There are several surgical modifiers but there are three in particular that are the most misunderstood among billers. Modifiers 58, 78, and 79 are used to define surgical procedures during …
On June 17, 2013 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the revised CMS-1500 Claim Form (version 02/12). The new CMS-1500 (02/12) will replace the current form (08/05). …
Some time ago I attended a seminar presented by the uber-service conscience team from the Ritz Carlton on the topic of “Legendary Service”. I thought it might help our readers …
Dan Miller, the author of “48 Days to the Work You Love“, categorizes the human personality into 4 common traits. He categorizes these traits with an analogy to some …
There is a healthy amount of management going on in health care. Treating illness is just one component, albeit the main reason for the existence of the medical and …
Medicare recovery audit contractors (RAC) receive a contingency fee of 9% – 12.5% of any overpayment they find but must return that money when a determination is overturned on …
Does the Billing Company Have a Compliance Plan? One of the most important components of doing your due diligence in hiring a billing company is to ensure that they …
Pricing Guideline In “Hiring a Billing Company – Due Diligence (Part 1)” we discussed the steps in determining a suitable billing company for your practice. One key point in …
Are you looking for ways to improve the efficiency of your billing and increase your bottom line? A medical billing service could be the answer. Many physicians already look …
Have you checked lately how much banking fees you are being charged? The amount you pay per month for various banking services most likely is not large, but in …
To avoid a 2% penalty on all Medicare Part B claims in 2014, physicians must by June 30, 2013, report e-prescribing activity using measure code G8553 with at least …
Due to technical issues, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has temporarily delayed implementation the ordering and referring denial edits originally planned for May 1, 2013. A …
On January 17, 2013, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), issued the long-anticipated final omnibus amendments to the Privacy, Security, Breach …
Anthem Blue Cross will pay more than $3.2 million owed to physicians and other health care providers on improperly paid claims dating back to 2007. The agreement, announced this …
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has denied two protests that were filed challenging a decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to award the Medicare …
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make significant changes to the Medicare fee-for-service program’s …
Beginning October 2013, Californians who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Medi) will have to sign up with one single health plan. This is as a result of a signed Duals Demonstration Memorandum …
Effective May 21, 2014, for the first time, require that all medical professionals who provide physical qualification examinations for truck and bus drivers to be certified and registered by …