Recently, HealthLeaders hosted its first ‘Virtual Happy Hour CFO Roundtable’ sponsored by Nuance, gathering executives to address the financial and technological challenges facing the health system during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The hour-long roundtable brought together healthcare executives from provider organizations ranging across the East Coast to the Midwest to delve into two key strategic […]
The Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program grew out of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General improper payment rate estimates from 1996 through 2002. Due to sample size restrictions, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) assumed responsibility because they had access to more granulated data in 2003. The […]
As the nation began experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases this fall, a similar upswing occurred in the use of telehealth, according to the latest report from FAIR Health, an independent, nonprofit organization, which tracks commercial insurance claims as part of a healthcare cost transparency initiative. Compared to one year ago, October usage of telehealth increased […]
Examine the utilization of Master Data Management (MDM) for coding office visits in 2021 from an auditor’s standpoint. When educating healthcare practitioners on the 2021 documentation guidelines for office/outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) services (codes 99202–99215), it is advisable to adopt an auditor’s perspective. A comprehensive auditor’s toolkit comprises four essential components: diagnoses, data analysis, […]
The American Medical Association (AMA) has released updates for the second and third quarters of CPT® 2021. These changes, including new, revised, and deleted codes, will be implemented in AAPC’s Codify system as they become effective. Practices should also update their CPT® 2021 code books and electronic health record (EHR) software accordingly. Proprietary Laboratory Analyses […]
On December 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finally issued the final rule for the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). This was later than usual due to the public health emergency (PHE) and gives practices little time to prepare. However, we found that the changes from the proposed rule were […]
Healthcare forecasting that can adapt quickly to changes could be as critical to a provider organization’s survival in 2021 as wearing a mask to stop the spread of COVID-19, experts at PwC’s Health Research Institute are saying. Nearly three-quarters of healthcare executives (74 percent) recently surveyed by the Health Research Institute said their organizations would […]
The evaluation and management (E/M) changes for calendar year 2021 are the result of a collaborative effort between the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS first addressed the changes in the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, in which CMS indicated that it planned on adopting […]
Healthcare seems to be important in all areas where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is promising. This likelihood is because healthcare services are overwhelmed by workforce shortages, inadequate medication, increased patient burdens, and inaccurate diagnosis, all of which may help a degree by modern technologies. Imminent prospects for AI in healthcare comprise health assistance and medication management, […]
Telemedicine is proving to be of great value to patients as well as the health professionals. The most significant innovation of telemedicine over in-person visits is the opportunity for better patient follow up and increased health outcomes. Traditionally, the hospitals recommended a treatment plan or prescribed medications, then hoped the patient followed their advice. But […]