Part B News Features
Question: I work for a group of surgeons that wants to start billing for post-operative pain blocks. For example, a transversus abdominis plane block (64486-64489) for hernia repair or an intercostal ... More
Recent changes mandated by Congress and CMS that boost the status of physician assistants (PA) — or physician associates, as some groups prefer — is another sign that the providers formerl... More
Providers are most likely to issue an advance beneficiary notice of non-coverage (ABN) for services that are excluded from Medicare coverage. For the years 2020 to 2024 providers submitted approxima... More
Question: I work for a group of surgeons that wants to start billing for post-operative pain blocks. For example, a transversus abdominis plane block (64486-64489) for hernia repair or an intercostal ... More
Recent changes mandated by Congress and CMS that boost the status of physician assistants (PA) — or physician associates, as some groups prefer — is another sign that the providers formerl... More
Providers are most likely to issue an advance beneficiary notice of non-coverage (ABN) for services that are excluded from Medicare coverage. For the years 2020 to 2024 providers submitted approxima... More
Tools
Find the latest list of designated health services (DHS) that are subject to the Stark physician self-referral rule’s restriction on referrals. The new list went into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
Get a head start on revisions to codes in the E/M, cardiovascular, radiology and medicine chapters of the 2026 CPT Manual. The following chart contains the current and revised long descriptors for codes that CMS released in the proposed 2026 Medicare physician fee schedule and intends to assign an active (A) payment status
Benchmark of the Week
Providers are most likely to issue an advance beneficiary notice of non-coverage (ABN) for services that are excluded from Medicare coverage. For the years 2020 to 2024 providers submitted approximately 574 million claims with modifier GY (Item or service statutorily excluded or does not meet the definition of any Medicare benefit).
After several years of decline, E/M office visit utilization increased across the board in 2024, and claims submitted by physician associates (formerly known as physician assistants) not only kept pace with the rate of recovery but exceeded it.
Learning Opportunities

Login

User Name:
Password:
Welcome to the new Part B News Online. If you are a returning user having trouble logging in, please click here.
Back to top