CMS released Transmittal 4313 on May 24 describing changes that will be implemented in the July 2019 quarterly update to the OPPS. These changes included several new HCPCS codes for reporting certain drugs and biologicals.
Q: A physician orders a comprehensive metabolic panel and a quantitative blood sample to measure blood glucose level. How would a coder report these services using CPT codes, and what modifier would he or she use to indicate that the blood sample was performed separately from the panel?
Because lower extremity diagnoses are often associated with issues in other parts of the body, assessing the severity of a patient’s podiatric condition can be challenging. Shelley Safian, PhD, RHIA, HCISPP, COC, CPC-I , reviews physician E/M coding for patients seeking treatment for foot and lower leg problems.
Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCDS, presents a review of MS-DRG basics to ensure that inpatient coders have a thorough understanding of MS-DRGs’ intricacies, thus perfecting assignment and reimbursement accuracy.
If you only bill using the CMS-1500 claim form, then you’ve probably never seen a revenue code. But if you need to bill for facilities, you know revenue codes play an important communicative role between providers and insurers. UB-04 claim forms sent to an insurance company without a revenue code associated with each charge will be rejected.
Valerie Rinkle, MPA, CHRI, covers important proposals found in the fiscal year (FY) 2020 IPPS proposed rule, including coding updates, new technology payment changes, and increases to low wage index hospitals.
At the beginnings of inpatient coding and CDI, we had books like DRG Expert and Excel-based programs for MS-DRG selections. More than 10 years later, vendors are offering web-based technologies that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to make us even more productive in both coding and CDI. The real question, however, is how we can best leverage those technologies.
Having taken on more diverse responsibilities, many providers regard medical coding as a necessary evil; their primary focus is caring for their patients. Although many physicians select codes for the work they perform, they rely on specialized coding and auditing professionals to review their documentation and reporting for accuracy.
