Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Get the front desk involved to help keep claims on track.What's the top tool in your arsenal to avoid claim rejections? Verify patient eligibility.That was the word from NGS Medicare's Michelle Coleman during the contractor's February 16 webinar, "Minimize Errors, Maximize Revenue." Coleman not only shared the top claim submission errors seen by NGS in December 2011, but she also suggested solutions for avoiding those mistakes. Read on for the scoop on how to keep your revenue rolling in.1. Patients weren't covered by the MAC. NGS saw over 49,000 claims in December for patients not covered by the contractor. For instance, if patients enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or moved across the state line, thus changing their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) to another contractor, they were not covered by NGS and their claims were denied.Solution: Check each patient's eligibility information at every visit. "I know sometimes physicians do that [...]