Hint: Don’t forget the underlying condition. ICD-10-CM codes are tricky because there are so many different details you must take into consideration when coding. Septic embolisms are no different. Not only must you know if the embolism is arterial or [...]
Always target a primary diagnosis. When your vascular surgeon treats affected tissues related to a septic embolism, you need diagnosis coding know-how to support medical necessity for your surgeon’s work. Septic embolisms are arterial blockages that arise from a distant [...]
Reporting portal opens July 1. In a new notice, the Department of Health and Human Services grants Provider Relief Fund recipients’ wishes — but also adds to their reporting burden. Old way: Under the CARES Act, providers receiving PRF funds [...]
Hit the payday jackpot for technical component. The proposed 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) could increase your pay by up to 174 percent for morphometric tumor immunohistochemistry (IHC). But to get that prize, you need to avoid common mistakes [...]
Make HIPAA security a priority to secure patient data. You’ve put passwords on your computer files, locked your paper records behind closed doors, and asked patients to sign off on your privacy practices, so your protected health information (PHI) is [...]
Put protocols in place that make HIPAA security a priority. Accidental disclosures, privacy muddles, and IT attacks are major players in the fight to secure protected health information (PHI) nowadays. Most arise from carelessness and can easily be amended with [...]
Break-ins happen more than you think. The majority of HIPAA breaches are due in part to accidental privacy snafus or IT-related hacks. Most arise from carelessness and can easily be amended with stricter office regulations. The combination of securing the [...]
Declining profit margin, LOS doesn’t matter. Medicare should spend less on hospice, and keeping reimbursement rates flat is a good way to do it, argues the latest Medicare Payment Advisory Commission report. Despite declining profit margins and average lengths of [...]
Advisory body recommends hospice rates stay flat next year. Medicare profit margin and hospice beneficiaries’ average length of stay are both down, according to the latest Medicare Payment Advisory Commission report, so you might think the advisory body to Congress [...]
OPPS conversion factor drops, but individual APC payments changes will vary. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rule on Nov. 30, 2015, effective for dates of service on and [...]
