ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has moved back the start date of the new Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) until Aug. 1, 2000. Unfortunately, even an extra months delay will not help the medical industry if coders do not now gain knowledge on the Ambulatory Payment Classification rules.

HCFA published the official rules in the Federal Register on April 17, but the register can be hard to navigate.

ED outpatient coders and clinicians, who will be directly affected by the new rules, should visit HCFAs Web site at http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/hopps/default.htm to find a much simpler presentation of the new APC regulations. There is a chart that will help direct coders to the section of rules that apply to their specialty.

If you have questions about any of the data HCFA provides on their Web page, send them to outpatientPPS@hcfa.gov. Use of this e-mail address is limited to specific questions regarding the new payment system data outlined on the Web site.

As always, ED Coding Alert welcomes your feedback and aims to address your issues in upcoming publications. E-mail us your questions at questions@medville.com.