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Torrey Kim, CPC
EdgeBlast editor
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Top News
CMS Will Provide Searchable National Provider Identifier Database
By Torrey Kim, CPC
The Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS)
announced last week that they will debut a searchable database for National Provider Identifier data. Practices have long wondered how they would acquire the NPIs of other healthcare providers (such as those who send a patient to them for consultation). In the May 30
Federal Register, CMS spelled out exactly how the information will be disseminated.
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Get to Know Tuberculosis Codes
By Torrey Kim, CPC
Tuberculosis has been front-page news over the past week, following word that a honeymooning male put airline passengers at risk by flying into the U.S. with a drug-resistant TB strain. Chances are that in the coming weeks you may be coding more TB tests than usual for worried patients, following the public awareness caused by media reports.
When a patient presents for an initial purified protein derivative (PPD) tuberculosis test, you should report 86580 (Skin test; tuberculosis, intradermal). Code 86580 does not cover any follow-up care, so if the patient returns to the office to have the nurse evaluate the test results, you may then report 99211, assuming the visit meets the requirements of 99211.
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CMS Finally Assigns CMS-1500 Form Deadline…And It’s Less Than A Month Away
By Torrey Kim, CPC
In our last EdgeBlast, we offered tips on how to properly use the new CMS-1500 form (Version 08-05). However, at that time, CMS had not yet assigned a final implementation date for the new form. A new Medicare transmittal instructs healthcare providers that they must start using the new form as of July 2.
Practices that submit a paper claim using the previous CMS-1500 (Version 12-90) on or after July 2 will find their claims denied.
Read more about the new CMS-1500 form implementation date
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Participate in AAPC’s Annual Salary Survey
It’s that time of year again!
AAPC is conducting its annual Salary Survey and the results will be published in the October edition of the
Coding Edge. Please help us compile as much data as possible by clicking the link below to contribute your responses to our survey. Rest assured that the survey is anonymous and that we do not ask for any identifying information with your accurate confidential responses.
Take the survey
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Your CEUs cost $30,000.01 – And Other Urban Myths…
By Stephanie L. Jones, NRCMA, NRCAHA, CPC-EMS, Vice President, Member Services, AAPC
Myth: CEUs are expensive
Reality: As certified AAPC members, you are capable of producing the highest possible financial return for your employers while remaining within the confines of all rules, regulations and agreements that govern correct and ethical action. Continuing education helps you to maintain your distinctive edge and sets us, as a membership, apart from the crowd. At the same time, the AAPC recognizes that our credentialed members are busy professionals who may not have the time, or money, to invest in expensive CEU programs. For this reason, we offer several ways to earn CEU credit at little or no cost, and in ways that do not require travel. The following outlines the top three ways you can accomplish this.
- Keep your "Edge": Abstract a summary of an article you have read in our members only monthly AAPC Coding Edge Magazine or any pre-approved newsletter/magazine that is on our Approved Vendor list.
Check the list to find out if your
other newsletter or magazine
subscriptions are there. Your
summary is worth 1 CEU and there is
no limit to the number of CEUs you
may earn this way.
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Test Yourself
- Earn .5 CEUs
By answering the following questions, you can earn .5 continuing education units to apply toward your annual AAPC certification renewal. Simply answer the questions and send in a copy of your work when submitting your CEU package or enter your CEUs into the CEU Tracker online. Include the number of each EdgeBlast on your submission (example: #76). The number is available at the top of the page.
Answers to the questions are not always found directly (word for word) in the EdgeBlast in which they appear. While often related to the EdgeBlast content, they require additional resources such as your ICD-9-CM, CPT® and HCPCS manuals.
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Should you report 90782 with 86580 when administering a TB Test? |
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If another physician provides a consult request to your practice and you need that physician’s NPI, how would you find it? |
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When should you begin using the new CMS-1500 form? |
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Which ICD-9-CM code should you report for a tuberculosis screening? |
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Explain why the CDC does not recommend TB inoculations for Americans? |
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