Category: Medical Coding

Tips for Handling Combination Visits

Tips for Handling Combination Visits

Q: Some of our Medicare patient’s complain about their $20 or so co-pay when we bill ‘Combination visits’, a G0439 Annual Wellness visit  codes(AWV) and another Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for managing their problems during the same visit. Is there a good solution to this issue or any advice to maybe remedy this? A: This […]
Online Checklist for E M Coding Services Transition

AMA Releases Online Checklist for E/M Coding Services Transition

The American Medical Association issued a checklist for the transition to fundamental changes in evaluation and management (E/M) services, a medical coding process in support of medical billing which practicing healthcare providers must use to be reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid programs or private insurance. The checklist provides a guide for physician practices, which already are […]
Deciphering the CPT Code Changes

Deciphering the CPT Code Changes

The American Medical Association (AMA) publishes the Current Procedural Terminology code set changes every year, usually in September, for the upcoming new year. The changes impacting CPT 2020 were released on September 4, 2019. There was a total of 394 CPT code changes, of which, 58 affect the surgery center market. 2020 CPT Code Changes […]
HCPCS Level II Coding Cycles and Procedures

CMS Implements Significant Updates to HCPCS Level II Coding Cycles and Procedures

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that, beginning in January 2020, CMS will implement shorter and more frequent HCPCS Level II coding  cycles for requests to modify the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II code set. Under the updated procedures, stakeholders will be able to submit code applications on a quarterly basis […]
New Code for E-Cigarette Associated Lung Injury

New Code for E-Cigarette/Vaping Associated Lung Injury (EVALI Code)

Emergency release of the new EVALI code by CDC. On Dec. 9, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published additional guidance regarding e-cigarette/vaping associated lung injury (EVALI Code). The new code is U07.0 (Vaping-related disorder). The CDC consulted with the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding an addition to the classification that would […]
AI Can Help Health Plans Become Member-Centric

How AI Can Help Health Plans Become Member-Centric

Improving the customer experience is no longer an idea that’s relegated to the retail or hospitality industries. Now, the idea has gained traction across many industries, including healthcare. For health plans, improving the customer experience and providing member-centric care helps drive member acquisition and retention and improve reimbursement (via a better STARS rating). With so […]
New CPT Codes for Self-Measured BP

New Year, New CPT Codes for Self-Measured BP

Guidance for using out-of-office BPs is not new. Medical evidence and clinical guidelines published over the last decade have showcased the importance of 24-hour ambulatory monitoring as the reference standard, and self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) as an acceptable alternative for obtaining BPs to diagnose and treat hypertension. And thanks to that abundance of research […]
J Code Activations Simplify Billing Reimbursements For Practices

J Code Activations Simplify Billing Reimbursements For Practices

Several CMS-designated permanent and product-specific J-codes recently went into effect, allowing three ophthalmology-minded pharmaceutical companies to expand reimbursement through commercial and Medicare insurance plans. J-codes were activated Oct. 1 for FDA-approved products manufactured by EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Ocular Therapeutix and Omeros. In the past, J-codes were announced once a year; now, CMS is issuing certain J-codes […]