Monthly Archives: September 2020
Documentation for Risk Adjusted Payment
The concept of medical documentation has usually focused on those elements supporting the evaluation and management (E/M) code selection in fee-for-service payment environments; electronic medical records (EMRs) have done a great deal to alleviate the charting burden for these clinicians. … Read Full Post
ICD-10-CM Changes for 2021
CMS unveiled the 2021 changes for ICD-10-CM, which include 490 new codes, 47 revised codes and 58 codes that were deleted or invalidated. With some notable exceptions in a handful of commonly used categories, we believe the modifications affect mostly … Read Full Post
Did You know….Medicare pays for High Intensity Behavioral Counseling?
High Intensity Behavioral Counseling (HIBC) is a program that promotes the reduction or avoidance of sexual risks. It is tailored to the unique issues and needs of the patient, and includes education, skills training, and, guidance on how to change … Read Full Post
Lessons from the Cigna/DOJ Lawsuit: Health Risk Appraisals (Part 1)
This blog is the first in a series of lessons, or reminders, gleaned from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit against health insurer Cigna. The suit alleges that Cigna essentially committed fraud by reporting false information to CMS in a … Read Full Post
Substance Dependence: Do Your Charts Support it?
Drug and alcohol addiction are under the umbrella term of substance dependence in the DSM-V. ICD-10 includes them all under the heading Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use, which is coded from F10 to F19. In the … Read Full Post
COVID-19 & the New School Year
As the new school year commences, employers have already seen an increase in requests for time off under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). For some, the allowed 12 weeks of emergency family leave was already used at the … Read Full Post
Home health: DIY or Use a Consultant?
There is no doubt that most entrepreneurs are gifted with a vision of their successful business. That’s often the catalyst for the move to start or grow a business. The tendency to minimize expenses during the start-up process is common, … Read Full Post