hospital...
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You Be the Expert:
Clearing Up Questions on Eye FBR Coding
Question: I was helping out with coding recently, doing the best I could to code an...
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Reader Question:
Base Coder Job Description on These Necessary Traits
Question: We are in the process of hiring a new full-time medical coder for our ort...
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Reader Question:
Use This List of Phone Tips to Coach Up Staff
Question:We are a small practice, and everyone has to answer the phone from time to time...
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Reader Question:
Make Sure Patients Understand EOB's Purpose
Question: We often get patients who call the practice with questions about their ex...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 3
Patient Relations:
Make Record Request Responses a Top Priority
Patient relationships are at stake when someone requests medical record. When a patien...
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Compliance:
Put Self-Audits on Front Burner, Stay Ahead of Payer Issues
Experts: Annual self-audits are a good idea. In the previous edition of Practice Manag...
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FAQ:
Clear Up Any SNF Coding Snafus Before They Blossom Into Big Trouble
Here’s one RAC that could show you problem areas. Practices whose physicians per...
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You Be the Expert:
Get Off on Right Foot with FBR Coding
Question: A 44-year-old established patient reported with a splinter lodged in his ...
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Reader Question:
Tailor Job Descriptions to Meet Practice Needs
Question: Our practice is looking for a new medical office receptionist. What are s...
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Reader Question:
Count Global Days Before Bringing Modifier 24 to Claim
Question: An established patient reported to the practice on for treatment of a bro...
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Reader Question:
Take These 5 Steps Toward Eliminating Office Conflict
Question: We are having a problem with two of our nonphysician practitioners (NPPs)...
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Reader Question:
Check Out J Codes for 'Novel' Flu Dx
Question: What is the proper ICD-10 code for swine flu? Oregon Subscriber Answe...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 2
Collections:
Put No-Shows on Notice with Stout Policies
Get patient’s signature on any practice no-show policy. There are no cut-and-dri...
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Compliance:
Know Your Vulnerabilities Before Auditors Come Knocking
Focus on these hotspots to reduce audit risk. Even if your practice puts the stronges...
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Modifiers:
Weather Disaster-Related Coding with Modifier CR Savvy
Here’s why your practice should stay alert if a catastrophe happens nearby. The ...
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You Be the Expert:
Disclosing Px Exam/Test Results
Question: When an employer pays our medical office to perform drug tests, fitness-f...
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Reader Question:
Use Split Visit Rules to Duck 15 Percent Pay Cut
Question: I’ve heard nurse practitioners (NPs) and other providers talk about...
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Reader Question:
Make Sure All Your Providers' Signatures are Valid
Question: I’m having trouble getting my physicians to sign their claim forms....
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Reader Question:
Report ICD-10 Code R09.89 for a Range of Symptoms
Question: Our cardiology practice is having trouble crosswalking “abnormal ch...
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Practice Management Alert - 2016; Volume 16, Number 1
Collections:
Reduce Copay No-pays with Set Policy
Obtain signed financial responsibility form as insurance against nonpayment. Most medi...
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Patient Relations:
Avoid Confrontation at All Costs When Collecting Copays
Experts: Give patients a few chances to pay, then call collections. A patient flat-out...
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Appeals:
CMS Guidance Focuses Contractors' Review Procedures
Here’s why this news could lead to higher appeals acceptance. The Centers for Me...
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Coding:
Check Out How Different Dx Codes Can Help You Make E/M-25 Decision
Prove separate services before reporting separate E/M. When reporting CPT® codes f...
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You Be the Expert:
Reporting Multi-Modifier Claims
Question: We have a small practice in a designated health professional shortage area (HP...
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Reader Question:
Consider Resources before Deciding on SOP Writers
Question: We are a 10-physician practice that is rapidly expanding; we only had three ph...
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Reader Question:
Prevent Winter Blues Before They Affect Bottom Line
Question: When we return after the holiday season, the winter blues start to set in. As ...
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