Category: Blog

Patient Satisfaction

How to Drive Patient Satisfaction and Financial Results with a Modern Medical Billing Process

Most industries embrace the motto “the customer is king.” They are acutely aware their success is driven by it. While the complexity of the healthcare business model has made it challenging for provider organizations to adopt such an ethos, the recent rise of consumerism in the industry necessitates that providers prioritize the patient experience if […]
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Codes Subject To Or Excluded From CLIA Edits

2019 Codes Subject To Or Excluded From CLIA Edits

The CPT® codes that are considered a laboratory test under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) change each year, as well as throughout the year, making it difficult for healthcare providers and laboratories to keep up. Here are the CPT codes for 2019 that are subject to or excluded from CLIA edits in easy-to-look up […]
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4 Ways to Stop Losing Patients Over Medical Bills

4 Ways to Stop Losing Patients Over Medical Bills

Every business not only wants to attract new customers but to keep its existing ones, and hospitals and health systems are no different. Unfortunately, surprise medical bills can be the element that drives patients away from one hospital and into the waiting arms of the competition. New research published this month in Health Affairs provides hospitals with […]
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What the Presidential Budget Means for Medicare

What the Presidential Budget Means for Medicare

President Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget allows for $87.1 billion in discretionary budget authority and $1.2 trillion in mandatory funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Although the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) commands the lion’s share of HHS’s budget, the Trump administration has found ways to cut $395 million […]
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New Rules Issued for Modifiers 59, XE, XS, XP, and XU

New Rules Issued for Modifiers 59, XE, XS, XP, and XU

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a policy change modification to the claims processing logic for Modifier 59 Distinct procedural service (and the optional patient-relationship modifiers XE, XS, XP, and XU) on February 15, 2019. These modifiers are only processed when applied to the Column 2 code in a bundled pair, per Correct Coding Initiative […]
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Medicare Advantage Plans and the Two-Midnight Rule

Medicare Advantage Plans and the Two-Midnight Rule

Controversy continues to swirl around this subject. A recent article of mine focused on the argument that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have to follow the two-midnight rule. It certainly generated buzz; I received a number of emails with comments and questions. First, I want to note that I love getting comments and questions. I can’t […]
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“Defensive” Undercoding Is Indefensible

“Defensive” Undercoding Is Indefensible

Undercoding, or reporting a lesser service than was performed and documented, is sometimes employed as a defensive strategy to stave off claims denials or audits. But, undercoding can make a provider an outlier, and may create consequential patient care, compliance, and financial liabilities. For example: Undercoding Leaves Money On The Table, Driving Down Provider Reimbursement […]
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3 Key Strategies to Increase Healthcare Revenue Cycle Efficiency

3 Key Strategies to Increase Healthcare Revenue Cycle Efficiency

As providers engage in complex payment models and collect more from patients, they must learn to automate key functions to improve healthcare revenue efficiency. The healthcare revenue cycle has many moving parts. From patient access and registration to medical billing and coding, provider organizations of all sizes must achieve revenue cycle efficiency to ensure providers […]
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Preparing Providers For Value-Based Care

Preparing Providers For Value-Based Care, Consumerism In Healthcare

Technology can transform data into actionable insights for providers needing to meet the demands of value-based care and consumerism in healthcare. Transforming raw data into actionable information is crucial to the financial future of provider organizations, especially as pressure builds on providers to align their care delivery approach with value-based care and consumerism in healthcare. […]
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