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APC Payment Insider 2010 index

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:31:00 GMT

APC Payment Insider 2010 index

This month’s coding Q&A

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:28:00 GMT

This month's coding Q&A

CMS tears down walls for physician supervision

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:25:00 GMT

More physicians should be able to provide supervision for outpatient procedures after CMS finalized a change to its physician supervision requirements in the 2011 OPPS final rule, released November 2, 2010.

APC Payment Insider, January 2011

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:22:00 GMT

APC Payment Insider, December 2010

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Inside:

RAC audits are not just an inpatient issue

This month’s coding Q&A

RAC audits are not just an inpatient issue

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Although a lot of attention is being given to the RACs’ focus on DRG validation and other inpatient audits, outpatient facilities and physician practices should not overlook the importance of RAC preparation.

This month's coding Q&A

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Q. A patient is admitted as an inpatient, but the utilization review committee determines that the patient did not meet the inpatient criteria. The patient is converted to an outpatient using condition code 44 (inpatient admission changed to outpatient). Is it true that observation hours may not be counted retroactively back to time of arrival when condition code 44 is used?

APC Payment Insider, November 2010

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Inside:

Learn potential outpatient implications of the three-day payment rule

Look for medical necessity, signs and symptoms, time units

This month’s coding Q&A

Learn potential outpatient implications of the three-day payment rule

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Think the three-day payment rule affects only inpatient coders?

Think again. Changes that took effect June 25 could affect outpatient coders—and potentially in a big way, experts say.

Look for medical necessity, signs and symptoms, time units

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:30:00 GMT

For more than a decade, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has celebrated National Alcohol and Addiction Drug Recovery Month each September, touting the notion that it’s possible to recover from any kind of substance abuse and focusing on treatment benefits to both the individual and the society at large.

This month's coding Q&A

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Q. My practice is spine specialty, and in many situations, NCCI edits apply. If modifier -59 is necessary for the primary code, should we append it to the add-on codes?

Example:

63047 (L1)
63042 (L2)
63044 (L3)

APC Payment Insider, October 2010

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Inside:

Fewer new ICD-9-CM codes for 2011

Right modifier, wrong modifier? How can you tell?

This month’s coding Q&A

Fewer new ICD-9-CM codes for 2011

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Coders will have fewer new ICD-9-CM codes to deal with in 2011, but they should still be aware of the changes.

Right modifier, wrong modifier? How can you tell?

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Determining proper modifier use can be a challenge for even the most experienced coder. If you forget to add a modifier or, worse, append the wrong one, your facility could face underpayment or an audit by a RAC.

This month's coding Q&A

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Q. I understand HCPCS Level II has added some new HIV screening codes. Can you elaborate?

APC Payment Insider, September 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Inside:

CMS proposes additional changes to physician supervision for 2011

CMS proposes few non-supervision changes for 2011 OPPS

This Month’s Coding Q&A

CMS proposes additional changes to physician supervision for 2011

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:30:00 GMT

CMS continues to refine its physician supervision requirements by proposing a new category of service in the 2011 OPPS proposed rule, released July 2.

CMS proposes few non-supervision changes for 2011 OPPS

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:30:00 GMT

HIM professionals hoping that CMS would create national E/M guidelines in the 2011 OPPS proposed rule were again disappointed.

This Month?s Coding Q&A

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Q. Please explain how to report this scenario: magnesium sulfate 1 gram and calcium gluconate 10 ml in 50 cc NS, respectively, run simultaneously through a peripheral IV site via a Y connector for 30 minutes, twice during a single day.

APC Payment Insider, August 2010

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Inside:

Effectively and accurately report trauma activation with critical care in the ED

Get to the heart of percutaneous coronary procedures

This month’s coding Q&A