Federal officials say their first monthly statistical update illustrating the impact of the COVID-19 virus on the Medicare population leaves no doubt: minorities are being disproportionately affected by the continuing pandemic.  

The terms closed and open are major players for traumatic fracture diagnosis coding. Brush up on some basics with this focus on ICD-10-CM coding for rib fracture initial encounters. First, Find Fractures in the Index — You Know You Should!

Due to the consistent changes in the federal rules & regulations and payer’s policies, the physician billing services are getting complicated on a daily basis. The cacophony of codes can pose a host of challenges for even the most well-organized billing departments. Adding...

As employers grapple with how to screen employees for the coronavirus upon returning to the workplace, several federal agencies have issued new testing rules and guidance.

Telehealth reimbursement rates is one area CMS is assessing in order to make Medicare telehealth expansions permanent after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the agency’s administrator.

We are learning more every day about the sequela conditions that might arise as a result of COVID-19. The early studies have found decreased lung function that might not be reversible, as well as potentially permanent damage to the heart, kidneys, and liver, along with GI conditions. Scientists and clinicians...

On July 20, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report that found that hospitals are overbilling or upcoding hospitals to the tune of $1 billion. OIG reviewed 200 claims made to Medicare that included a diagnosis of severe malnutrition and had a...

The attention given to total joint replacement has been a recurring headache for both physicians and hospitals over the last several years, and it appears that there is little chance of it abating. The latest is the announcement by RELI Group, a contractor for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), that an upcoming...

Claims denials can be frustrating for a physician practice to deal with, but leaving them unattended leaves a significant amount of revenue uncollected, says Andria Jacobs, RN, CPHQ, chief operating officer at PCG Software. Her company develops...

When a physician’s telehealth visit with a Medicare patient on FaceTime cut out after five minutes, they shifted to an audio-only visit, with the physician and patient speaking on the telephone. Although the call lasted for an hour, the physician didn’t document the time. That put her in a bind. To bill a time-based...