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Prepare and monitor: Take extra steps when the patient’s a medical tourist

05/16/2022

If your patient is getting medical treatment abroad, ensure they’re aware of the risks and counsel them on precautions. If they go without your knowledge, do your best to get the facts on their treatment.

You can fold procedures into time-based office visits, but don’t double dip

05/16/2022

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

You can include procedure time when you report time-based E/M office visits (99202-99205, 99212-99215), but your practice should have a policy for documenting and coding these types of combination encounters.

Did your practice get burned online? Reach out — and redirect

05/16/2022

by: Roy Edroso

When you confront negative reviews of your providers or your practice on review sites, managing a strategic response can be a net plus. Instead of hurling responses online, set up a strategy that involves direct patient outreach and an invitation to share positive news.

The risk of a critical illness does not justify critical care coding

05/16/2022

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

Remind your providers and coders to reserve critical care codes (99291-99292) for the treatment of patients who are currently critically ill. The risk or expectation that a patient will need critical care services during a hospital stay does not meet the definition for the time-based, high-intensity and high-revenue service.

When audit, discipline are not enough, report defrauding providers

05/16/2022

by: Roy Edroso

A recent case of false claims caught in an internal audit — but not reported to authorities — proved costly to both a provider and his employer. The case offers a clear reminder that not every provider audit should remain an internal affair.

Count bilateral facet RFA as one session during 12-month period

05/16/2022

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

Question: We’re having a debate at our practice about frequency limits for paravertebral facet joint denervation (64633-64636). We all understand that a practice can bill two radiofrequency ablations (RFA) for one spinal region in a rolling 12-month period. But we disagree on one main point. Can you tell us who is right?

Doc to doc: Use of interprofessional consults surged in 2020

05/16/2022

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

The 2020 proliferation in communications-based services extended beyond patient encounters, as physicians increasingly consulted with one another via phone, internet or other electronic channels.

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