Tag Archives: medicare risk adjustment

What does it mean to be “at risk?”

The concept of being “at risk” has to do with the level of financial risk the entity has in funding the care its patients receive.   As profit-oriented enterprises, insurance companies generally assess the insured’s risk and base the premium on … Read Full Post

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CMS Risk Adjustment Data Submission Deadlines and Payment Schedule

The nature of capitation and the risk adjustment payment method requires specific deadlines for data submission that correlate to dates of service and affect capitation payments.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) observes the following three deadlines each … Read Full Post

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How are Depression and Major Depression Different?

According to Barron’s Medical guide Dictionary of Medical Terms, Fifth Edition by Mike A. Rothenberg, M.D., and Charles F. Chapman, depression (ICD-9-CM code 311) is a dejected state of mind with feelings of sadness, discouragement, and hopelessness, often accompanied by … Read Full Post

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Coding Cancers: A Common Charting Error

This blog was updated for ICD-10-CM.  Read it here. One of the most common provider charting errors occurs in the area of cancer diagnoses.  Practitioners routinely document and code cancers when the patient’s disease has been treated and is no … Read Full Post

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