ICD-10-CM Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2020 – Respiratory System

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), two departments within the U.S. Federal Government’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provide the guidelines for coding and reporting using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). These guidelines should be used as a […]

Diagnostic Medical Coding and Reporting Guidelines for Outpatient Services

These coding guidelines for outpatient diagnoses have been approved for use by hospitals/ providers in coding and reporting hospital-based Outpatient Services and provider-based office visits. The terms encounter and visit are often used interchangeably in describing Outpatient Services contacts and, therefore, appear together in these guidelines without distinguishing one from the other. Though the conventions […]

Quantifying Your Medical Decision-Making

Quantifying Cognitive Labor This is the most important of the three key components because the Medical Decision-Making (MDM) reflects the intensity of the cognitive labor performed by the physician. There are four levels of MDM of incrementally increasing complexity Straightforward; Low Complexity; Moderate Complexity; and High Complexity. Physicians must stratify the MDM into one of […]

New Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBI)

MBIs are required for all claims and transactions starting Jan. 1, 2020 (with few exceptions). Out with the old Health Insurance Claim Numbers (HICNs) and in with the new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs) as beneficiaries receive updated cards in advance of a Jan. 1, 2020, transition. As of Aug. 19, the Centers for Medicare & […]

New Payment Model for Ambulance Services: ET3

The Department of Health and Human Services had launched a new payment model for ambulance services that federal officials believe could lower out-of-pocket costs for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. The Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport Model—ET3—allows ambulance companies to deliver on-the-scene or telehealth services to Medicare FFS patients, and transport them to alternative care venues, such […]

Medical Record Documentation for E/M Services

Medical record documentation is required to record pertinent facts, findings, and observations about an individual’s health history including past and present illnesses, examinations, tests, treatments, and outcomes. The medical record chronologically documents the care of the patient and is an important element contributing to high-quality care. The descriptors for the levels of E/M services recognize […]

Appropriate Use Criteria Program

Background The Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) of 2014, Section 218(b), established a new program to increase the rate of appropriate advanced diagnostic imaging services provided to Medicare beneficiaries. Examples of such advanced imaging services include: computed tomography (CT) positron emission tomography (PET) nuclear medicine, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Under this program, at […]

Medical Coding for Group Visits

Many physicians are interested in providing group medical visits. Whether the drop-in group medical appointment (DIGMA), chronic care health clinic (CCHC), or other model is delivered, the coding and billing of these services raise questions about codes and payment policies. While past instruction on coding for group visits often indicated that physicians should report code […]

Ground Ambulance Transports Coverage Requirements

All of these coverage requirements apply to ground ambulance transports: The Transport Is Medically Reasonable and Necessary A medically reasonable and necessary ground ambulance transport must meet these requirements: Medical necessity is established when the patient’s condition is such that the use of any other method of transportation is contraindicated. In any case in which […]

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing (CB)

Consolidated Billing Background Prior to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), an SNF could elect to furnish services to a resident in a covered Part A stay, either: directly, using its own resources; through the SNF’s transfer agreement hospital; or under arrangements with an independent therapist. The consolidated billing requirement confers on the SNF […]

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