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Government Shutdown Looming as Congress Dithers

by  Matthew Albright

Like most of the world, I procrastinate when paying my bills. I tend to put them off until the very last minute. And that pretty much explains Congress’s strategy last year – and they clearly plan on continuing this approach for 2024. The tough stuff, like funding a government,...

CMS Issues Final Rules for PFS, OPPS/ASCs

by  Mark Spivey

The regulatory changes will create a variety of changes for providers. Amid a flurry of regulatory activity, federal officials late last week issued twin final rules governing changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS), with the latter also featuring adjustments...

CMS Announces Changes to DME Program

by  Wyn Staheli, Director of Content - innoviHealth

CMS recently announced that there have been some changes made to the DMEPOS program. The Medicare Learning Network (MLN) “DMEPOS Quality Standards” lists several changes to the program. Read more about understanding these changes.

When a Non-Covered Service Claim Gets Paid

by  Ronald Hirsch, MD FACP CHCQM CHRI

It happens more often than you might expect. One topic I often speak about is patient notices. Don’t we all love them? We all know no one really reads them until something goes wrong, and then you better be darn certain you did it right. Recently I discovered...

New Modifier Required on all Single-Use Drugs- JZ and JW Modifiers

by  Christine Woolstenhulme, QMC QCC CMCS CPC CMRS

Attention providers and suppliers, there is a new modifier in town! Starting July 1, 2023, Modifier JZ - Zero Drug wasted will be required on all claims to attest there is no drug leftover, If applicable.

REMINDER: CMS Discontinuing the use of CMNs and DIFs- Eff Jan 2023 Claims will be DENIED!

by  Christine Woolstenhulme, QMC QCC CMCS CPC CMRS

Updated Article - REMINDER! This is important news for durable medical suppliers! Effective January 1, 2023, CMS is discontinuing the use of Certificates of Medical Necessity (CMNs) and DME information forms (DIFs). We knew this was coming as the MLN sent out an article on May 23, 2022, but it is time to make sure your staff knows about these changes.

CMS Updates COVID Vaccine Requirements for Staff

by  Wyn Staheli, Director of Content - innoviHealth

CMS is revising its guidance and survey procedures for all provider types related to assessing and maintaining compliance with the staff vaccination regulatory requirements. This new memorandum replaces memoranda QSO 22-07-ALL Revised, QSO 22-09-ALL Revised, and QSO 22-11-ALL Revised.

CMS says Less Paperwork for DME Suppliers after Jan 2023!

by  Christine Woolstenhulme, QMC QCC CMCS CPC CMRS

This is important news for durable medical suppliers! Effective January 1, 2023, CMS is discontinuing the use of Certificates of Medical Necessity (CMNs) and DME information forms (DIFs). We knew this was coming as the MLN sent out an article on May 23, 2022, but it is time to make sure your staff knows about these changes.

Is Your Organization Ready to Deal with Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Audit Contractors?

by  Aimee L. Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT

Audits are currently underway to verify the monies distributed through the CARES Act were warranted and properly used by those organizations that received them. The federal government has contracted with financial institutions such as KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, among others, to perform these audits referred to as Provider Relief Fund (PRF) audit contractors, funded with monies from the very same program. There were four phases of funding disbursements with phase 1 audits beginning in September. How ready are you to be audited?

Injection Services

by  Christine Woolstenhulme, QMC QCC CMCS CPC CMRS

Injection Service Codes Injection service codes, are reported under administration of vaccines/toxoids, using 96372, 90460, 90461, 90471, 90472, 0001A, 0002A, 0003A, 0011A, 0012A, 0021A, 0022A, 0031A, 0041A, and 0042A. Other injections services include: Non-antineoplastic hormonal therapy injections – 96372 Anti-neoplastic nonhormonal injection therapy 96401 Anti-neoplastic hormonal injection therapy- 96402 Allergen immunotherapy - 95115-95117 According to CMS, do ...

Medicare's ABN Booklet Revised

by  Wyn Staheli, Director of Content - innoviHealth

The “Medicare Advance Written Notices of Non-coverage” booklet, published by CMS’s Medicare Learning Network, was updated. This article discusses the changes to this booklet regarding the use of the ABN.

OIG Plans for Onslaught of Risk Adjustment Audits Claiming 9.5% Error Rate in Code Assignment

by  Aimee L. Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT

As the OIG has published their intent to further investigate the 9.5% of improper payments based on incorrect ICD-10-CM code assignation, they implore Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to begin employing some of the CMS tools and data analytic programs used to help identify outliers.

Identifying Risk-Adjusted Services During the Opioid Crisis

by  Aimee L. Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT

Between June 2019 and June 2020, the United States saw a total of 107,750 deaths from COVID-19. The spread of this virus was so extraordinary that it led President Trump to declare a public health emergency, and we watched as individual states began implementing laws and regulations to limit social interaction ...

Why Will Medicare Administrative Contractors be Holding Claims Up?

by  Jared Staheli, MPP

When Congress passed the expansive American Rescue Plan Act last month, most Americans were focused on the direct payment provision of the bill. However healthcare administrators and policymakers had their attention on another aspect: cuts to Medicare payments. Why would Congress be cutting Medicare payments during the COVID-19 Public Health ...

Q/A: For E/M, How do I Count Tests Ordered in One Department and Performed in Another?

by  Aimee L. Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT

Question: I am in an ENT office as part of a large clinic with separate practices including audiology, CT, and allergy, all billing under the same TAX ID. Sometimes tests are ordered which are done in other departments that my office does not bill for, would those be considered an outside source? Answer: This is a great question and one that has been asked by many coders and auditors.

How Reporting E/M Based on Time May Lose Money

by  Aimee L. Wilcox, CPMA, CCS-P, CST, MA, MT

Just like math teachers who require students to show their work so they can see how the student reached their answer, providers are also required to "show their work" through the documentation process in the medical record. By the time a provider has reviewed the patient's subjective complaints (i.e., patient's ...

The OIG Turns their Gaze to Possible Inpatient Service Upcoding

by  Jared Staheli, MPP

The Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) is responsible for ensuring the integrity of programs operated by HHS, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs. One of the ways this is accomplished is through the identification of fraudulent activities, one of which ...

CMS Expands Telehealth Again

by  Wyn Staheli, Director of Content - innoviHealth

On October 14, 2020, CMS announced further changes to expand telehealth coverage. Eleven (11) new codes have been added to their list of covered services bringing the current total to 144 services. The new services include some neurostimulator analysis and programming services as well as some cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services.

Stay out of Trouble — Understand the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program

by  Wyn Staheli, Director of Content - innoviHealth

To assist low-income Medicare beneficiaries, CMS created the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program; a Medicaid benefit which pays for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, or copays for any Medicare-covered items and services for Medicare Part A, Part B, and Medicare Advantage (Part C). Providers/suppliers are prohibited from billing premiums and cost sharing to Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in QMB.

New Value-Based Payment Models for Primary Care (Primary Care First and Direct Contracting)

by  Jared Staheli, MPP

This article summarizes the new Medicare value-based payment models: Primary Care First and Direct Contracting.



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