- Technology & Innovation: CMS Notifies Beneficiaries of a Security Vulnerability - (Oct 08, 2024)
Question: Why does it seem that only private payers are victims of data breaches? Do government payers ever experience cyberattacks? Washington Subscriber Answer: You are correct in that it seems that only private payers and clearinghouses experience data breaches. Reports of these [...]
- Procedure Focus: Get the Answers to Your Frequently Asked Anesthesia for GI Endoscopy Questions - (Sep 10, 2024)
Remember: the dx you report may not be related to the GI condition. While some physicians rely on conscious sedation for endoscopies and colonoscopies, others may require the patient to be under general anesthesia for the procedure. When this is [...]
- Reader Questions: Learn Which Specialties Use Telehealth More - (Sep 03, 2024)
Question: How successful has telehealth use been during and following the COVID-19 pandemic? Pennsylvania Subscriber Answer: Recently, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine researchers examined telehealth use across medical specialties and disparities related to the technology, publishing their results in npj Digital [...]
- Part 3: How to Report Duplex Ultrasonography, CTA, MRA for Peripheral Artery Disease - (Jul 30, 2024)
Hint: Code 93978 is for a complete study. In the article “Ankle-Brachial Index Instrumental for Diagnosing Peripheral Artery Disease,” in Cardiology Coding Alert Volume 27, Issue 7, you learned all about ABIs, including the codes you would report and the [...]
- You Be the Coder: TBSA Counting Methods for Burns - (Jul 10, 2024)
Question: Encounter notes indicate that an adult patient suffered burns to their right arm and anterior chest and abdomen. What would be the total body surface area (TBSA) for this patient’s burns? Illinois Subscriber Answer: If you are using the rule of [...]
- Reimbursement: Take A Closer Look At Your Proposed Rate Change - (Jun 28, 2024)
Don’t stop at base rate when gauging proposed cut’s effect on your pay. The base payment rate is just one factor in Medicare’s complicated payment update methodology for home health agencies. Make sure you’re looking at your entire reimbursement picture [...]
- Part 2, PAD: Ankle-Brachial Index Instrumental for Diagnosing Peripheral Artery Disease - (Jun 26, 2024)
Make sure you follow the ABI guidelines to the letter. Last month, in the article “Look to This Guidance to Improve Your Peripheral Artery Disease Coding,” in Cardiology Coding Alert Volume 27, Issue 6, you learned all about the signs [...]
- Practice Management: Overcome 2023 E/M Update Challenges with Expert Advice - (Jun 07, 2024)
Get tips on how and when to query. For outpatient pediatric coders, the evaluation and management (E/M) coding updates from 2021 are quite familiar. When the inpatient guidelines caught up in 2023, some coders and physicians were left confused. Industry [...]
- Condition Spotlight: Cool Off Burn Coding Concerns by Knowing Treatment Types - (May 10, 2024)
Know when to report a procedure code for burn care. In the last issue, we ran down the most vital information you’ll need to diagnose patients suffering from burns. This month, we look to round out that coverage with a [...]
- Hospice: Medicare Hospice Rate Increase Gets Thumbs Down Across The Industry - (Apr 05, 2024)
Plus: Watch out for stealth payment provision. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is not showing hospices the money, they say in response to the newly released rule on hospice payment for 2025. CMS proposes upping the hospice base [...]