According to a recent GlobalNewswire press release, prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has increased from around 3% to over 11.6% in people over age 65. As a medical billing company receiving a large number of claims related to services...
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New Study shows Significant Link between Dementia and Pressure Ulcers
Pressure ulcers or bed sores occur due to increased and continuous pressure on the skin. They are a common condition affecting older hospitalized patients as they are prone to mobility problems and aging skin. These sores or “pressure injuries” as they are now called,...
Implications of Recent Changes in Bunionectomy Coding
In 2017, podiatry practices and their medical billing and coding companies saw several changes and updates in bunionectomy coding. In addition to new bunion and bunionette ICD-10-CM codes, major changes have been made to some bunion surgery CPT codes to update them...
Stay Compliant with Accurate Pathology/Lab Diagnostic Code Reporting in 2017
Reporting of pathology procedures and clinical lab tests witnessed several changes starting October 1, 2016. Medical coding outsourcing is widely recognized as a practical strategy to help pathology labs maximize reimbursement, avoid denials, and stay compliant with...
Modifier 25 – Understand the Facts to Avoid Misuse
CPT modifiers provide additional information for claims processing. However, the proper use of modifiers is a major concern for hospitals and physician practices, which is why medical coding companies pay special attention to this while reporting claims. CPT code...
Expanding Role of Telemedicine in Diabetes Retinopathy Screening
Diabetes can lead to a wide variety of health complications such as heart disease, nerve damage, stroke, kidney disease, and vision loss. Diabetes is one of the most common conditions that primary care physicians treat and most providers rely on medical coding...
New CPT Codes and Coverage Criteria for Interlaminar Stabilization for Spinal Stenosis
About 8-11 percent of people in the US suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis and it is expected that the disease will affect around 2.4 million Americans by 2021. The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) recognizes decompression with...
What are Medical Coding Modifiers? Examples of CPT, HCPCS and Anesthesia Modifiers and When to Use
CPT code modifiers can be two digit numbers, two character modifiers, or alpha-numeric indicators. Modifiers are a tool to provide more detail to the performance of a medical procedure or service. By using modifiers correctly and communicating specific information to...
2017 Coding and Reimbursement Guidelines for Vascular Surgeons
Vascular surgeons perform a comprehensive range of procedures and the adoption of new endovascular techniques has led to reduced hospital stays. Under Medicare’s value-based program, health care providers are rewarded with incentive payments for the quality of care...
Stay Up-to-date with ICD-10 Diagnostic Codes for Hepatitis
There is growing concern over the global hepatitis epidemic. Viral hepatitis is diagnosed by the patient’s symptoms, physical exam and blood tests. Imaging studies such as a sonogram or CAT scan and a liver biopsy may also be used. Most physicians partner with...