Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
OIG Recovers $3.4 Billion in First 6 Months of Fiscal Year 2011
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Plus: Sleep Clinic Pays $650,000 to Settle False Claims Allegations. Citing a "period of intense activity," Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson offered his Semiannual Report to Congress on June 1, unveiling the news that the OIG collected $3.4 billion between October 2010 and March 2011, with $222 million of that coming from audit recoveries alone. The OIG brought in another $3.2 billion from 349 criminal and 197 civil actions that took place over the same time period, which left 883 individuals and entities excluded from participating in federal health care programs, a June 1 OIG news release noted. To read the entire Semiannual Report, visit the OIG's Web site at http://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/semiannual/index.asp.
Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
- EHR Penalties:
CMS Proposes 4 Additional Exemptions to Help You Avoid EHR Penalty
The agency is accepting comments on the proposal through July 25.Hoping to avoid a one [...] - Diagnosis Coding:
CMS Proposes New Glaucoma, Skin Cancer, Dementia Codes
Many new codes abound in final update to proposed ICD-9-CM code set.If you've felt that [...] - Patient Privacy:
Peeking at Patient's PHI? Soon, They May Know You Did It
HHS proposes giving patients access to a list of providers who accessed their records.If you've [...] - Part B Payment:
CMS Offers Great News With Fee Schedule Changes
Boost co-surgery, multiple surgery, and bilateral surgery pay for these select procedures.You'll no longer have [...] - Part B Coding Coach:
Q0091 Won't Do the Trick When Reporting Post- Hysterectomy Pap
Remember: The rules change when malignancy is involved.Warning: The rules for coding standard Paps aren't [...] - Physician Notes:
OIG Recovers $3.4 Billion in First 6 Months of Fiscal Year 2011
Plus: Sleep Clinic Pays $650,000 to Settle False Claims Allegations.Citing a "period of intense activity," [...] - In other news
If you ever wondered whether whistleblowers really collected for their revelations, a new DOJ announcement [...] - Reader Question:
94010 and 94070 May Require Modifier When Billed Together
Question: My physician wants me to bill separately for a spirogram and methacholine test performed [...] - Reader Question:
99024 vs. E/M for Pump Follow-Up--Check Catheter Placement
Question: Our pain management physician began a patient on an intrathecal pump trial. He sees [...]