On Friday, Nov. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule for the 2020 calendar year. While the official Federal Register version won’t be available until Nov. 15, the 2,475 double-spaced pages can be reviewed right now online...

There are 2,115 additions to the third quarter Medicare National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI or CCI) practitioner edits that became effective July 1, 2019. The good news is that the bulk of the new edits affect a comparatively small number of highly specialized HCPCS codes. Around three-quarters of the additions...

Medical billing reports are important in evaluating the efficiency of your practice. Thus, reports should show the performance of your organization in full details. This will greatly help in improving your revenue cycle. Some of the questions reports should be able to answer include:

A new HCPCS Level II code lets you report the Sinuva^TM implant for nasal polyps, but coding for placement may vary based on the encounter. Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) National Government Services has some advice for its providers. Here’s what you need to know if you perform coding for otolaryngology.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continue to investigate the underlying cause of electronic cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI). In order to assist public health response in recognizing and treating EVALI, the CDC and...

Becker's Hospital Review reported on the following payment model updates from CMS or HHS in October...

Too little attention is paid to documentation, coding, and billing in many medical practices. For patients, documentation simply means that your doctor is providing an account of your visit in your medical record. However, documentation and coding can affect revenue, quality of care, and possibly expose clinicians to legal consequences.

Providers should keep in mind that such policies aren’t binding – but can offer valuable direction. Imagine your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) had a policy detailing their coverage of records documented by a scribe.