The 2014 ICD-10 implementation delay negatively impacted ICD-10 preparations, according to the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) February 2015 readiness survey .
CMS Transmittal 3217 , effective April 1, will allow inpatient-only procedures to be included on inpatient claims, similar to other outpatient services included in the three-day window.
Providers who want to volunteer to participate in CMS' final round of ICD-10 end-to-end testing have until April 17 to sign up through their Medicare Administrative Contractor's (MAC) website.
Three university hospitals saw a doubling of Recovery Auditor audit activity from 2010–2011 to 2012–2013, and a nearly three-fold increase in overpayment determinations, according to a new study in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Just when we were starting to feel really good about ICD-10’s chances of being implemented, AHIMA has learned that Chairman of the House Rules Committee Pete Sessions, R-Texas, is looking to draft...
The January quarterly I/OCE update includes new modifiers, changes related to expanded packaging, and continued refinement of CMS' skin substitutes categories, but the biggest change for outpatient hospitals is the implementation of comprehensive APCs (C-APC).
Add another nail in the “delay ICD-10 because the industry isn’t ready” coffin. CMS d eclared its end-to-end testing week from January 26 through February 3 a success . A total of 661 volunteers...
CMS' January I/OCE update brought many changes, including new codes, status indicators, and modifiers. Dave Fee, MBA, reviewsthe latest changes and when they will be implemented by CMS.
Providers report excessive units for initial IV infusions for both chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy drugs, according to the results of an audit reported in the January 2015 Medicare Quarterly Provider Compliance Newsletter .
CMS is adequately preparing to implement ICD-10 October 1, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report detailing CMS’ transition efforts.
Curious about how CMS’ end-to-end testing for ICD-10 is going? Want to know how you can sign up? CMS is hosting a National Provider Call on ICD-10 implementation and Medicare testing from 1:30-3 p.m...
In the 2015 OPPS final rule, CMS introduced a new modifier for services provided in an off-campus, provider-based clinic. Jugna Shah, MPH, and Valerie Rinkle, MPA, review when the modifier will become required and how it should be reported.
Eighty-four percent of providers experienced no major problems with early ICD-10 acknowledgement testing, according to a recent AAPC survey of more than 2,000 providers.
In December 2014, CMS posted a document on its Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment (HOP Panel) website outlining the hospital outpatient therapeutic services that were recently evaluated for a change in supervision levels. The three-page document contains a chart that includes the HCPCS code, the level of supervision required for coverage, and the effective dates of the changes for various services.
Physician documentation for the use of osteogenic stimulators for nonunion of fractures is often insufficient for Medicare coverage, according to Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) results .
CMS made incorrect payments to hospitals for established patient clinic visits estimated at approximately $4.6 million in 2012, according to a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit.
The District of Columbia federal district court dismissed a lawsuit December 18, 2014, filed by the American Hospital Association (AHA) against HHS for excessive and inappropriate Recovery Auditor denials, according to AHA News. The AHA announced that it may appeal the court’s decision.
CMS accepted 76% of all national ICD-10 test claims submitted during its November 2014 ICD-10 acknowledgement testing week. More than 500 providers, suppliers, billing companies, and clearinghouses participated in the tests, which identified no issues with Medicare's system.
