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Congress unlikely to cut Medicare, patients’ coverage this year -- but states may act

01/08/2018

Despite high-level talk of cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and a recent blow to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you don’t need to worry too much about further cuts to federal programs in 2018. But do watch for state-level changes that could impact the way your patients’ coverage works.

Keep track of time to seize payment for new add-on codes to preventive services

01/08/2018

by: Richard Scott

With the introduction of two new codes in 2018, you’ll find a pathway to reporting the extra time your physician or clinical staff spends with patients during an encounter involving Medicare-covered preventive services, such as an annual wellness visit (AWV) or lung cancer screening.

CMS proposes changes to Medicare Advantage scoring, new and revised HCCs

01/08/2018

by: Roy Edroso

If you serve mental health or nephrology patients on Medicare Advantage plans, take notice of a CMS proposal to change Medicare Advantage risk adjustment.

Limit post-op billing when provider changes practices during global period

01/08/2018

by: Richard Scott

Question: A surgeon performs a procedure at one practice location. He then leaves that practice, transitioning to a new practice during a patient’s 90-day global period. The second practice is an entirely new group with a new tax ID. When the physician starts at the new practice and sees his patient from the first practice for routine follow-up care, how do we report those post-op visits? Can they be reported separately?

E/M use for top M.D.s dropped in 2016 — but NPPs’ use rose

01/08/2018

by: Roy Edroso

Top specialties saw office E/M utilization go down between 2014 and 2016, the most recent year for which we have Medicare data — except for the two top-billing categories of non-physician practitioners (NPP).

From the Part B News blog

01/08/2018

by: Richard Scott

Take note of the news that happens between Part B News issues by checking out the free Part B News blog. Here’s a sampling from this week.

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