All Articles Written by Kathryn Disney-Etienne, CCS-P, RT
All Articles Written by Kathryn Etienne, CCS-P - RETIRED
Welcome to the archived list of all medical billing articles written and previously posted to the site by Kathryn Etienne, CCS-P, retired Director of Operations.
All articles are listed below and categorized by date, newest to oldest. Click any article link below to read the entire article.
Will Outsourcing Your Medical Billing Get Your Claims Paid Faster?
You bet it will. Outsourcing your medical billing is a big decision but it is also a very smart one. You are not only freeing up your staff to help run your busy practice, you are allowing the professionals whose sole business is to keep up with the fast paced and ever changing coding and regulation changes in our industry, take care of all of your billing and coding needs. You have a busy practice, your staff is busy servicing patients and generally doesn’t have the free time to devote to seeing what claims were paid and only partially paid. Your medical billing outsourcing partner has the knowledge, experience and …
Medical Billing Dilemma – Break Out Services for Medicare
Did you know that you might be missing a full reimbursement for well-woman care if you’re not breaking out the breast exam and pap smear? If the medical billing claim is for a well woman exam; in almost every instance, Medicare will allow you to break out the claims and get reimbursement for both services. If the physician provides a complete well-woman exam for a Medicare patient, you should report G0101 (Cervical or vaginal cancer screening; pelvic and clinical breast examination) for the breast and pelvic exams. When the physician also obtains a Pap smear, use Q0091 (Screening Papanicolaou smear; obtaining, preparing and conveyance of cervical or vaginal smear to …
Elements to Get Your Ob-Gyn Ultrasounds Paid
A type of medical billing claim that prompts a lot of confusion, is the ultrasound. Nearly three-quarters of women will undergo at least one ultrasound during their pregnancies, normally between 18 to 20 weeks gestation. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) maintains that one complete ultrasound should be included as a part of routine obstetric care. Knowing whether to code as a routine ultrasound or detailed ultrasound – check the reasons why it was done. One confusing point is when a patient is suspected of having abnormalities of the uterus or placenta; an ultrasound can determine whether or not further medical intervention is necessary during the …
What Is The Difference Between Modifier -25 and -57 When Filing Medicare Medical Billing Claims?
What Is The Difference Between Modifier -25 and -57 When Filing Medicare Medical Billing Claims? Modifier 25 and modifier 57 are sometimes difficult to differentiate between when doing medical billing. It is important to understand the differences between these two modifiers to ensure correct medical billing practices. In medical billing Modifier 25 means when doing an evaluation and management, a physician decides a MINOR surgical procedure needs to be done on the same day. It means the evaluation and management should be paid for separately and not bundled with the surgical reimbursement. In medical billing, Modifier 57 means when doing an evaluation and management, a physician decides a MAJOR surgical …
