Billing and coding Q&As
Coding/documentation | Home care | Inpatient care | Medicare policies | Office visits | Screening and preventive care
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Coding/documentation
Practice Rx
Medicare implements new advanced beneficiary notice form
May '08
Practice Rx
When and how to use new phone and Internet E/M coding
April ’08
Practice Rx
Medicare’s vaccination payments covered in a variety of ways
March ’08
Practice Rx
February '08
Practice Rx (January 2008)
Health Care Act creates way to bill for VZV vaccine
Also, get an early look at changes to medically unlikely edits and the Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative. (March 2007)
2007 rings in changes to anticoagulation management
The new year also brings new language to clarify reimbursement for consultations, screenings and vaccines. (January-February 2007)
Defining home visits
Plus, how location affects payments. (December 2006)
Billing tips to ease the aches and pains of flu season
Plus, how to tell which Medicare patients are covered for abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. (November 2006)
Make sure your diagnosis codes match ICD-9 changes
New codes in effect Oct. 1. (October 2006)
Clarifying rules on new vaccines, oxygen prescribing
How to bill for new vaccine approvals; prescribing oxygen to Medicare patients. (September 2006)
Investing in an audit can reveal costly coding errors
Here are some strategies for determining if you're choosing the right E/M codes and what to do if you find problems. (July-August 2006)
Billing changes you need to know for hospice patients
Moving from curative to palliative care signals an important change in billing practice. (May 2006)
The New Year brings more changes to CPT E/M codes
Internists will be most affected by changes to the evaluation and management services codes. (January-February 2006)
Will the new drug benefit affect physician workflow?
"Dual eligibles" and a new appeals process all promise to require more of your time. (December 2005)
Medicare implements new claims appeal procedures
Medicare is making changes to the fee-for-service claims appeal process. (October 2005)
Medicare ushers in new smoking cessation coverage
Tobacco use remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death in this country. (May 2005)
How should you bill and code for patients with diabetes?
Proper billing and coding will help ensure prompt payment and compliance with standards. (October 2004)
Diabetes care: the right way to bill and code lab tests
Medicare will probably pay for lab tests related to diabetic care if tests are supported by diagnosis code. (Web Only)
The new ICD-9 codes that every internist should know
A discussion on the changes that have been made to codes in the International Classification of Diseases. (Web Only)
How to aggregate physician time to bill E/M services
Tips for billing aggregate time for critical care, prolonged services with direct contact and attending physician services. (May 2004)
New changes to CPT codes that will affect internists
Important CPT changes include those for E/M, lab/panel and vaccine codes. (January-February 2004)
How to use coding 'edits' to prevent billing problems
Medicare has put information to help physicians avoid rejected claims online, and it's free. (November 2003)
A list of Medicare coding edits by procedure
You can download correct coding initiative edits by type of service or procedure. (Web Only)
The new ICD-9 codes that every internist should know
Most insurers will give you until Jan. 1 to start using new codes to report your services. (September 2003)
Trouble with health plans? Report problems online
A new complaint form will help organized medicine track problems with insurers. (July-August 2003)
CPT changes codes for patient transport, labs and call
Internists will be most affected by changes to codes for patient transport, blood collection and special services (February 2003)
Tips to help you avoid making common billing mistakes
Watch out for incomplete information, incorrectly entered information and filing deadlines (November 2002)
Changes to ICD-9-CM codes that will affect internists
New and changed ICD-9 Codes will affect how you bill (October 2002)
Providing uncovered services? Use these modifiers
Using modifiers will speed denials or remove suspicion that you routinely bill for unnecessary services (May 2002)
Evaluation and management code changes in CPT 2002
CPT has added several new codes covering patient transport, critical care, care plan oversight and preventive medicine (January 2002)
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Home care
Medicare clarifies its definition of 'homebound'
The revision allows beneficiaries who occasionally leave home for nonmedical purposes to still be classified as homebound (June 2001)
Medicare changes some rules on home health billing
Medicare now pays a separate fee to certify and recertify home health care plans. Here's how to bill for these services. (March 2001)
Billing for preventive exams, assisted living visits
Coding and billing tips for physicals and visits to patients in assisted living (September 2000)
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Medicare policies
CMS changes rules on inpatient exams, documentation. (April 2007)
Health Care Act creates way to bill for VZV vaccine
Also, get an early look at changes to medically unlikely edits and the Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative. (March 2007)
2007 rings in changes to anticoagulation management
The new year also brings new language to clarify reimbursement for consultations, screenings and vaccines. (January-February 2007)
Demystifying Medicare Part D's exceptions and appeals
If you're struggling with Medicare's new prescription plan, you're not alone—here are some FAQs that can help. (April 2006)
Letters
Readers comment on care coordination codes, patient communication, and end-of-life care. (March 2006)
Medicare revamps how it answers physician questions
Under the new Medicare drug benefit, contractors must improve their methods of communication. (July-August 2005)
Medicare ushers in new smoking cessation coverage
Tobacco use remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death in this country. (May 2005)
A look at Medicare's kinder, gentler auditing process
Last year's Medicare reform bill and a new CMS program give physicians some relief from onerous audits. (July-August 2004)
Complaints about your carrier? CMS wants to know
The CMS is trying to improve the services physicians get from Medicare carriers. (April 2004)
New Medicare reform boosts pay for rural physicians
Recently enacted Medicare reform legislation increases payments for physicians in rural and other underserved areas. (March 2004)
Recent CMS lab test standards simplify billing rules
Medicare has standardized policies for physician documentation requirements and frequency limitations for lab tests. (December 2003)
Medicare paying more for pneumococcal, flu vaccines. (October 2003)
How the new Medicare rates will affect your practice
Get answers to your questions about the new Medicare rates implemented on March 1 (April 2003)
Think Medicare won't cover it? Use this new form
New standardized ABNs help you inform beneficiaries that they are expected to cover the cost of services Medicare declines to pay for (March 2003)
Medicare issues new rules to bill for shared services
How to bill for E/M services provided jointly with a nonphysician provider (December 2002)
Medicare updates billing rules for teaching physicians
In a clear win for internists, attendings do not need to repeat documentation already provided by residents (January 2003)
CMS establishes national standards for lab tests
The new rule creates uniform, national Medicare coverage for common lab tests. (July-August 2002)
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Inpatient care
Visiting an inpatient admitted by another physician
Normally when two physicians bill for seeing the same patient on the same date, they are treating different aspects of the patient's condition (February 2002)
Billing services provided by moonlighting residents
Residents generally need identification numbers to bill for services provided outside their training program (November 2001)
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Office visits
How to bill Medicare for a pre-operative assessment
Many preoperative assessments can be billed as consultations (September 2001)
How to define 'new' patients and code flu shots
Select correct CPT codes for new patient visits and immunizations (December 2000)
Billing for a same-day service and minor procedure
How to code for an E/M service and minor procedure provided on the same day (October 2001)
Billing guidelines for anticoagulant monitoring
How to code and bill when monitoring patients on anticoagulants (July-August 2000)
How to bill for services performed when you're away
Medicare lets you bill for patient care performed by others—if you meet certain requirements (July/August 1999)
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Screening and preventive care
Medicare paying more for pneumococcal, flu vaccines. (October 2003)
Medicare expands several of its screening policies
Medicare now pays for more frequent screening tests for colorectal, cervical and vaginal cancers (July-August 2001)
How to define 'new' patients and code flu shots
Select correct CPT codes for new patient visits and immunizations (December 2000)
How to bill Medicare for prevention-related care
Bill services that address problems discovered during physicals (May 2000)
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