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Think small: How you can reduce readmission rates like a small practice

09/29/2014

Reduce your hospital readmissions through scheduling flexibility, maintaining relationships with patients and communicating clearly with facilities.

Clarification about how to use new X modifiers starting Jan. 1

09/29/2014

by: Laura Evans

Question: Are the new modifiers for use in January 2015 (XE, XS, XP and XU) valid only on procedures and not to be used on E/M services?

Primary care billing more 99214, fewer 99213 and 99215 claims, data show

09/29/2014

by: Karen Long

If your internal medicine or family practice providers bill more than 90% of your established-patient E/Ms as level 3 and level 4, you could end up on an auditor’s radar.

Choose a PQRS reporting method by Sept. 30 or risk 2% or more in payment cuts

09/22/2014

by: Roy Edroso

Decide whether your practice will report physician quality reporting system (PQRS) measures as a group or individually by Sept. 30. You’ll have to register to use the group practice reporting option (GPRO) by that date if your practice wants to report as a group or, if your group has at least 10 providers, you’ll risk at least a 2% cut to 2016 payments.

Vicodin’s new DEA status could impact your NPPs, patients and practice flow

09/22/2014

by: Julia Kyles

Check your state scope of practice if your non-physician practitioners (NPPs) are currently able to write prescriptions for pain medications such as OxyContin to Vicodin and other drugs that contain hydrocodone.

Try reminders, in-house demos to get patients through the portal

09/22/2014

by: Roy Edroso

Having trouble getting patients to access information through your portal? A little creativity might help.

Medicare paid high-billing Illinois therapist mostly in error, OIG finds

09/22/2014

by: Laura Evans

Practices got a recent reminder from the government that physical therapy documentation elements that support medical necessity are essential to reimbursement.

Complete form by Oct. 3 to be part of ICD-10 end-to-end testing

09/22/2014

A deadline coming to be part of ICD-10 end-to-end testing, and a big DOJ complaint against a neurosurgeon and a POD.

Practices favor individual claims measures for PQRS reporting

09/22/2014

Almost 250,000 eligible professionals used claims to report individual measures for the physician quality reporting system (PQRS) in 2012, CMS data show.

Doctors paid improperly for use of spinal implants, U.S. alleges

09/22/2014

The U.S. Justice Department has filed two False Claims Act complaints against a pair of physician-owned spinal device distributorships, a California neurosurgeon and the owners of spinal implant company Reliance Medical Systems.

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