Part B News
Program integrity targets in HHS budget include enrollment, exclusions, PMDs
04/18/2013
by: Roy Edroso

While the HHS section of President Barack Obama’s budget proposed this month will probably undergo many changes over the coming months, experts tell us the program integrity section — dedicated to combating waste and fraud — gives clues that the department remains serious about squeezing money out of certain physician practice activities.

 
Save original meaningful use data — even if you switch EHRs — to prepare for audits
04/18/2013
by: Roy Edroso

Secure your $18,000 meaningful use bonus by keeping track of the electronic health records (EHR) documentation that you used when you attested. CMS auditors want to see it — and they prefer the originals.

 
Watch out for meaningful use pre-payment audits
04/18/2013
by: Roy Edroso

Simple checks, including making sure your enrollment is accurate in the Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS), could help you past new CMS meaningful use edits. CMS added pre-payment edits for meaningful use attestation in January.

Indicator, descriptor changes highlight first-quarter fee schedule update
04/18/2013
by: Scott Kraft

Catheter placement codes 36222-36228 will see their bilateral indicators changed from 0 (bilateral indicator does not apply) to 1 (150% payment adjustment when billed with modifier 50), a change retroactive to Jan. 1, 2013, CMS announced in transmittal 2677 to the Medicare Claims Processing Manual.

PBN Salary Survey: Compliance officers saw near-guaranteed raises in 2012
04/18/2013
by: Lauren C. Williams

Part B News concludes its salary survey analysis with a look at compliance officers. The following analysis and graphs address pay trends for compliance or audit specialists and compliance managers.

Advance preview -- Indicator, descriptor changes highlight first quarter fee schedule update
04/15/2013
by: Scott Kraft
Catheter placement codes 36222-36228 will see their bilateral indicators changed from 0 (bilateral indicator does not apply) to 1 (150% payment adjustment when billed with modifier 50), a change retroactive to Jan. 1, 2013, CMS announced in transmittal 2677 to the Medicare Claims Processing Manual.
Practice manager title, ICD-10 prep earn higher pay, 2% raise in 2012
04/11/2013
by: Lauren C. Williams

Congratulations to the more than half of practice managers who got pay raises last year, according to the results of the 2013 Part B News Salary Survey. But much like Part B News learned of billers and coders, those increases came with more job duties such as ICD-10 training and transitioning the practice to an electronic health records (EHR) system.

 
Cuts to in-office ancillary services, drug payments in 2014 Obama budget
04/11/2013
by: Karen Long

Medicare proposals — such as excluding services from the in-office ancillary services exception — in President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget could save $371 billion over 10 years.

CMS to begin denials May 1 when ordering doc isn’t enrolled in Medicare
04/11/2013
by: Laura Evans

Providers of Part B services such as lab tests, imaging and durable medical equipment (DME) risk denials May 1 if the ordering providers for these services aren’t enrolled with Medicare and eligible to make the orders under Medicare rules.

You now must keep ordering and referring physicians’ documentation for 7 years
04/11/2013
by: Laura Evans
If you order or provide supplies and services such as durable medical equipment (DME), lab tests, imaging or home health, you now must keep documentation of the orders in the patient’s record for at least seven years, according to a CMS transmittal.
 
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