Archive for the Week of May 19, 2006
Archive for the Week of May 19, 2006
Welcome to the medical billing blog archive for the week of May 19, 2006.
Here you will find links to every article added to the Outsource Management Group web site during the week of May 19, 2006.
You can browse this week's archives by clicking the "More" button from any of the excerpts below.
Correctly Coding E/M in Medical Billing
New medical billing coding interpretation may add more reimbursement to your reimbursements. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services clarified the rules for a new patient evaluation and management codes. In reality, there has been no real medical billing policy change to the language the policy is written in; it is simply going to be interpreted differently by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Now, the definition of “new patient” means someone none of the physicians in the practice have seen in the last 36 months face-to-face. Some medical billing staff members may get confused when it comes to lab work and other non-face-to-face procedures. If a patient is …
Take Advantage of the Preventative Care Medical Billing Increases
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services updated the healthcare payment amounts for certain medical procedures related to preventative care. The Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) has ruled in favor of the provider on a few financial issues. There are some medical billing changes implemented in the January 2006 update that will increase your revenue if you use them correctly. The main medical billing change issued by the Outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) deals with preventative screening exams. Beginning in January 2006, Medicare will now reimburse at a higher rate for most preventative services provided. For instance: Many patients receive a “Welcome to Medicare” physical. Now, if hospitals provide this …
Medical Billing Guidelines Made Clear
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services can sometime seem a little vague in their guidelines. It is common knowledge in the medical billing world that a physician or non-physician practitioner must perform the history of present illness portion of an evaluation and management exam. However, this medical billing rule is nowhere to be found in the CMS guidelines. After examining the Center for Medicare & Medicaid’s guidelines, many people wonder if an ancillary staff member instead of a physician can take the history of present illness. Nowhere in the documentation does it prohibit this to be done. Most medical billing policies are spelled out exactly how they should be …
Are You Using the "G" Codes in Your Medical Billing Claims?
The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are in a medical billing dispute. According to the American Medical Association, new “G” codes will be an unnecessary hassle. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services believe that these new medical billing codes are an improvement in the healthcare system. Administratively, the CMS- created “G” codes and this may become a headache for your medical practice. There is virtually no incentive to use these medical billing codes. 2006 is the requested Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implementation date, but no one is jumping up and down for this change. For many businesses, the bottom line …
Medical Billing Techniques That Will Get Your Practice Audited
Millions of dollars each year are lost through outright fraudulent medical billing claims. Unscrupulous individuals deliberately file some of these medical billing claims, others are the result of an inexperienced coder in an office just getting it wrong. Either way, it can cost your practice big time in the form of time spent gathering information to answer an audit and in the form of some very stiff fines if there are improprieties found in your medical billing practices. The most common fraudulent medical billing practice is when services that were never rendered to a patient are billed. Since all charges are listed on an explanation of benefits form that is …
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