Providers will find immediate opportunity to provide virtual visits to patients enrolled in Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans as CMS seeks to facilitate screening and treatment of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.
When reporting CPT codes for spinal excisions and decompression procedures, coders must consider the approach used, spinal levels operated on, number of providers involved, and more. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Hemorrhoids are the third most common outpatient gastrointestinal diagnosis in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Debbie Jones, CPC, CCA , writes about symptoms of hemorrhoids and CPT coding for treatment.
Coders will find a wide range of CPT and HCPCS Level II codes that have been assigned medically unlikely edits (MUE) this year. Review new MUE values that went live January 1 for codes involving drug injections as well as E/M, radiology, and therapy services.
More than 34 million people in the U.S. have diabetes and one in five don’t know they have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this article, Lori-Lynne Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, CDIP, COBGC , writes about E/M coding for diabetes management and HCPCS Level II coding for external insulin infusion pumps.
CMS recently announced that it will cover acupuncture therapy sessions for Medicare patients with chronic low back pain. Read about how this change will impact physician coding and billing for acupuncture services.
The Medicine section of the CPT Manual includes codes for a variety of services and is divided into 33 subsections that can be challenging to navigate. Review guidance for reporting 47 new codes within this section of the manual including those for vaccines, behavioral assessments, ocular examinations, and more. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
The American Medical Association introduced new CPT codes for long-term electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring sessions that went into effect on January 1. Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, HCISPP, CCS-P, COC, CPC-I , describes how to accurately apply these codes based on details in provider documentation.
Modifier -25 can cause frustration as it is not recognized by many payers, including Medicaid. When applying this modifier, coders must consider CPT reporting rules and adhere to potentially restrictive billing rules followed by payers. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
The flu vaccine is changed each year based on the virus types that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates will be the most prevalent. Lori-Lynne Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, CDIP, COBGC , reviews CPT and ICD-10-CM coding for this year’s flu vaccine and its administration.
The 2020 edition of the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) Policy Manual features new guidance and clinical examples to help coders appropriately apply the -X{EPSU} modifiers debuted by CMS several years ago.
Although the dollar figures aren’t big, the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) report on faulty chronic care management (CCM) billing should be concerning for physician practices billing these codes.
Because the cardiovascular system circulates oxygen and nutrients to all body parts, procedures of the cardiovascular system can be complex and challenging to accurately report. This article reviews CPT guidelines for reporting ECMO procedures and endovascular interventions in the lower extremities. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, HCISPP, CCS-P, COC, CPC-I , writes about new E/M codes, effective January 1, for patient-initiated services administered by a physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
Review finalized changes to relative value units for office visits, new HCPCS codes for chronic care management and opioid treatment services, and future updates to the E/M reporting guidelines.
CPT reporting for surgical heart procedures requires an in-depth understanding of cardiovascular anatomy and terminology. This article reviews CPT reporting for procedures involving cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators based on key details in provider documentation. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Peggy S. Blue, MPH, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC , reviews the appropriate application of 14 new HCPCS codes that will allow opioid treatment programs to report medication-assisted treatments beginning January 1, 2020.
CPT coding for behavioral health can be challenging given the multitude of factors that influence code selection. Review procedural coding for psychiatric diagnostic assessments, psychotherapy, and other mental health services commonly performed in the office setting. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder that causes significant physical and intellectual abnormalities. Debbie Jones, CPC, CCA , writes about signs and symptoms of PWS and diagnostic and CPT coding for the disorder.
Advances in technology have made it easier for providers to administer remote physiologic monitoring services. However, because these services are relatively new, they remain underutilized and Part B providers have questions on how to accurately report and bill for them.
