Make sure you are following the HIPPA privacy rule during public health emergencies.
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Tag Archives: during
Telehealth Coverage for Mental Health Services During COVID-19
As the global pandemic enters its fifth month, we are all feeling the strain. Staying home to slow the spread of the coronavirus may be keeping more people physically healthy, but isolation exacts a toll on mental health.
The post Telehealth Coverage for Mental Health Services During COVID-19 appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Working as a Remote Coder During COVID-19
If you find yourself struggling to rapidly adjust to the ever-changing environment of the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone. Many of us have family members who have lost their jobs, children are now home for the entire day because of school closures, and some of us now find ourselves (and others in our household) […]
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Pitfalls of Reassigning Coders to New Specialties During COVID-19
During the current Covid-19 crisis it might seem like a wise idea to reassign coders from elective specialties to specialties that are currently seeing an increase in volume. We have resources in one part of the organization that are not being utilized, why not move them over temporarily to where we need extra resources?
Unfortunately coding does not lend itself well to reassigning coders who are not specialty-specific experts. There is no such thing as a coder who knows it all. If your coder claims to be able to code every specialty, and you let them, make sure you are prepared to either handle a large denial queue or write recoupment checks to your payors . With over 70,000 ICD-10 codes and 10,000 CPT codes, expecting a singular coder to have a solid enough grasp on any specialty given the number of codes, differences in anatomy, physiology, and procedures involved in that specialty is simply not realistic.
Even if you’re talking about a coder switching over to only one different specialty, having them do so in the short term is challenging and without proper auditing procedures in place, could end up costing your organization more money than having a specialist in that discipline tackling it the first time around. Moreover, expecting a coder to learn a new specialty and code it accurately while doing so from a home setting that they are unaccustomed to working in without their usual access to tools and colleagues to ask clarifying questions is particularly trying.
Having a coder who is unfamiliar with a specialty to start coding a specialty because they are an Just because a coder is an expert in one discipline doesn’t mean they’re going to transition seamlessly into a new specialty. If and when they fail to meet the challenge, your organization is asking for compliance and revenue troubles down the line. Insurance companies know that groups are going to be reassigning coders to specialties that they are unfamiliar with. They are going to review cases very closely during and after this crisis to claw back any missed revenue opportunities that they can find. Making the right choice now to utilize specialty coders will make getting back to normalcy all the easier when COVID-19 restrictions are non-emergent services are lifted.
The post Pitfalls of Reassigning Coders to New Specialties During COVID-19 appeared first on The Coding Network.
Feds Extend Medicare Coverage During COVID-19 Pandemic
An unprecedented “relaxation” in regulatory guidelines will give U.S. hospitals and non-traditional care sites a fighting chance to meet the high demand of COVID-19 hospitalizations expected in the coming weeks. The Trump administration issued, March 30, regulatory waivers and guidelines in the form of an interim final rule, to be implemented immediately. Loosening Criteria for […]
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Emotions Rise During Johnstown’s Gun Threat Preparedness Training
The Johnstown, Pa., local chapter hosted a May MAYnia event members will never forget. By Christina LaRosse, CPC With so many mass shootings in the United States, the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, AAPC local chapter, reached outside of the normal festive florals and spring themes for May MAYnia this year with “Threat Preparedness Training.” Being an AAPC […]
The post Emotions Rise During Johnstown’s Gun Threat Preparedness Training appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Granulation tissue cautherzation during global period
If a patient has a G-tube placement(43653) and later comes into the office for a nurse check. During that visit the nurse noticed that granulation tissue has developed around the G-tube, so the office decides to cauterization the granulation tissue. Isn’t the cauterization of the granulation tissue included within the global period(90 days)?
Just wanted a second opinion.
Multiple Pass-through drugs used during IOL surg – will Medicare pay
We are going to start using Dexycu (J1095) and Omidria (C9447) during IOL surgery (66984) done in an ASC, both of these drugs are approved for pass-through status with Medicare. Will Medicare apply any additional adjustments to J0195/C9447 when both drugs are used during the same surgery? Thank you
Cut downs during interventions
HI, I’m learning IR and I have a question about cut downs during an intervention, when can you code for a cut down? Would I use 36625? The Physician performed a brachial artery cut down and repair for delivery of endoprosthesis.
Anesthesia during Kyphoplasty
I have a doctor questioning whether 01936 accurately reflects the work of the anesthesiologist during a Kyphoplasty. So, what code does everyone use for anesthesia during a Kypho?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Jennifer