In June, CMS released the 2018 ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting which include various revisions from the 2017 guidelines. These changes come on the heels of the 2018 IPPS proposed rule and recently released ICD-10-PCS codes.
On June 13, CMS released the final 2018 ICD-10-PCS codes that will become effective October 1. These changes come on the heels of April’s IPPS proposed rule.
CMS released the final 2018 ICD-10-CM codes on its website on June 13, and the release contained more code changes than expected following a preview of the new code set in April’s 2018 IPPS proposed rule.
A recent study piloted by CHEST Journal found that surveillance-based clinical data, such as electronic health records, offered more reliable estimates of septic shock trends than coded records.
CMS released a change request May 30 describing modifications which will be implemented in the July 2017 quarterly update to the OPPS. These changes include new ophthalmologic and maternal care codes as well as a handful of new drug codes.
CMS issued a change request to provide guidance to Medicare Administrative Contractors on the use of a new modifier to append to claims for dialysis treatments for end-stage renal disease exceeding the 13 or 14 monthly allowable treatments.
On April 14, CMS released the fiscal year 2018 IPPS proposed rule, which included a proposal for the discontinuation of the CardioMEMS heart failure monitoring system add-on payment.
CMS released a change request April 28 which provides guidance for Medicare Administrative Contractors on how to ensure accurate program payment for moderate sedation services provided as part of screening colonoscopies.
CMS released four new resources in early April on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, one of two new payment options under the Quality Payment Program initiative created by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.
On Friday, April 14, CMS released the fiscal year 2018 IPPS proposed rule with updates to quality initiatives and 2018 ICD-10-PCS and ICD-10-CM code proposals.
Audited hospitals generally applied modifier -59 (distinct procedural service) incorrectly when billing for outpatient right heart catheterizations and heart biopsies provided during the same encounter, leading to overpayments totaling approximately $7.6 million, according to a March report from the Office of Inspector General.
Written comments on upcoming ICD-10-CM/PCS code changes presented during the ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting in March are due Friday, April 7.
CMS released a new educational initiative , Connected Care , on March 15 to help raise awareness of the benefits of chronic care management services, as Medicare has recently added and started paying for these services.
On March 8, CMS released eight frequently asked questions (FAQ) related to the Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON). The FAQs reinforce that psychiatric hospitals must comply with the Notice of Observation Treatment and Implication for Care Eligibility Act and MOON.
A study conducted by Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) based on data obtained from the 2013 Nationwide Readmissions Database, revealed that sepsis accounts for a higher rate of unplanned readmissions than the other studied medical conditions.
The ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee will meet March 7-8 to discuss new conditions, procedures, and expanded details that could appear in a future update of the code set.
CMS pushed the February 15 submission deadlines for select inpatient clinical and healthcare-associated infection measure data, citing system glitches and inaccessibility to QualityNet reports.
Radiation oncology services billed to CMS had a 9.6% improper payment rate in 2015, leading to Medicare improperly paying $137 million for these services, according to a study reported in the January 2016 Medicare Quarterly Compliance Newsletter .