Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Question: I heard that Medicare posted the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits on the Internet. Is this true? If so, which Web site address should I use to find the edits?

North Carolina Subscriber Answer: CMS now offers an inexpensive way to stay current on the latest National Correct Coding Initiative  edits that affect oncology practices. You can check out the quarterly NCCI edit updates for free at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/physicians/cciedits.
 
The same Web page also includes links to documents that explain the edits, including the NCCI Policy Manual for Part B Medicare Carriers, Medicare Carriers Manual, and an NCCI Question and Answer page.
 
In the past, CMS made the NCCI edits available as a paid subscription only (by way of the National Technical Information Service). But now all you need are a computer and Internet access.
 
CMS lists the edits in a spreadsheet format. You can sort edits by code number (for instance, click only on the radiology series), or by effective date. The Web page also includes a "find" feature so you can locate specific codes. The on-line database provides instant access to both the "comprehensive/component" and "mutually exclusive" code pair edits, thereby making it easy for oncologists and their coders to identify incorrect coding combinations.