Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: What can our practice do to prepare for the public health emergency (PHE) ending in May?

New Jersey Subscriber

Answer: May 11, 2023, is right around the corner, so it’s definitely wise to start getting the practice ready for the undoing of two years of flexibilities. Attorney Robert Markette Jr. with Hall Render in Indianapolis suggests practices do the following things:

1. Start right away and identify affected policies that your practice changed due to PHE waivers. Assess whether you will need to change them back or transition to a new policy. Remember, too, that some changes may have been permanent, and others were temporary due to legislation or Medicare rulemaking, such as telehealth flexibilities.
2. Draw up a plan and set clear deadlines to make sure everything gets done efficiently.
3. Train staff. Educate everyone on new policies and make sure to shoot for compliance before the PHE expires.
4. Perform internal audits to verify the trainings were effective. Provide follow-up training based on the findings of that audit.

Remember: Coders have a few weeks to adjust to changes that were two years in the making. It’ll take a while for complete recalibration. But no one is sure how quickly after the PHE ends practices will face external audits. With a little organization and planning, you can avoid fraud violations post-PHE.