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4 tips to secure an additional $26,000 in EHR meaningful use incentives

03/07/2013

Your work is not done if you completed your first electronic health records (EHR) attestation to secure $18,000 for each eligible provider at your practice. Another $26,000 awaits each provider if your practice takes key steps to make progress on meaningful use measures.

6 tips to make your physician practice attractive to partners, potential buyers

03/07/2013

by: Roy Edroso

If you’re thinking about making the big and increasingly common move from an independent practice to one integrated with a hospital or health system, or even getting out of the business, our experts advise that you do some work and some hard thinking before you start taking offers.

Why you should bother with meaningful use if you missed the full incentive

03/07/2013

by: Karen Long

The last deadline passed Feb. 28 for practices to secure the full $44,000 electronic health record (EHR) incentive over five years, but practices can capture $39,000 if they start attesting in 2013.

Prepare your practice for billing changes if Vicodin becomes a Schedule II drug

03/07/2013

by: Julia Kyles

Be ready to change your prescribing habits for common pain medications such as Vicodin if the FDA’s recommendation to reclassify medications with hydrocodone as Schedule II controlled drugs becomes a rule.

Benchmark of the Week: Physician billing trends for claims listing modifier 22, 2010-2011

03/07/2013

by: Lauren C. Williams

This graph shows how providers billed modifier 22 (Unusual procedural service requiring extra physician work) from 2010 to 2011, and selected denial rates.

Sequester deadline set to pass as of press time; 2% cut in effect April 1

02/28/2013

by: Roy Edroso

By the time you read this, Congress’ sequestration deadline will have passed, and without congressional action, a mandatory 2% cut will be imposed on your practice’s Medicare reimbursement. This is an unprecedented event, and experts with whom Part B News spoke were hesitant to predict what will happen next – though they expect some sort of deal to be worked out.

Medicare payment error may mean money owed to your physician practice

02/28/2013

by: Karen Long

Keep a close eye on payments you’re receiving from Medicare because at least one recovery auditor (RAC) has spotted underpayments being made under the wrong fee schedules, Part B News has learned.

Remittance advice change may make it easier to analyze, respond to unpaid claims

02/28/2013

by: Scott Kraft

Efforts to standardize the way payers communicate remittance advice remark codes (RARCs) and claim adjustment reason codes (CARCs) could eliminate some of the confusion providers now face when figuring out why claims are going unpaid, experts tell Part B News.

CMS to recoup AWV overpayments when physicians, facilities both bill

02/28/2013

by: Karen Long

You may have to pay back money from annual wellness visits (AWVs) that were billed first by a facility because CMS erroneously paid both claims for one service dating back to April 4, 2011.

Providers lag on HIPAA, audits show, and other findings from the HIPAA Summit

02/28/2013

by: Roy Edroso

Last week, we shared OIG concerns from the recent HIPAA Summit in Washington, D.C., about encryption issues and human error causing violations (PBN 2/25/13). But busy practice managers need to also focus on other areas to ensure HIPAA compliance, according to presenters at the Feb. 19-21 Summit.

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