The first reporting period is just around the corner in mid-June. On May 11, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an interim final rule that includes a new provision: Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Vaccine Immunization Requirements [...]
Where does your area fall in the wage index reshuffle? The 5 percent cap on wage index decreases in 2021 — but no such cap on increases — is good news for scores of counties across the U.S. Background: Under [...]
Hackers only need one point of entry to wreak havoc on your health IT. A top-notch HIPAA compliance plan won’t get you brownie points with the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) anymore. It is expected and must be outlined [...]
Question: Which diagnosis code should I use for an enlarged abdominal aorta? It hasn’t been confirmed as an aneurysm yet. Codify Member Answer: If you don’t have the findings of a confirmatory exam to work with, 447.8 (Other specified disorders of arteries [...]
Bone up on OASIS accuracy to help soften the blow. Despite hearty protests from the industry, CMS has slashed 170 diagnosis codes from the prospective payment system case mix calculation for 2014. Get the Background on the Cuts Last summer, [...]
Focus on accurate diagnosis coding and OASIS scoring now that 170 codes are out of the case mix calculation. There’s no time like the present to examine your diagnosis coding, since CMS has slashed 170 diagnosis codes from the prospective [...]
Your coding and OASIS accuracy are more important than ever. It’s official: CMS will slash 170 diagnosis codes from the prospective payment system case mix calculation in 2014. Get the Background on the Cuts This summer, the Centers for Medicare [...]
Question: My doctor found an enlarged abdominal aorta on physical examination and is ordering an ultrasound to rule out an abdominal aortic aneurysm. What code should be used for the enlarged abdominal aorta since the aneurysm is considered "rule out" [...]
Watch for unilateral and bilateral services to be sure you have the proper code.Renal angiography sports four new codes effective Jan. 1, 2012. Key elements distinguishing the codes include whether the service is first order or higher and whether the [...]
Confirm documentation before you report the new morbid obesity codes. Come October 1, you must be ready to report the new and changed 2011 ICD-9 codes. Now that CMS has finalized the update, you can get a jump start on [...]
