HCPro, JustCoding Outpatient - 2015 Issue 42 (November)
NCCI logic could lead to no payment for claims, including comprehensive APCs
November 11th, 2015
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This article explains outpatient claims processing issues that can arise when multiple comprehensive APC services are reported on the same claim and summarizes selected CMS update items from an October 2015 I/OCE release. It is relevant to hospital outpatient coders, billing staff, reimbursement specialists, and compliance teams who work with APCs, HCPCS, ICD-10-CM edits, and NCCI claim edits. The article also covers broader update topics such as new or revised code assignments, status indicator changes, diagnosis-list edits, and modifier-related changes.
Why This Topic Matters
The article matters because it highlights claim-processing situations that can affect whether outpatient services receive payment and because it summarizes several CMS update changes that may require claim review, system updates, or coding workflow adjustments.
Article Sections
-
Comprehensive APC claim issues
Discusses outpatient claim scenarios involving multiple comprehensive APC services and how claim-processing logic can affect payment outcomes. The section focuses on general APC and NCCI-related concerns for providers reviewing claims.
-
New codes and APCs
Summarizes selected HCPCS code and APC update items from the October 2015 I/OCE cycle. The section includes new or revised outpatient code assignments and status indicator changes.
-
ICD-10's impact
Reviews ICD-10-CM transition considerations and lists examples of diagnosis-list changes associated with the October 1, 2015 effective date. The section addresses claim splitting and general diagnosis edit maintenance.
-
Other changes
Covers additional outpatient update items, including skin substitute, HCPCS, and modifier-related changes. The section also notes broader NCCI release activity and code-pair update totals.
What You Will Learn
- How comprehensive APC claim processing can be affected when multiple services appear on the same claim
- What kinds of CMS outpatient update items were included in the October 2015 I/OCE revision
- How ICD-10-CM transition timing can affect claim submission workflows
- What other HCPCS, APC, skin substitute, and modifier update items were noted in the article
- How NCCI release updates can change outpatient code-pair maintenance
Who Should Read This
- Hospital outpatient coders
- APC and OPPS billing staff
- Reimbursement specialists
- Revenue cycle managers
- Compliance and claims review staff
Codes Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.



Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com