Accelerated Medical Practice Blog

As anyone in the coding world knows, modifiers are a critical component for accurate billing and maximum reimbursement. The notorious complexity of modifier rules creates considerable lag when it comes to the forms review and editing process. The questions below highlight key factors that must be taken into account when applying modifiers to procedures.  What does your practice management system allow or require? The first challenge for posting claims correctly to the practice management (PM) system...

Although the Senate has approved delaying the crippling 27.4% Medicare reimbursement cut until March 1, 2012, House leaders have stated their intention to defeat the two-month Senate bill in favor of a longer term solution. Congress still has much work to do to come up with a feasible and permanent fix to the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.

Did you know White Plume offers PQRS edit packages for clients? These edit packages evaluate claims for revenue opportunities by notifying billers when claims contain the required data for a particular PQRS measure. 

Every year, physicians start to sweat when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) releases the final rule on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) reflecting the financial impact the Standard Growth Rate (SGR) adjustment will have on their business in the upcoming year. 

The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced over 430 changes will be present in the 2012 HPCS II Code Books. Many medical practices can now begin to revise their encounter forms in preparation for 2012. 

CMS’s HIPAA standards 4010 to 5010 conversion will take place on January 1, 2012. Many practices have high expectations of the new 5010 format, some even hoping for the capability to list more than four diagnoses per procedure or line item.

White Plume Technologies stays abreast of ongoing changes in medical coding policies from customers. The new requirements for coding glaucoma will impact many of our Ophthalmology customers. 

Rhonda Buckholz, vice president of ICD-10 training and education for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), addressed the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) last week during the Annual Meeting and Expo in San Francisco. Ms. Buckholz explained that the forthcoming change from ICD-9 to ICD-10 will have a substantial impact on the entire practice.