Want some free time with a real medical business expert -- Sean Weiss, CPC, CPC-P, CCP-P, Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of DecisionHealth Professional Services?

The HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report on E/M coding this week that shows levels 4 and 5 selection for established patient office visits is on the rise this past decade while levels 1 through 3 selection is on the decline. The portion of established patient E/M codes billed as levels 1 through 3 dropped by a combined 17% between 2001 and 2010 and selection of levels 4 and 5 account for a 17% higher portion during that same timeframe, according to the report – available here. 

With an eye toward finding a permanent fix to the flawed physician payment system, the Senate Finance Committee on May 10 held the first in a series of informal roundtable discussions.

The current “Doc Fix” law that prevented a 27% cut to physician fees is due to expire Dec. 31, a prospect that has caused concern both among physician organizations and members of Congress.

At this first meeting, the Senators hashed over the history of the sustainable growth rate (SGR), and invited four former Medicare officials to join the discussion.

The American Medical Association asks for a lot of Meaningful Use Stage 2 changes. As is customary, when HHS put out its proposed rule for EHR Meaningful Use Stage 2,  it invited comments. AMA posted theirs this week in a letter that runs to 37 pages and is co-signed by 100 affiliated associations, including state medical associations and professional practice groups. (AMA sent a shorter letter on this subject in March.)

The Department of Justice today announced another major fraud bust, with a total of 107 individiuals - including doctors, nurses and social workers - charged in seven cities around the country.