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Supervising physician should bill incident-to services, CMS clarifies

11/09/2015

Only the physician or practitioner who directly supervises incident-to services may bill for those services, CMS states in the final 2016 Medicare physician fee schedule, released Oct. 30. However, the supervising physician need not be the provider who ordered or initiated the care, the agency explains.

See how changes to relative value units will affect your payments in 2016

11/09/2015

by: Scott Kraft

Here's what to expect with your payments next year based on relative value unit (RVU) changes in the final 2016 Medicare physician fee schedule.

Take advantage of the new review deadlines for PQRS, value based modifier

11/09/2015

by: Julia Kyles, CPC-A

Practices that need more time to contest a negative payment adjustments based on their 2014 physician quality reporting system effort, give thanks. CMS has granted the medical community an extension.

U.S. budget puts bite on off-campus outpatient departments, extends sequester

11/09/2015

by: Roy Edroso

A new U.S. budget has extended the 2% sequester cut that has plagued providers since 2013 and made new trouble for providers in practices owned by health systems but located outside of their campuses.

Most practices have revenue opportunity through value-based modifier bonuses

11/09/2015

by: Julia Kyles, CPC-A

The value-based modifier bonus will be a possibility for most practices in 2018, and the 2016 physician quality reporting program is the key to the as-yet-unspecified windfall.

PQRS 2016 — no major changes, but the value-based modifier raises the stakes

11/09/2015

by: Julia Kyles, CPC-A

To boost your chances of quality reporting success, make sure your providers are comfortable with CMS’ basic quality reporting formula: nine measures across three national quality domains, one cross-cutting measure for at least 50% of eligible patients and a consideration of measures practices might report next year before the year ends.

Conversion factor, policy changes and more from final 2016 fee schedule

11/09/2015

by: Part B News Staff

Our roundup of the rest of the Physician Fee Schedule, from the conversion factor to rural health clinics.

Check what Medicare will pay for commonly billed services in 2016

11/09/2015

This chart shows payments for commonly billed codes for three time periods:pre-MACRA. post-MACRA but pre-2016 physician fee schedule, and after the fee schedule kicks in.

CMS: Provider initials OK for amended records when initials can be identified

11/02/2015

by: Scott Kraft

Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) may accept the provider’s initials along with amendments, additions or changes to the patient’s medical record, so long as the initials can be used to identify the provider from information elsewhere in the record, CMS says in transmittal 615 to Medicare’s Program Integrity Manual.

MACs report ICD-10 claims-processing errors, mostly tied to LCD policies

11/02/2015

by: Richard Scott

Multiple Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) have reported ICD-10-related claims-processing snafus in recent days, which means you can expect delays in getting payment to flow to your accounts receivable department.

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