Anthem Fully Rescinds Modifier 25 Cuts Physician practices and hospitals participating with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) will no longer see any payment reduction on E/M services they bill with modifier 25 attached, a top Anthem official confirms in a letter to the AMA. The insurer had been set to implement a 25% payment...
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CMS unveils new, voluntary bundled payments program Shortly after announcing that it has eliminated several existing bundled payment initiatives, CMS has announced a new bundled payment model that focuses on voluntary participation. Dubbed “Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced” (BPCI Advanced), the new program is based on the older BPCI program that it replaces. CMS...
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How to reduce occupational exposure to hazardous drugs Ann Bachman, MT Director of CLIA Compliance at Doctors Management Medical practices must often handle hazardous drugs (HDs) and contaminated materials, and there are a slew of federal, state, and local laws that must be complied with. Any discarded HDs greater than residue amounts should be evaluated...
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Practices fight Blue Cross over growing modifier 25 cuts By Grant Huang Director of Content at Doctors Management It started with one Blue Cross plan in Pennsylvania, but eight other states across the country will start the New Year being subject to the same painful policy: A 50% reduction in reimbursement for all E/M services...
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MedPAC recommends eliminating MIPS By Grant Huang Director of Content at DoctorsManagement A top Congressional advisory body has voted to recommend that Congress repeal the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and replace it with a simpler version that would not be mandatory like MIPS is for most providers who participate with Medicare. The Medicare Payment...
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What you need to know about sexual harassment By Philip Dickey Partner and Director of Human Resources at DoctorsManagement Sexual harassment accusations are just about everywhere on media today! We see high profile individuals in many professions under scrutiny and some losing their jobs. Whether it is an employer, school, or government, it is paramount...
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2017 Injury and Illness Data Reporting By: Kelly D. Ogle, BSDH, MIOP, CMPM, CHOP® Director of OSHA and HIPAA Services OSHA’s 2016 final rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses called for employers with 250 or more employees to begin submitting their 300 Log and 301 Incident Report information in 2018. The purpose is...
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MIPS 2018 survival guide: Maximizing your score and bonus By Grant Huang, CPC, CPMA Director of Content at Doctors Management The 2018 performance year for Medicare’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) is well underway and it’s time to look at how you can maximize your providers’ MIPS score for a shot at the exceptional performance...
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The Business of Medicine switches to quarterly format Starting in February 2018, The Business of Medicine will switch from being a monthly newsletter to a more comprehensive newsletter that will be distributed quarterly. Any breaking news or more timely articles will be sent via email between quarterly distributions. Our format will also change to replace...
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Modifier 25 revisited: Bundling E/M visits and procedures By: Scott Kraft, CPC, CPMA Auditor and Consultant at DoctorsManagement As more payers embrace hardline policies to discourage the bundling of E/M services with minor outpatient procedures (see related story, pg. 3), practices must be more disciplined in their use of modifier 25 (significant, separately identifiable evaluation...
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