April 30th 2021
2021 has brought about the most extensive changes to CMS’s Evaluation and Management (E&M) guidelines since 1997.
January 12th 2021
Extensive revisions aim to prioritize patient care information, resource-based reimbursement, and lessening the need for audits.
August 24th 2020
Why practices should not fear new coding requirements
February 3rd 2020
CMS rules to simplify E/M coding and reemphasize patient narrative.
January 15th 2020
Practices are using E&M codes to bill for non-physician educational visits, but is this ok?
Where You Might Be Losing Money at Your Medical Practice (Part II)
Downcoding, overstaffing, and lack of follow-up on denials are all possible places your medical practice is losing precious revenue.
Admission Codes; Subsequent Care Code; Coding Volume Outlier
Coding guidance on admission codes; subsequent care codes; and coding volume outliers.
Preparing Your Practice for a Possible E&M RAC Audit
In light of the fact that these RAC audits are a real probability, medical practices should be aware of issues that may arise in an audit of E&M codes.
Combining Medicare AWV, Annual Physical with No Copay
Combining the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit with an annual physical exam with no copay can generate goodwill and promote more patient visits and revenue.
Consult and Follow-Up; New vs. Established Patient Visits
Coding questions? We've got the answers.
Selecting the Right E&M Codes at Your Medical Practice
Here is how providers and coders at your medical practice can select the right E&M medical codes the first time.
Student Examinations; New vs. Established Patient Visits
Medicare and the Physical Exam; Combining Two Services
Get coding answers on Medicare and the physical exam; combining two services; pap smear and preventive services, IV infusions and more.
Annual Wellness Visits; RVU Reductions; Physician Scribes
Medical coding guidance on Medicare Annual Wellness Visits; RVU reductions; physician scribes; student documentation; and more.
Family Planning Modifier; NPP Billing; Coding for Multiple Services
'Bundled' Denials; Reimbursing Calls; Same-day Visits
Coding questions? We've got the answers
E & M Coding Benchmarks
Compare your E&M coding patterns with national norms from Medicare. It's a fast way to see if you are out of whack. Translate Medicare's data for your specialty into percentiles for easier comparison.
New AWV Requirements; 'Blanket' Statements; Incident-to Services
Rearranging Codes by Cost; Time-based Codes; Multiple Payment Reductions
Modifier 57; Billing for Telephone Services; Retroactive Reimbursements
Supervised Residents; Billing for Consults; Prolonged Services Codes
Poll of the Week - Coding Countdown
What is currently the biggest obstacle for your practice in preparing for the ICD-10 transition?
Lack of Obtainable Information; Family Conference; Chart Review
Coding answers from our September 2011 journal.
Prolonged Office Services
Learn when and what CPT codes to use with prolonged services codes 99354 and 99355 at your medical practice.
Chronic but Stable; Cookie-Cutter Notes; Billing for Observation Services
Separate or Equal?
I have a physician who saw a patient for a preventive visit and also charged a 99215 for this patient on the same date of service. He used the same documentation for both visits. Should he have documented each service separately?
Medicare Annual Wellness Visit
Questions pertaining to the new Medicare Annual Wellness Visit.
E&M Mixing and Matching
This doc wonders if he can mix and match body areas and organ systems for an expanded problem-focused exam.
EKG Inquiry
When counting points for the data reviewed in E&M, do you count "independent review of image, tracing, or specimen" (two points), for example, when a cardiologist sees a patient, interprets an EKG, and provides an E&M service?
Medicare Miscommunication
My providers seem really confused about using consult codes for Medicare patients in the hospital. Is the use of admission codes confined to the day the patient is admitted?
Using Modifier -25
Looking for the proper way to use modifier -25 at your medical practice? Here is some expert medical coding advice.
Face-To-Face Visits for Infertility Blood Work; Medicare's Annual Wellness Visit
E&M Mixing and Matching; EKG Inquiry; and New Medicare 'G' Codes
Level 5, Part II; More on Modifier 33; and Double Dipping Redux
The Art of the Internal Billing Audit
You may be afraid of audits, but if you aren't auditing your own billing procedures, you're probably losing a fortune. Here's how.