CMS recently released a revision to its benefit policy manual to stress that codes and modifier combinations should be reported when social determinants of health risk assessments and Medicare annual wellness visits are conducted together.
CMS updated its July 2024 HCPCS Quarterly update file in May with a total of 70 new HCPCS codes, 11 discontinued codes, and 32 revised codes. All code changes will be implemented July 1.
Q: Should signs, symptoms, or unspecified ICD-10-CM codes (e.g. M54.50 [low back pain, unspecified]) be reported when the condition (e.g. M51.36 [other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region]) is also reported on the same outpatient encounter?
Hamilton Lempert, MD, FACEP, CEDC, reviews the basics of critical care services in CPT and addresses common reporting questions, such as services that pass midnight, continuous care, and which clinical tasks count toward critical care. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Nancy Reading, RN, CPC, CPC-P , explains how understanding liver disease and its many complications is key to supporting higher-specificity ICD-10-CM coding and reimbursement.
Penny Jefferson, MSN, RN, CCDS, CCDS-O, CCS, CDIP, CRC, CHDA, CRCR, CPHQ , and Mercedes K. C. Dullum, MD, FACS, FACC , describe the advantages of creating CDI programs in outpatient settings and how they can decrease gaps in patient care and improve financial management.
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization for Pemgarda, a pre-exposure COVID-19 prophylaxis, has led to the release of HCPCS Level II codes for the drug and its administration.
CMS published a summary of its first quarter 2024 HCPCS Level II code update application decisions. There were 48 additions, two code definition revisions, and seven discontinuations.
