Category Archives: What We’re Reading

What We’re Reading – Medicare E/M claims for new patients

Beginning on October 1, 2013, CMS will use a new claim edit to determine if more than one initial visit code was billed for a Medicare beneficiary within a three year period. This edit will also identify claims where established … Read Full Post

Tagged center for medicare and medicaid services, coding and billing, first coast service options, medicare claim edit, medicare claims, medicare new patient visit, practice management |

What We’re Reading – Improve Medical Practice Staff Communication Skills: 5 Best Practices

A patient’s first contact with your office is by phone, whether scheduling an appointment and/or requesting information. If your staff doesn’t have the proper communication skills to create rapport with that patient, established or new, you could be in jeopardy … Read Full Post

Tagged communication skills, healthcare industry, improve medical practice staff communication skills, medical practice, practice management, staff communication |

What We’re Reading – The Power of Outsourcing in Your Medical Practice

Do you ever feel that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done? Join the club! These days, more and more office managers and/or administrators express that despite supposed electronic efficiencies, they are drowning in all the … Read Full Post

Tagged credentialing, medical billing, medical billing outsourcing, medical practice, outsourcing |

What We’re Reading – Bilateral procedures and MUEs

Are you stumped on when to use modifier 50 instead of modifiers LT and/or RT for Medicare? Modifier 50 is defined as a bilateral procedure which is performed on both sides of the body in the same operative session or … Read Full Post

Tagged bilateral procedure, center for medicare and medicaid services, coding and billing, cpt codes, first coast service options, medicare billing, medicare guidelines, medicare physician fee schedule, modifier 50, modifier lt, modifier rt |

What We’re Reading – Manual update regarding the repayment of overpayments

If your business has ever received a demand letter from Medicare regarding overpayments, your first thought has probably been, “How am I going to pay this back while keeping my business afloat?” There is good news! Effective September 3, 2013, … Read Full Post

Tagged center for medicare and medicaid services, cms manual, coding & billing, extended repayment plan, extended repayment schedule, first coast service options, medicare overpayments, overpayment for medicare claims, recovery audit contractors |

What We’re Reading – Preventing duplicate claim denials

Are you experiencing more claims denials as duplicates recently? Make sure that your billing staff and/or billing company are aware that effective July 1, 2013, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instituted new claim edits. All claims received … Read Full Post

Tagged center for medicare and medicaid services, claim denials, claim edits, duplicate claim denials, duplicate claims, medicare claims, modifiers, preventing duplicate claim denials |

What We’re Reading – Boost Reimbursement through Improved Documentation: 5 Tips

Physicians and coders/billers need to be on the same page when it comes to getting claims processed and reimbursed correctly. The key to this – and you’re probably sick of hearing it – is documentation. Especially with ICD-10 coming around … Read Full Post

Tagged current procedural terminology, documentation, e&m, e&m level, ehr, electronic health record, evaluation and management, highest level of specificity, improving documentation, medical necessity, physician documentation, reimbursement |

What We’re Reading – How Practice Managers Can Alleviate Physician Stress

Stress has become a common factor in every household and business and we all need someone or something to lighten our loads so the weight of the world isn’t resting on our shoulders. This article focuses on physicians and how … Read Full Post

Tagged medical offices, medical practice, physician practices, physicians, practice management, practice managers, provider offices, stress management, stress relieving ideas |

What We’re Reading – Three Additional Income Opportunities for Physicians

Today’s economy and low reimbursement rates are forcing physicians to put on their “entrepreneur hats” since they cannot solely rely on shrinking insurance payments. This article provides some good suggestions for revenue generation that will help your bottom line and … Read Full Post

Tagged clinical research studies, entrepreneurs, in house laboratories, in-house labs, income opportunities, income opportunities for physicians, independent medical examinations for legal cases, pharmaceutical company, speaking engagements, speaking engagements for pharmaceutical companies |

What We’re Reading: Four Easy Ways to Boost Patient Time of Service Collections

In this age of insurance plans with high cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles, co-insurance) requirements, a solid collections policy is critical for every medical practice. When practices are lax about checking patient eligibility for services and ensuring a complete picture of what … Read Full Post

Tagged boost patient time, health plan, healthcare financing options, insurance coverage, insurance plans, medical practice, patient eligibility, payment plans, service collections |