Coding NewsCoding News – News about Coding

Neck Pain Will Have an Easy Code Switch in ICD-10

rpandit — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:56:40 +0000

Descriptor won’t even change from 723.1 to M54.2.

Chronic neck pain is one of the most common complaints among patients who see a pain management specialist, and a simple one to Read More...

Choose 20552 or 20553 — Not 20605 — for Trigger Points

rpandit — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:10:09 +0000

Question: The physician administered trigger point injections to fingers 2-5 on both the patient’s hands. He coded the procedure as 20605 x 8, but I don’t think that’s correct. What Read More...

Appeals: CMS Just Updated Medically Unlikely Edits–Do You Know How to Appeal Them?

rpandit — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:07:50 +0000

Many MUEs make sense, but for those that don’t, you can fight back.
By now, most practices are familiar with Medicare’s medically unlikely edits (MUEs), which CMS instituted to prevent Read More...

News You Can Use: State Medicaid Programs Offer E/M, Vaccine Reimbursement Boosts

rpandit — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:06:15 +0000

Watch for retroactive pay raises, if you self-attest.
Getting a payment increase from Medicaid sounds quite appealing to most practices, and it can be a reality for some primary care Read More...

Safeguard Against NCS Unit Blunders With Tips from March 2013 CPT Assistant

jennifer.godreau — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:36:53 +0000

Nerve conduction study (NCS) coding saw a major overhaul for 2013, requiring you to swap counting nerves for counting tests. To ensure your choice of units doesn’t run afoul of Read More...

Research How to Report Radiation Oncology Procedures in ICD-10-PCS

rpandit — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:53:46 +0000

Highlight this character for the radioactive isotope.

When you prepare to report a radiology oncology procedure, you need to pay particular attention to characters 3-6, as these specify the radiation, treatment Read More...

Reader Question: Watch Details When Deciding Between Levels 4 and 5 E/M

rpandit — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:13:04 +0000

Question: We have enough details for an encounter to reach these levels:

· HPI – detailed

· ROS – complete

· PFSH – complete

· EXAM – 10 systems

· MDM – moderate.

Is this documentation sufficient to support a Level 5 E/M Read More...

Practice Management: Time to Re-Enroll Your Gynecologist? You’ll Have an Easier Job, CMS Says

rpandit — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:10:45 +0000

You can fax or email the revalidation documents this time around.

If your gynecologist sees Medicare patients, re-enrolling your provider every few years is on your to-do list. The good news Read More...

News You Can Use: Stop Wondering: Congress Freezes Medicare Pay at 2012 Rates

rpandit — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:04:29 +0000

However, don’t assume your HPSA bonus will continue.

As many practices are aware, medical offices nationwide were waiting to find out whether legislators halted a 26.5 percent pay cut that the Read More...

February 2013 CPT® Assistant Reveals Missed Catheterization Coding Opportunities

jennifer.godreau — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:02:09 +0000

The CPT® trend of lumping multiple services into a single code has left many questioning whether transcatheter service claims contain too many or too few codes. Help is at hand Read More...