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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Articles tagged with "Coding"

Cigna to Eliminate Consultation Codes

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Cigna recently announced that they will discontinue payment for consultation codes later this year. As of Oct. 19, 2019, the payer will implement a new policy on Evaluation and Management (R30) that will deny claims billed with CPT codes for consultation services as not valid. Impacted CPT codes are 99241, 99242, 99243, 99244, 99245, 99251,…

Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act Preparation Tips

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The ABCs of MACRA The transition year under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is at an end. MACRA repealed the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) methodology for updates to the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and replaced it with a value-driven payment system. The new approach to payment is called the…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Answers: 2017 End-of-Year Quiz

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Take the challenge. 1. B—No. CPT 99358, prolonged evaluation and management service can be billed before or after direct patient care, first hour or 99539 —each additional 30 minutes (list separately in addition to code for prolonged service). This code cannot be used to bill a higher level E/M visit code. According to 2017 CPT:…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Questions: 2017 End-of-Year Quiz

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1. A 68-year-old new female patient has an appointment to see the rheumatologist in four days. The patient has her medical records sent over from her primary care physician, neurologist and endocrinologist for the rheumatologist to review prior to the visit. Upon receipt, the rheumatologist spends 55 minutes reviewing the records and making notes. Can…

Tips to Improve Collection Rates for Patient Copays, Deductibles

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The healthcare industry is currently in an era of higher copays and deductibles, and effective patient collections are critical to the financial health of practices. The front desk staff of a practice is the first area to help with patient satisfaction and the key to a healthy revenue cycle. This front desk staff must collect…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Answer: Prolonged Service without Direct Patient Contact, Part 2

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Take the challenge. CPT codes 99358—prolonged evaluation and management (E/M) service before and/or after patient care; first hour 99359—each additional 30 minutes (list separately in addition to codes for prolonged service) Coding Rationale No—This scenario would not support the medical necessity to bill the prolonged service code(s). Keep in mind, the time that the supporting…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Question: Prolonged Service without Direct Patient Contact, Part 2

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An established, 66-year-old male patient is seen in the office for a follow-up visit for his fibromyalgia. The physician makes the decision to prescribe venlafaxine for anxiety and depression, and gabapentin for nerve pain. After the visit, the physician informs his medical assistant (MA) to contact the patient’s insurance carrier because venlafaxine requires a prior…

Tips to Manage, Prevent Medical Billing Claim Denials

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Physicians are increasingly fighting multiple forces in running a practice, and one of the most common barriers to effective revenue cycle management is frequent medical billing and claim denials. An insurance company’s denial for services places a significant strain on the financial process of the practice, which affects the bottom line. According to the Medical…