Do we give a MOON letter to a patient who was originally assigned to inpatient status, but then reassigned to observation services when the utilization review committee determined that he or she did not meet inpatient criteria. In this instance, condition code 44 was used and the patient’s status was changed to observation. If we are required to deliver the MOON form in this situation, should it be given to the patient at the same time as the patient is given information on condition code 44?
Sally, a case manager assigned to surgical cases, has noticed a recent increase in challenging insurance cases since her hospital brought on a new trauma surgeon. One such challenging case began Christmas Eve, when an 80-year-old female patient with several fractures was admitted to Sally’s unit. The patient shared with Sally that her injury occurred when she tripped while exiting a major super store. She fell face first on an icy sidewalk. She had just finished her holiday shopping and all her presents were scattered in front of her. The ambulance drivers had been so accommodating. Before transporting the patient, they collected all the gifts and delivered them to the nearest hospital with the patient.
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 Medicare Quarterly Compliance Newsletter.
How we define, diagnose, and document diagnoses that predict morbidity and mortality is essential if we want our patient’s risk to be accurately portrayed.
