Medical Billing Blog: Section - Medical Coding
Archive of all Articles in the Medical Coding Section
This is the archive containing links to all articles written in the Medical Coding section of our blog.
Click any of the article links below to read the entire article or browse another section to the right to read articles on another subject.
EHR Dissatisfaction is Contributing to Provider Burnout
“I am a daily user of two EHR systems. One is a community hospital based complex EHR, and one is a cloud and iPad based EHR that we use in our private practice. The private practice-based EHR is much more user friendly and adapts well to our practice. I am what you would consider a “power-user” on our community hospital based EHR, and spend a fair amount of time helping other members of the medical staff better understand and use it. The integrated dictation, patient education, auto-population of data, and macros are just a few of the elements of the EHR that make my life easier, and has the potential …
eClinicalWorks Settlement Leads to Distrust of EHR Vendors
A recent study investigating provider opinions regarding the eClinicalWorks $155-million settlement found over one third of surveyed providers are more suspicious of all EHR vendors as a result of the lawsuit. The eClinicalWorks settlement followed allegations that the EHR company had misled consumers regarding its EHR certifications and paid some customers kickbacks in exchange for positive product promotion. Conducted by the Research Cloud, the study surveyed providers working in ambulatory settings to find out how familiar they are with the settlement and how the events have impacted their perception of eClinicalWorks and the EHR industry as a whole… Continue reading this article
Understanding HIPAA’s Medical Record Transfer Rules
“I recently received an inquiry from a physician who was frustrated by patients returning to his practice multiple times seeking copies of the same medical records. He described a situation where he (“Physician A”) had properly transferred a patient’s medical records to a new physician (“Physician B”). The patient then left Physician B to transfer to Physician C. Physician B was willing to transfer his own medical record for the patient to Physician C, but did not include the portion of the medical record provided by Physician A. Physician A was then required to provide his medical record to the patient again and wondered whether this was a common issue …
Tips for Succeeding at MIPS
With the CMS’ Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and value-based care model in full effect, it’s important for physicians to understand what MIPS means for their practices, particularly when it comes to understanding what types of technologies are available to help them avoid a negative adjustment to their Medicare reimbursement. As a practicing dermatologist, I’ve faced the ongoing challenges that evolving government mandates present and their subsequent reporting requirements. That said, these mandates, particularly MIPS, present an opportunity to refine and streamline existing regulations, while also taking a concerted step toward an effective quality care model and reimbursing physicians for value over volume. While another health IT mandate may seem …
Proposed QPP rule extends reprieve to small practices
The recently issued 2018 proposed rule for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act’s Quality Payment Program includes a threshold increase that would lessen Merit-based Incentive Payment reporting requirements for small and rural practices, according to Justin Barnes, board advisor at iHealth Innovations. Mr. Barnes shared the following tip with Becker’s Hospital Review. “The proposal extends transition year flexibilities into the 2018 reporting period and introduces bonus points for small practices, 2015 Certified Electronic Health Record Technology use and the care of complex patients. The rule also proposes postponing introduction of the MIPS Cost performance category… Continue reading this article
