HCPro.com: Radiology Administrator's Compliance and Reimbursement Insider

Each month in the Radiology Administrator's Compliance & Reimbursement Insider, you get strategies and techniques used by leading hospitals, medical groups, and imaging centers to comply with Medicare, Medicaid, and other regulatory requirements. Now with free eTools!

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July 2006 (Volume 3, Issue 7)	view entire issue

Prepare now for payer precertification
Physicians affiliated with Blue Cross Blue Shield in the state of Alabama have changed the way in which they conduct radiology business. As of April 1, physicians associated with the insurance giant are required to receive approval for imaging services from independent radiology management company CareCore National prior to referring or scheduling scans.

Prevent coding whirlwind with basics
Landing in the world of interventional radiology (IR) coding can make you feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz-cyclone-tossed in a foreign land. Proper radiology coding is difficult under the best of situations, particularly so for those who are struggling to understand the nature of IR reimbursement. IR uses imaging techniques to help perform minimally invasive procedures for diagnosing/treating diseases. The images provide the road map-the proverbial yellow brick road-that physicians follow to guide instruments through the body to areas of concern.

Hire designated coder, increase radiology reimbursement
Money doesn't grow on trees. If it did, radiology managers and chief financial officers (CFO) would certainly pluck their fill from the outstretched branches. But imagine picking $400,000-$500,000 of extra revenue for your facility. That's the amount that Jamie Heldt, director of imaging and cardiology at Oakwood Healthcare System's Heritage Hospital in Dearborn, MI, says her department gathered by hiring its own radiology coder. Although there remains much debate over bringing a coder on board, Heldt believes that her coder's green thumb helped the radiology department's finances grow.

Other recently-published articles from Radiology Administrator's Compliance and Reimbursement Insider:

Tips to obtain payment, despite plan denials

CMS issues test order signature clarification

Address test order protocol in hospital setting

ICD-10 execution date proposed: October 1, 2011

2009 MPFS offers imaging implications

MIPPA mandates imaging accreditation for all providers

Technologists play a major role in the revenue cycle

Common elements found in CIAs

Self-disclosure protocol clarified

Eight tips to improve MRI throughput

IDTFs get Claims Processing Manual chapter of their own

Medicare preserves local coverage determination for CCTA

Settlement reveals lessons for radiologists

Don’t let chart errors lead to further medical mistakes

Target safety issues to ensure older workers’ well-being

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