Discover why better documentation is the best defense against these mistakes. There’s good news and bad news about improper Medicare Fee-For-Service payments. The good news is the improper payment rate fell from 11% in 2016 to 9.5% in 2017—a $4.9 billion decrease. The bad news? According to CMS, most improper payments were “due to documentation … Read more
Discover key distinctives of the 1997 E/M coding rules and why they matter. A lot was new in 1997. Titanic was a new box office blockbuster. Steve Jobs was back at Apple as the company’s new CEO. Harry Potter was a new star in children’s literature. Here’s something else that was new—the Medicare billing E/M guidelines … Read more
As more doctors use mobile devices, discover 10 of today’s top apps. The Pew Research Center reports that 77% of Americans own smartphones. And U.S. physicians’ adoption of mobile devices appears to mirror that statistic. Forbes contributor Daniel Newman cites research showing 80% of doctors “already use smartphones and medical apps.” He says the trend … Read more
Make Sure You’re Not Missing Legitimate Revenue from New Patient Visits What CPT® evaluation and management (E/M) code would you assign this fictional patient office visit (adapted from one discussed in an MDCodePro video lecture)? A former patient you last saw four years ago limps into your office, complaining of severe pain in his left … Read more
Focusing on this criterion simplifies your choice of medical coding courses. Be careful: Your hospital is being watched. Not yours alone, of course. Hospitals across the U.S. face increasingly strict scrutiny from Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). And it’s not hard to figure out why. According to CMS, 9.51% of Medicare claims in the fiscal year … Read more
Follow these tips to make audits less time consuming (if not any more fun). Audits.To many billing administrators, perhaps including you, they sound about as appealing as root canals or tax returns. But they’re a fact of life in the healthcare industry. And with increasing pressure to keep Medicare solvent and safe from fraud, medical … Read more