Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Question: What can I expect the OIG to focus on in 2008?

Washington Subscriber

Answer: Last week, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services released its 2008 Work Plan, and it's a doozy for practices that treat Medicare or Medicaid patients.

The 111-page guide reveals that the OIG intends to scrutinize claims for incident-to services administered to Medicare patients. According to the work plan, the OIG will examine the qualifications and appropriateness of the staff who perform incident-to services.

Make sure you button up your claims for E/M services performed during global surgical periods. The OIG plans to determine whether "the number of E/M services provided during the global surgery period has changed since the global surgery fee concept was developed in 1992."

-- You Be the Coder and Reader Questions answered/reviewed by Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CHCC, director of outreach programs for the American Academy of Professional Coders based in Salt Lake City.