CMS plans to rebrand the Meaningful Use program as “Promoting Interoperability.” In a fact sheet, the agency said that the proposed changes outlined in the IPPS rule are meant to improve the use of EHRs and make it easier for providers to spend time with their patients.
CMS announced revised pricing for covered drugs and biologicals in the July 2018 update to the OPPS. Hospitals should thoroughly review all of the updates to ensure any required changes are in place by the stated effective dates.
Predicting CMS policies can be a foolhardy exercise, especially with a relatively new administration and frequent turnover at the highest levels of HHS over the last year. But it’s safe to say drug payment policy has been and will continue to be a focus of the current regime.
CMS introduced packaging guidance for total knee arthroplasty procedures paid under the OPPS and billed in conjunction with anesthesia administration as part of the July 2018 quarterly update to the integrated outpatient code editor.
CMS recently released MLN Matters SE18001 to provide healthcare practitioners with instructions and coding guidance for specimen validity when performed and billed in combination with drug testing. The article was issued to remind laboratories and other providers performing urine drug testing that specimen validity testing (SVT) is not separately billable.
CMS recently clarified the use of modifier -KX (requirements specified in the medical policy have been met) in response to an Office of Inspector General report that identified conflicting guidance that resulted in $4.6 million in improper payments.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), it is estimated that more than half a million people in the U.S. have Crohn’s disease. For unknown reasons, the disease has become more widespread in both the U.S. and other parts of the world.
The brain is the most complex component of the central nervous system, consisting of approximately 100 billion neurons that communicate via an exponential number of synapses. Coding for the brain can seem almost as complex. Brush up on ICD-10-CM/PCS coding for the brain.
Creating and using performance standards benefits HIM directors and the many functions they oversee. But with such a wide range of tasks falling under the HIM umbrella, it can be challenging to set practical standards that yield meaningful results. Follow these tips to get the most of out of your department’s standards.
Correct, complete documentation is the foundation of a sound medical record and compliant reimbursement, but getting that foundation in place can be challenging. Clinicians are juggling critical tasks in a high-stress situation, and administrative burden of electronic documentation and the disconnect that results from spending more time looking at a screen than a patient are often cited as the primary factors in physician burnout. Enter the medical scribe.
