Medical Billing Blog with Medical Billing & Coding Info & Articles
Our blog contains news and articles relating to numerous healthcare sectors including revenue cycle management, medical billing, medical coding, ICD, HIPAA, practice management functions and more.
Medical Billing News for Home Health Agency
Medical Billing News for Home Health Agency Medical billing is starting to look bright for a post acute service provider. LHC Group Inc. is a post acute service provider who recently purchased 67% of the home health agency, Stanocola. The combined medical billing reimbursement of the two companies is expected to exceed $6.2 million. The purchasing company, LHC Group Inc. was originally primarily the provider for post acute services. Medical billing was done for facility, home based, and hospice care. However, this company decided it wanted to fully branch out its medical billing to include home health care. This is the reason they purchased Stanocola Home Health. Stanocola Home Health …
Medical Billing Gold Seal Awarded
Medical Billing Gold Seal Awarded Medical billing is not always the most important thing in your facility. The Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey has realized this. This hospital was recently awarded a gold seal of approval for their stroke program. The medical billing Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has deemed this program worthy of recognition. Medical billing reimbursement for stroke patients may rise at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. They have demonstrated superb excellence in dealing with victims of strokes. JCAHO only awards this honor to facilities that demonstrate their adherence to strict standards. Quick stroke response treatment is one standard which is …
Checklist to Detect Fraudulent Insurance Medical Billing
Checklist to Detect Fraudulent Insurance Medical Billing Medical billing fraud is rampant in America. Now there is a new form of this type of fraud. Instead of consumers taking advantage of insurance companies, insurance companies are now taking advantage of small businesses. Fraudulent insurance companies are putting a new spin on medical billing fraud. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is currently providing a checklist to distinguish fraudulent insurance plans from legitimate ones. Sometimes small businesses don’t have the resources or the money to investigate possible insurance companies. This checklist provides a quick way to filter possible insurance scams. Like any other issue in medical billing you should always use …
Medical Billing Exceptions Are Put In Place
Medical Billing Exceptions Are Put In Place Shortly after the deficit reduction medical billing act was signed, Medicare created and exception process. February 8, 2006 marked a day that will go down in history for physical therapy. It was the day therapy that caps were installed for Medicare beneficiaries. To combat this, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services created exceptions for this medical billing legislation. The magic number for therapy medical billing is $1740. The deficit reduction act says that no one can get therapy over $1,740.00 a year. However, Medicare has made some exceptions to this rule. There are some people who will automatically fall under the exceptions …
Performing Medical Billing for a Deceased Patient
Performing Medical Billing for a Deceased Patient Medical billing reimbursement in is allowed for deceased patients before occupying a hospital room. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services altered and updated their policy on July 03, 2005. Medical billing coding not only affects your bottom line, but also weight calculations for the DRG. Since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services changed their policy, the American Hospital Association (AHA) has asked the agency for further explaination and clarification of the policy. Medicare says that they consider a patient inpatient as soon as the doctor’s written order requests it. No matter if the patient dies before being assigned or not, room …
Medical Billing Code Restrictions Could Become Routine
Medical Billing Code Restrictions Could Become Routine Medical billing coding restrictions may become a trend in future years. Recently, laboratories have been the victim to this trend. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services has proposed a limit on the medical billing codes 88305 and 88342. The medical billing codes 88305 and 88342 are laboratory processing and pathology interpretation codes. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services are proposing that only two 88305 codes and 4 88342 codes may be billed for each patient per date of service. This medical billing change would go into effect on July 01, 2006. There are four agencies involved in this proposal . The …
Improper Medical Billing Reimbursement for Ambulance
Improper Medical Billing Reimbursement for Ambulance A recent study shows that United States citizens are paying dearly for incorrect and unwarranted medical billing payments. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has suspected for a long time that Medicare and ambulance benefits were and are vulnerable to abuse. Apparently, the OIG was correct. A medical billing study of 720 ambulance claims has shown significant overpayments. A whopping $402 million was paid in incorrect ambulance charges in the year 2002. This study is based on transports for emergency, non emergency, and transports to and from dialysis facilities. The OIG now blames Medicare contractors for these medical billing overpayments. They state that proper …
Specialty Hospitals Hinder Community Hospitals’ Medical Billing
Specialty Hospitals Hinder Community Hospitals’ Medical Billing You may not think that one hospital could affect another hospital’s medical billing, but you would be wrong. Community hospitals used to be the only hospitals around. Now specialty hospitals are popping up all over the country. These new specialty hospitals are beginning to hinder medical billing reimbursement for community hospitals. There are several issues of debate when speaking of specialty hospitals. Routinely these hospitals get the more profitable medical cases than the community hospitals. This causes problems for the community hospitals because they use these high profit cases to subsidize their lower profit cases. Not only do specialty hospitals take money away …
RAD Medical Billing Categories Will Change
RAD Medical Billing Categories Will Change Two new durable medical equipment codes will receive medical billing caps . Therapy services and durable medical equipment services have gone through many changes over the last year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services have recently changed the category of two medical billing device codes: E0471 and E0472. The medical billing codes E0471 and E0472 are RAD codes. These codes used to be placed in the durable medical equipment category that was for items frequently used. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services announced that this change will take effect on April 01, 2006. The main reason CMS changed the category was because …
Can You Choose the Correct Medical Billing Pain Code?
Can You Choose the Correct Medical Billing Pain Code? Finding the right pain code can be a sticky situation in medical billing. When dental issues come into the picture, sometimes the medical billing staff members go crazy. Knowing how to simply break down a chief complaint in any situation is a medical billing skill everyone should master. If a patient comes into the emergency department and complains of a dental wire sticking into his/her lip, you already have your chief complaint. Even if your physician does not treat the patient but merely advises him/her to check with the dentist and buy someone wax from the local drugstore, you can still …
