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APCs Insider

This HTML-based e-mail newsletter provides weekly tips and advice on the new ambulatory payment classifications regulations. Topics include the outpatient code editor (OCE), complex coding issues, beneficiary co-payment discounting, and cross-department APCs tracking.

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Issue 51, December 31, 2010

• Q/A: Setting up chargemaster for new codes

  Q: I’ve been working through the new 2011 CPT® codes. I’m finding that not every...

• Tip: Get your documentation 'RAC ready'

  If you aren’t preparing for the RACs now, you should be. Although much attention is being...

• Pay-per-view: CMS tears down walls for physician supervision

  More physicians should be able to provide supervision for outpatient procedures after CMS finalized...

• Trivia

  Which United Nations secretary general died while in office?

Issue 50, December 17, 2010

• Q/A: Signature requirements for lab requisitions

  Q: Laboratory requisitions have never required a signature because they are not orders. Has...

• Tip: Consider IT obstacles to ICD-10-CM implementation

  Facilities need to start planning for IT obstacles that may arise during the transition from...

• Pay-per-view: Are you meeting CMS? physician supervision requirements for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services?

  CMS’ changing requirements for physician supervision of therapeutic and diagnostic services...

• Trivia

  Which television show introduced the holiday of Festivus, a secular holiday celebrated on December...

Issue 49, December 10, 2010

• Q/A: Changes to direct physician supervision

  Q: Did CMS make any changes regarding the requirements of direct physician supervision

• Tip: Know the common elements of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs

  Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) services became covered Medicare...

• Pay-per-view: Switch to ICD-10 will change more than just coding

  The upcoming conversion to the ICD-10-CM coding system will change more than just the codes placed...

• Trivia

  What was the name of the Grinch's dog in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

Issue 48, December 3, 2010

• Q/A: 2011 Critical care coding changes

  Q: Did CMS make any more changes to critical care coding for 2011?

• Tip: Read the record closely when coding SBIRT

  Carefully review the way healthcare professionals record concerns and a plan in medical records for...

• Pay-per-view: RAC audits are not just an inpatient issue

  Although a lot of attention is being given to the RACs’ focus on diagnosis-related groups...

• Trivia

  Which of the following items was used to create Frosty the Snowman’s nose?

Issue 47, November 19, 2010

• Editor's Note

  Because of Thanksgiving, we will not publish APCs Weekly Monitor next week. When we return with the...

• Q/A: Nonsurgical extended duration therapeutic services

  Q: Did CMS finalize the list of nonsurgical extended duration therapeutic services in the 2011 OPPS...

• Tip: Additional documentation needed for Glasgow coma scale in ICD-10

  In ICD-10-CM, clinicians may use the Glasgow coma scale codes that follow in conjunction with...

• Pay-per-view: Know potential outpatient implications of the three-day payment rule

  Think the three-day payment rule affects only inpatient coders? Think again. Changes that took...

• Trivia

  The Pilgrims invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the first Thanksgiving feast. Who was the...

Issue 46, November 12, 2010

• Q/A: Medicaid RACs

  Q: Someone told me that our state Medicaid agency is going to be starting a Recovery Audit...

• Tip: Differentiate between HCPCS, CPT codes for structured abuse and brief intervention services

  Structured abuse and brief intervention services is an early intervention approach that targets...

• Pay-per-view: Know potential outpatient implications of the three-day payment rule

  Think the three-day payment rule affects only inpatient coders? Think again. Changes that took...

• Trivia

  Which European capital city is actually two separate cities on different banks of the Danube River?

Issue 45, November 5, 2010

• Q/A: Inpatient-only procedures

  Q: Did CMS remove any more procedures from the inpatient-only list for 2011?

• Tip: Know which type of ED your facility operates

  Which type of ED your facility operates will determine which codes you assign. EDs are classified...

• Pay-per-view: Learn what areas require more physician documentation for ICD-10

  A number of diagnoses in ICD-9-CM require more documentation from physicians to be accurately...

• Trivia

  The first public school in the United States was founded in which city while the 13 colonies were...

Issue 44, October 29, 2010

• Q/A: Packaged vs. bundled services

  Q: People in our hospital use the terms “bundling” and “packaging&rdquo...

• Tip: Differentiate between modifiers -58 and -78

  Coders may struggle to determine when to use modifier -58 (staged or related procedure or service...

• Pay-per-view: October I/OCE update brings minor changes

  CMS added 130 new ICD-9-CM codes to the I/OCE as part of the October updates, but made few other...

• Trivia

  In the cartoon “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” Linus states that the...

Issue 43, October 22, 2010

• Q/A: Modifier -GA and automatic denials

  Q: Is CMS still denying all line items with modifier -GA?

• Tip: Know when to properly append modifier -52

  Modifier -52 (reduced services) indicates that a service was partially reduced or eliminated at a...

• Pay-per-view: CMS modifies I/OCE to include additional diagnosis codes

  Outpatient coders can now enter up to three diagnosis codes on the claim form after CMS updated the...

• Trivia

  Halloween originated as a pagan festival known as what?

Issue 42, October 15, 2010

• Q/A: Billing observation and condition code 44

  Q: An inpatient is converted to outpatient status using condition code 44. Assuming the patient...

• Tip: Know payer policies for modifier use

  Knowing when to append a modifier can challenge even the most experienced coder. Coders need to...

• Pay-per-view: Messy modifiers: -25, -52, -58, -78, and -59 explained

  Looking for a starting point in your quest to clean up modifier usage at your organization? Begin...

• Trivia

  Which fictional family resides at 1313 Mockingbird Lane?

Issue 41, October 8, 2010

• Q/A: Charging for drug administration in ED by nurse

  Q: A patient comes into the ED and the nurse administers drugs as an injection or IV. Do we charge...

• Tip: Use new V codes for specific congenital malformation

  For 2010, only one code captured the variety of congenital malformations (code V13.69). That code...

• Pay-per-view: Right modifier, wrong modifier? How can you tell?

  Determining proper modifier use can be a challenge for even the most experienced coder. If you...

• Trivia

  David Heineman is the governor of which U.S. state?

Issue 40, October 1, 2010

• Q/A: OPPS and CPT updates

  Q: When will the final OPPS rules for 2011 and the 2011 CPT codes be released, and when do they...

• Tip: Remember to add fifth digit for ICD-9-CM flu codes

  The 2011 update for ICD-9-CM codes adds specificity to the codes for flu due to H1N1 by including a...

• Pay-per-view: Consistent criteria critical for assigning ED visit levels

  No national standard exists for selecting an E/M level for ED visits, so each facility must create...

Issue 39, September 24, 2010

• Q/A: Adding hydration times

  Q: A patient in the ED receives 20 minutes of hydration, and one hour later receives another 20...

• Tip: Append modifier to correct code

  Each National Correct Coding Edits table contains edits, which are pairs of codes that, in general...

• Pay-per-view: Fewer new ICD-9-CM codes for 2011

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

• Trivia

  Which part of his body did Keith Richards insure for one million pounds?

Issue 38, September 17, 2010

• Q/A: When will the ICD-9-CM code freeze happen?

  Q: With the move to ICD-10-CM October 1, 2013, will the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance...

• Tip: Know contractor requirements for coding venoplasty

  Venoplasty, the mechanical widening of a narrowed or obstructed vein, is commonly performed on...

• Pay-per-view: Five myths about correct use of modifier -59 busted

  Correct use of modifier -59 (distinct procedural service) can confuse novice and veteran coders...

• Trivia

  Edmond Dantès is better known as which fictional character?

Issue 37, September 10, 2010

• Q/A: Correct use of modifier -JW

  Q: We’ve been hearing about CPT modifier -JW (drug amount discarded/not administered to any...

• Tip: Differentiate between new, established patients when selecting E/M level

  Designating a patient as new or established depends on whether the patient has been registered as...

• Pay-per-view: Differentiate between dialysis access procedures

  When a patient needs long-term dialysis, his or her physician can choose between various options to...

• Trivia

  Which U.S. state is known as the Gem State?

Issue 36, September 3, 2010

• Q/A: What is the correct revenue code for a blood draw?

  Q: When a patient has blood drawn from a port for routine blood work, which revenue code should we...

• Tip: Append modifier -59 to correct code

  One myth around usage of modifier -59 is that you can append it to either code and it will override...

• Pay-per-view: CMS proposes few changes for 2011 OPPS

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

• Trivia

  Which planet is considered the Evening Star or the Morning Star, depending on which time of day it...

Issue 35, August 27, 2010

• Q/A: Report correct revenue code for observation

  Q: A physician signs an order for a patient to be placed in observation. Should we bill the hours...

• Tip: Correctly code percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

  Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is a nonsurgical procedure that involves inserting a...

• Pay-Per-View: CMS proposes additional changes to physician supervision for 2011

  CMS continues to refine its physician supervision requirements by proposing a new category of...

• Trivia

  Which Central American country does not have a coastline on the Caribbean Sea?

Issue 34, August 20, 2010

• Q&A: Observation after surgery

  Q. A Medicare patient is admitted for same-day surgery. After surgery, the physician orders...

• Tip: Coding drug-eluting stents for coronary interventions

  Stents used for percutaneous coronary interventions can be either bare-metal or drug-eluting...

• Pay-Per-View: Simplify the complexities of urodynamics coding

  Urodynamic studies are a coding challenge. Differing physician terminology, unique documentation...

• Trivia

  Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women the right to vote?

Issue 33, August 13, 2010

• Q/A: Length of recovery time

  Q: Compliance staff at the central billing office of our OPPS hospital have indicated a potential...

• Tip: Detailed requirements govern trauma activation reporting

  Field activation trauma is charged with the 068x revenue code series based on a hospital’s...

• Pay-Per-View: Use internal guidelines to ensure consistent E/M coding

  A visit is defined as direct personal contact between a registered hospital outpatient and a...

• Trivia

  Where is the lowest point of the northern hemisphere?

Issue 32, August 6, 2010

• Q/A: Correct coding for unilateral venous Doppler on upper and lower extremity

  Q: We performed a unilateral venous Doppler on a patient in our imaging center for the right upper...

• Tip: Learn the requirements for trauma activation

  Several conditions must apply before CMS will pay the trauma activation fee. First, the trauma...

• Pay-Per-View: Get to the heart of percutaneous coronary procedures

  Approximately 81.1 million Americans have at least one form of cardiovascular disease and 17.6...

• Trivia

  Which animal has the highest number of cervical vertebrae among warm-blooded animals?

Issue 31, July 30, 2010

• Q/A: Extended recovery time

  Q: For extended recovery time, the patient stayed longer than 10 hours after surgery. Should we add...

• Tip: Create consistent E/M guidelines

  CMS has not yet implemented national E/M guidelines for hospitals. However, it requires that every...

• Pay-Per-View: Effectively and accurately report trauma activation with critical care in the ED

  When a patient arrives at a facility after suffering a traumatic injury, his or her survival often...

• Trivia

  Who is the only U.S. president to be married in a ceremony at the White House?

Issue 30, July 23, 2010

• Q/A: Billing for six-hour chemotherapy infusion

  Q: How should we bill a patient for a six-hour chemotherapy infusion? The patient occupies an...

• Tip: Use correct modifiers for pain management codes

  Although -RT and -LT are the most common modifiers used for pain management, coders may need to...

• Pay-Per-View: CMS addresses three-day payment window, wage index

  During the May 27 Hospital Open Door Forum call, a CMS representative reminded the audience that...

• Trivia

  Where is the Apalachicola National Forest located?

Issue 29, July 16, 2010

• Q/A: Counting observation hours with condition code 44

  Q: A patient is admitted as an inpatient, but the utilization review committee determines that the...

• Tip: Correctly code bilateral pain management procedures

  Bilateral procedures can be a challenge to coders, especially when modifiers accompany procedure...

• Pay-Per-View: Resolve confusion around injection, infusion coding

  Many HIM professionals, coders, and billers continue to struggle with correct coding for injections...

• Trivia

  Which company did Asa Candler found?

Issue 28, July 9, 2010

• Q/A: Injections in the recovery room

  Q: A GE Lab hospital has its own separately identifiable recovery room setting. Is it appropriate...

• Tip: Take these actions to ensure correct use of modifier -25

  Modifier -25 indicates a “significant, separately identifiable E/M service by the same...

• Pay-Per-View: Build a base for comprehensive review of procedure data

  The technical nature of the CPT coding system can be very challenging for coding specialists, and...

• Trivia

  What is the name of the ship that comes to Ishmael’s rescue at the end of Herman...

Issue 27, July 2, 2010

• Q/A: Billing for venipuncure with blood draw

  Q: Is billing for venipuncture in association with a blood draw relative to laboratory tests...

• Tip: Correctly code multiple turbinate removal

  The AMA’s CPT Assistant advises in its December 2004 issue not to report code 30930 (fracture...

• Pay-Per-View: Cure what ails your pain management coding

  As reimbursement for complex pain management continues to decrease, your coding must drive accurate...

• Trivia

  Which U.S. President was born July 4?

Issue 26, June 25, 2010

• Q/A: Correctly report port flush

  Q: How can a hospital report a PICC line flush and dressing change when no infusion service is...

• Tip: Beware of hard-coding modifiers in the chargemaster

  Determine which modifiers, if any, you have hard-coded into your chargemaster. In some situations...

• Pay-Per-View: Modifier -25: Is that E/M service really above and beyond the norm?

  A patient comes into your outpatient facility for a minor surgical procedure and the physician...

• Trivia

  Who was the first explorer to reach the South Pole by land?

Issue 25, June 18, 2010

• Q/A: Infusions in an interosseous line

  Q: When the nurses access an interosseous line to infuse medication, is there an infusion code we...

• Tip: Learn your contractor?s rules for hyperbaric oxygen therapy

  Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is a relatively new service, so the various MACs and FIs interpret...

• Pay-Per-View: CMS makes few changes to I/OCE edits for April

  CMS added 10 new HCPCS codes and six new APCs to the I/OCE as part of Transmittal R1927CP’s...

• Trivia

  Who was America's second man in space?

Issue 24, June 11, 2010

• Q/A: Therapeutic drugs running in multiple lines with multiple sites

  Q: How should we report the administration of therapeutic drugs in two separate lines connected to...

• Tip: Know appropriate codes for use with modifier -25

  According to CMS, you may append modifier -25 only to E/M service codes within the following ranges.

• Pay-Per-View: Reduce coding and billing errors by knowing who appends modifiers, always reviewing documentation

  The sheer number of modifiers can cause plenty of confusion for HIM staff. The rules about which...

• Trivia

  Which U.S. state was the first to be admitted to the union after the original 13 colonies?

Issue 23, June 4, 2010

• Q/A: Level 5 ED visit or critical care?

  Q: When does a level 5 ED visit become a critical care visit? Many providers have asked me this...

• Tip: Know who assigns modifiers

  Staff members in numerous areas of a facility may be appending modifiers. Consider establishing a...

• Pay-Per-View: CAHs get a break on physician supervision rules for 2010

  When CMS released its physician supervision requirements as part of the 2010 OPPS final rule...

• Trivia

  Which state's largest port is at the head of the Cook Inlet?

Issue 22, May 28, 2010

• Q/A: Billing for observation stay of fewer than eight hours

  Q: If a patient’s observation stays is fewer than eight hours on the same date of service, is...

• Tip: Distinguish between CoP, OPPS requirements for physician supervision

  CMS announced it will not enforce the “direct supervision” requirement for therapeutic...

• Pay-Per-View: Check off requirements for hyperbaric oxygen therapy before treatment

  Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is a relatively new service, meaning different MACs and FIs...

• Trivia

  What is the most malleable metal?

Issue 21, May 21, 2010

• Q/A: Determine how to report Unna boot application, debridement

  Q. Our question pertains to Unna boot application. Is it true that we may not bill 29580...

• Pay-Per-View: Improve coding quality and reimbursement

  Coders know that, with few exceptions, they may not report something that a physician has not...

• Tip: Responding to MUE denials

  In one-time notification R617OTN, CMS notes that organizations can report reasonable and necessary...

• Trivia

  Who was the first U.S. president born in the United States?

Issue 20, May 14, 2010

• Q/A: Appending modifier -GZ

  Q: Is reporting modifier –GZ (item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and...

• Tip: Designate staff member to monitor drug compendia

  Drug compendia are designed to educate their users with respect to both clinical and financial...

• Pay-Per-View: CMS discusses three-day rule, pulmonary rehab

  CMS representatives discussed the three-day rule and pulmonary rehab supervision during a Hospital...

• Trivia

  What is the world’s longest venomous snake?

Issue 19, May 7, 2010

• Q/A: Report E/M code when clinician evaluates separate complaint

  Q: My question pertains to new CPT code 29581 (application of multi-layer venous wound compression...

• Tip: Train staff about appeals for medically unlikely edit denials

  CMS now denies claim lines with units of service that exceed the medically unlikely edit (MUE) for...

• Pay-per-view: Check the total time to report correct units of therapy

  A therapist spends five minutes performing an ultrasound and performs 20 minutes of therapeutic...

• Trivia

  What president’s face graces a $100,000 bill?

Issue 18, April 30, 2010

• Q/A: Billing ED visit and OR procedure

  Q: A patient is seen in the ED and based on the findings is sent to the OR for a procedure. May a...

• Tip: Know who can supervise pulmonary rehabilitation

  During a CMS Hospital Open Door Forum call, a caller asked whether ED physicians can provide...

• Pay-Per-View: Now on the to-track list: Medically unlike edit appeals

  Add one more thing to your list of items to track: medically unlikely edit (MUE) denials and...

• Trivia

  Which marine animal can have an eye measuring 16 inches across, the largest in the animal kingdom?

Issue 17, April 23, 2010

• Q/A: Correct use of modifier -50

  Q: Can you explain use of CPT modifier -50, bilateral procedure and the reporting for outpatient...

• Tip: What to look for when auditing injections and infusions

  When you audit drug administration, begin by looking for proper documentation. Look for signed and...

• Pay-Per-View: Complex compendia rules complicate reimbursement

  In a perfect world, CMS and other payers would reimburse facilities and physicians for every...

• Trivia

  Who was the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize?

Issue 16, April 16, 2010

• Q/A: Report CPT code for procedure, bill supply charge for adhesive

  Q: How should we report DERMABOND® wound repair? Does this differ depending on whether the...

• Tip: Correctly assign modifier -59 to override NCCI edits

  Some therapies are considered edited pairs and are not billable on the same date of service unless...

• Pay-Per-View: Audit injections and infusions to ensure correct coding

  In an environment of increasing audits, hospitals must monitor and resolve drug administration...

• Trivia

  Which U.S. president served the shortest time in office?

Issue 15, April 9, 2010

• Q/A: Billing for services provided during observation

  Q: For a patient in observation, a nurse provides CPT code 51702 (insertion of temporary indwelling...

• Tip: Billing condition code 44 and observation

  Condition code 44 changes a patient’s initial inpatient status to outpatient for purposes of...

• Pay-Per-View: Should you override that outpatient therapy NCCI edit?

  When an outpatient physical therapist provides exercise using land- and water-based therapy to the...

• Trivia

  What was Malcom X's real last name?

Issue 13, April 2, 2010

• Q/A: Appropriate reporting of modifier -59 with EKGs

  Q: I have a question pertaining to APCs Weekly Monitor’s advice published March 12...

• Tip: Know criteria for using condition code 44

  Condition code 44 changes a patient’s initial inpatient status to outpatient for purposes of...

• Pay-Per-View: Observation, physician supervision requirements add additional complications when coding condition code 44

  As if condition code 44 weren’t confusing enough, observation services and physician...

• Trivia

  Which radioactive element is extracted from carnotite and pitchblende?

Issue 12, March 26, 2010

• Q/A: No MUE limits published for 96372

  Q: A physician orders one dose of a medication to be administered intramuscularly (IM) or...

• Tip: Understand NCCI edits

    CMS introduced NCCI edits for outpatient therapy in 1996 to prevent improper payment when...

• Pay-Per-View: Inpatient to outpatient: Understand requirements of condition code 44

  Mrs. Smith arrives in the ED at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Dr. Jones writes an admission order at 11:45 a.m...

• Provider Round Table seeking new members

  In 2003 HCPro, Inc., Nimitt Consulting, Inc., and 3M Health Information Systems joined forces to...

• Trivia

    Which actress wrote the children’s book Nibbles & Me?

Issue 11, March 20, 2010

• Q/A: Severity of illness and APCs

  Q: Does severity of illness affect APC reimbursement under the hospital OPPS as it does under the...

• Tip: Charge for opened supplies for canceled procedure

  Should hospitals charge for open but unused supplies when a patient is brought to the OR and...

• I/OCE edits result in more HCPCS codes, fewer APCs

  More HCPCS codes are available for use; Medicare Claims Processing Manual Transmittal 1872 reflects...

• Trivia

    Which former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has a chair in peace studies...

Issue 10, March 12, 2010

• Q/A: Using modifier -59 for EKGs

  Q: Should we use CPT modifier -59 (distinct procedural service) for a preoperative EKG performed on...

• Tip: Consider whether to provide voluntary ABN

  CMS’ decision allowing facilities to voluntarily provide patients with an ABN for statutorily...

• Correctly code new cardiac, pulmonary rehab benefits

  Taking advantage of new Medicare benefits for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services will...

• Trivia

  Which one of the following movies won an Academy Award for best picture?

Issue 9, March 5, 2010

• Q/A: Billing for technical component of clinic visit

  Q: My hospital has multi-specialty, provider-based clinics, so when billing for clinic visits, we...

• Tip: Report correct units for drugs

  One challenge for coding drugs is ensuring that you code them according to their descriptions...

• Distinguish between ABNs for covered, noncovered Medicare services

  Starting in April, when a patient receives an ABN, coders and billers will need to determine...

• Trivia

  Which New York island was originally called Gibbet Island?

Issue 8, February 26, 2010

• Q/A: Unbundling therapy services

  Q: If a physical performance test is conducted (97750, physical performance test or measurement...

• Tip: Determine the root cause of a ’never event’

  Never events, such as wrong-site surgeries, are actually rare events, says Alsie Fitzgerald, RN...

• 2010 CPT changes: Rethink revamped radiology codes

  Three changes in diagnostic and interventional radiology will require coders to rethink how they...

• Trivia

  Which sport in the Winter Olympics involves stones and brooms?

Issue 7, February 19, 2010

• Q/A: Correct revenue code for wound care depends on provider, location

  Q: Which revenue code should we use to report wound care if an occupational therapist or physical...

• Tip: Meet CMS' new pulmonary rehabilitation guidelines

  All Medicare patients with moderate, severe, or very severe classifications of chronic obstructive...

• 2010 CPT: Tumor excisions, facet joint injections among most significant changes

  Coders will find more than 450 changes in the 2010 CPT Manual, with the most significant...

• Trivia

  Which city hosted the first Winter Olympics?

Issue 6, February 12, 2010

• Q/A: Don?t report 94002 in ED

  Q: May we report CPT code 94002 for a patient started on a ventilator in the ED? Must the patient...

• Q/A: Don't report 94002 in ED

  Q: May we report CPT code 94002 for a patient started on a ventilator in the ED? Must the patient...

• Tip: Distinguish between orders, requisitions for diagnostic tests

  In the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, CMS restates its self-described...

• Prevent and react to outpatient never events

  In October 2009, an orthopedic surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital operated on the wrong finger of a...

• Trivia

  Who is the only man to serve as U.S. President without being elected either president or vice...

Issue 4, January 29, 2010

• Q/A: Report multiplier for drugs without separate reimbursement

  Q: I understand that CMS encourages hospitals to use HCPCS codes on all revenue code 636 drugs. How...

• Q/A: Select correct revenue code for packaged drugs

  Q: What is the best revenue code to use to bill packaged drugs? Does any guidance support the use...

• Tip: Know what documentation is necessary to code tumor excisions

  The AMA made a significant number of changes to soft tissue and bone tumor excision codes for 2010...

• Tip: Create a chart to aid hemorrhoid coding

  The revised CPT codes for hemorrhoids may be problematic for coders. Avoid confusion by developing...

• Comply with CMS guidelines for cardiac, pulmonary rehabilitation

  Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation program coordinators face many challenges as they implement...

• CMS clarifies need for physician signatures on all laboratory orders

  If your healthcare organization doesn’t require a physician signature on all orders for...

• Trivia

  In which city is the Sears Tower located?

• Trivia

  Which state with access to an ocean has the shortest coastline?

Issue 3, January 22, 2010

• Q/A: Status indicator change for drugs

  Q: I noticed some drug status indicators changed for 2010, especially status indicator K. How can...

• Tip: Understand the new codes for soft tissue tumors

  The AMA has significantly changed musculoskeletal system codes pertaining to soft tissue and bone...

• 2010 CPT changes: Rethink revamped radiology codes

  Three changes in diagnostic and interventional radiology will require coders to rethink how they...

• Trivia

  Who was the youngest individual to chair the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff?

Issue 2, January 15, 2010

• Q/A: Billing for H1N1 flu vaccine administration

  Q: We submitted claims to Medicare for the H1N1 flu vaccine using CPT code 90470 (H1N1 immunization...

• Tip: Train employees to avoid 'never events'

  Training employees is the important thing employers can do to prevent “never events.”

• 2010 CPT: Tumor excisions, facet joint injections among most significant changes

  Coders will find more than 450 changes in the 2010 CPT Manual, with the most significant...

• Trivia

  Which is the only US state to have been an independent republic?

Issue 1, January 8, 2010

• Q/A: Correct orders for lab services

  Q: All of a sudden we are receiving recoupments for some lab work we performed. The information...

• Tip: Create a tool to help bill FDG PET scans

  In order for your facility to be reimbursed for FDG PET scans, you need to properly bill them. One...

• CMS finalizes changes to physician supervision requirements

  CMS adopted a new standard for supervision of therapeutic services provided in a hospital or...

• Trivia

  Ancient Egyptians placed their right hands on which vegetable when taking an oath?

Issue 40, October 1, 2010

• Trivia

  How many people were killed in the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster in 1979?