The Medicare Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131, and form instructions have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. Be sure that you are using the renewed form with the expiration date of … Continue reading →
While Medicare providers received automatic payments from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund, those practices who see Medicaid patients, but not Medicare were not included. The portal for requesting funds from the next round of the Provider Relief fund is … Continue reading →
This article was first published on Kareo’s Go Practice blog. Before we know it, January will be here and with that comes a few of the usual challenges that we face in the revenue cycle and one new one specific … Continue reading →
Another commercial insurance payer has announced that they will no longer be paying for consult codes (99241-99245 and 99251-99255). Cigna announced that as of October 1, 2019, they will deny claims submitted with those codes. While Medicare eliminated consult codes … Continue reading →
Effective June 1, 2019, United Healthcare commercial plans will no longer reimburse providers who submit consultation codes (CPT 99241-99255), according to their April 2019 Network Bulletin. According to UHC, “This change aligns UnitedHealthcare with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid … Continue reading →
This article was first published on Kareo’s Go Practice blog. For those of us who remember the days of medical billing before electronic claims, it seems like we have made leaps and bounds from the days of ledger cards, paper … Continue reading →
This article was first published on Kareo’s Go Practice blog. Elimination of the Individual Mandate Penalty While attempts to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act have not been successful and are unlikely to continue with the change in control … Continue reading →
This article was first published on Kareo’s Go Practice blog. As we head into the home stretch of 2018, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and slip into “cruise mode,” just trying … Continue reading →
This article was first published on Kareo’s Go Practice blog. Medical billing has changed. And keeps changing. Every time you think you have it figured out, a new roadblock to reimbursement comes along. Finding and retaining qualified billing staff to … Continue reading →
CMS has published an MLN Connects article providing updated information on the progress of issuing new Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers and mailing new cards to existing beneficiaries. The majority of beneficiaries in Wave 1 should have received their new cards … Continue reading →
This article was first published on Kareo’s Go Practice blog. If you haven’t seen the new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier on a Medicare card yet, keep your eyes open because you are likely to start seeing them soon. As of April 1, … Continue reading →
The new year is upon us and one of the biggest changes in the healthcare industry that 2018 brings is the elimination of social security numbers on Medicare cards. Beginning in April Medicare will be sending new cards to Medicare … Continue reading →
You have probably heard of the ransomware attacks that have hit many companies around the world including several healthcare organizations. Because we are so reliant on our computers, the threat of a ransomware attack is very serious and can have … Continue reading →
Patient collections is a topic that everyone seems to be talking about, and for good reason. It has become a significant factor in the revenue cycle for most practices. The foundation of a good patient collections process is the financial … Continue reading →
It is no secret that healthcare providers are finding it increasingly difficult to collect on balances that have been applied to patient deductibles. This is directly tied to the historically high deductible amounts on both employer and individual plans. In the … Continue reading →
With the shift in responsibility from insurance companies to patients due to high deductible plans, healthcare practices have seen an increase in their AR over 120 days. Many practices struggle to collect from patients because their staff is not properly … Continue reading →
A recent study by Blackbook Market Research found that 85% of the hospitals, provider organizations, and physician practices are either in the process of or considering replacing part or all of their Revenue Cycle Management solution. A significant factor driving … Continue reading →
As of October 1, 2016, the CMS grace period for ICD-10 unspecified codes came to an end. If you are have noticed an increase in denials due to unspecified diagnosis codes, you may find the following information helpful in identifying … Continue reading →
If your head is still spinning over all of the talk about MACRA, MIPS and Alternative Payment Models (APMs) check out this great site that CMS just released. It is one of the most simplified and easy to understand explanations … Continue reading →
Just when you thought you had figured out what all of the acronyms in healthcare stand for, along comes a whole new set. If you are having trouble understanding the new acronyms related to the value base payment programs that … Continue reading →