Part B News
Patients who get a COVID-19 test, and nothing more, stay ‘new’ for next visit
06/29/2020
by: Roy Edroso
Question: We’ve been running a clinic for COVID-19 tests where patients fill out forms and get tested. Some patients come back to the office for their results and sometimes, especially if the results are positive, they see the doctor. Are they a “new” patient at that point? Or are they established?
Privacy watch: Know the rules before you share children’s medical records
06/29/2020
by: Marla Durben Hirsch
Review how you handle requests from parents who want to access their children’s medical records. The rules regarding these requests are more complicated than a direct request by a patient.
10 strategies for handling requests to access a child’s records
06/29/2020
by: Marla Durben Hirsch
Physician practices can expect fines and enforcement if they’re slow to respond to their patients’ requests for records. But compliance is particularly confusing when a parent wants access to a child’s medical records. For instance, under HIPAA a parent may not access a minor’s records under certain circumstances, but HIPAA may be overridden by other applicable laws.
As use slows, revenue also falls for home visit service codes 99341-99350
06/29/2020
by: Richard Scott
While Medicare has made it easier to provide home visits, recent claims data reveal a decreasing preference to tap into the series of nine home visit services (99341-99350).
CMS clears COVID no-copay testing for nursing homes.
06/29/2020
by: Part B News Staff
Starting on July 6, Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans will cover COVID-19 tests for nursing home patients and residents who are symptomatic as well as those who are asymptomatic but "have been exposed to COVID [as] in an outbreak,"
As CCM use increases, focus on 7 questions to ensure care targets are met
06/22/2020
by: Roy Edroso
You can expect chronic care management (CCM) to keep growing in the years to come, and high-volume management may cause care adherence to slip. Whether you’re doing it yourself or offloading to a vendor, make sure these seven care concerns are being met.
10 ways to kick-start your E/M 2021 prep and ensure a smooth switchover
06/22/2020
by: Julia Kyles, CPC
Don’t put off your preparations for the revisions to the office and other outpatient E/M codes (99201-99215) that will go into effect next year. Coding experts advise that practices keep an eye out for more information and share 10 tips and pointers that practices should do now to prevent a last-minute rush to get ready.
CCI July-effective update adds sky-high MUE values for core E/M services
06/22/2020
by: Julia Kyles, CPC
You might not believe your eyes when you see the new medically unlikely edits (MUE) for office E/M codes. The July 2020 update restores the codes that CMS deleted with an off-schedule revision and assigned an MUE value of 24 to dozens of services.
You can require a COVID test before a procedure, and some states may demand it
06/22/2020
by: Roy Edroso
Question: I see that as medical practices reopen and procedures are being done again, providers are requiring not only temperature checks but in some cases negative COVID test results before treating the patient. Is that allowed?
In ominous shift, DOJ targets providers owned by private equity firms
06/22/2020
by: Marla Durben Hirsch
Take note if your practice is considering or already in an investment deal with a private equity firm: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has begun to focus on providers owned by private equity investors, and compliance slip-ups could balloon into legal headaches.
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