As the Risk Adjustment payment models become more and more commonplace, it is important that we not forget about this when coding during our current public health emergency (PHE). Read below to find out more about hierarchical condition categories. Hierarchical condition categories, or HCC’s, are assigned to diagnosis codes and reflect an aggregated value that…
Great documentation is going to be key during these uncertain times of COVID-19. For any clinician who has gone through an audit, chances are their auditors have said “tell me a good story” more than once during the process. Telling a good story is so important and often times even something that seems obvious to…
Medicare now recognizes the important work that primary care physicians do when it comes to preventive screenings in older patients. Is your practice currently following the annual wellness visits for Medicare beneficiaries? Read below to find out the 3 steps to add annual Medicare wellness visits in your practice! Does your practice currently conduct annual…
So many of us are now faced with not only the challenges associated with working from home but having the whole family home as well. There are daily news stories about how to cope with kids who want to go see their friends, work-out routines without gym equipment, and virtual dance parties streamed live via…
CMS has released a second emergency code for the testing of CORVID-19. To find out more about this update, read the article below and click on the links to see how you are covered. As of Friday, March 6th, CMS released a second emergency code for CORVID-19 testing. Unlike HCPCS code U0001, which was released…
February is Heart Health Awareness Month, so we all wear red and talk about our hearts, but what are we doing every day to make sure we are keeping it healthy? How many hours each day, week, month do we each spend at our desks without so much as a break to get water? If…
In a recent release of 2018 benchmarks regarding modifiers 76, 77 and 79, the data of payment vs denials is staggering. For instance, a total of 159 codes reported with 91 and 249 codes that were reported using modifier 77 all had a 100% denial rate. Compared to the 952 codes that were denied when…
As Risk Adjustment (RA) and Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) coding continue to grow and become common practice it is important for not just coders, but also our clinicians to recognize its importance and the effect it has on reimbursement. Below is an example of a procedure and notes regarding coding and why our clinician must…
In the January 23rd edition of the MLN Connects, CMS announced the release of a Comparative Billing Report (CBR) on Shoulder Arthroscopies for Medicare part B claims. This information can be vital for Orthopedic practices during the audit process. Data will be compared based on other providers in your state as well as nationwide. However,…
The New Year always brings opportunities to grow and learn. While many find it difficult to be healthy in the workplace there are simple steps to take to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Below are six great tips on building healthy habits at work. Read the article below to find out 6 ways you can build…