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Service animals

Untangling the Rules Around Service Animals at Your Practice

When patients or employees want to bring service animals or emotional support animals into your practice, you must tread very carefully. If you make a misstep, you could face lawsuits, regulatory agency fines and reputational damage if you violate the Americans With Disabilities Act. On the other hand, if your emotional support animal policy is […]
Telehealth services

CMS Updates Telehealth Rules, Approves Using E/M Code G2211

If your practice has been eagerly awaiting word from CMS about how Medicare payments would be calculated in 2024, the wait is over. The agency released its 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule on November 2, and the provisions include a 3.4% lower conversion factor of $32.7375, updates to the telehealth rules, approval of using […]
OIG work plan

HHS Adds 3 Key Issues to Latest OIG Work Plan Document

Every practice knows that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) assigns its watchdog agency, the OIG, to review problematic issues at medical offices, and to investigate when warranted. Investigations may end up resulting in fines and penalties for practices, which is why it’s important to avoid these reviews if at all possible. One […]
ERISA documents

How to Gather ERISA Documents That Help You Slash Denials

The first step to filing ERISA appeals is to ensure you have all the ERISA documents you need from your patients — but that can be easier said than done. It can be challenging to get items like the summary plan description and coverage details. Check these methods that can help you gather the ERISA […]
Subpoena for medical records

4 Questions to Ask if You Get a Subpoena for Medical Records

If your practice receives a subpoena for medical records, it’s important to stay calm. Although you have to toe the line between complying with the subpoena and protecting patient privacy, there are important questions you must answer before sending the records. Check out the four questions you should always ask when you get a subpoena […]
CPT modifiers

3 Ways Payers Are Monitoring Your Use of CPT Modifiers

Without CPT modifiers, many coders would struggle to submit accurate claims to payers. Why? Because modifiers allow you to provide insurers with more information about a service or supply, without changing the meaning of the code they’re modifying. In many cases, modifiers can be the difference between a denial and a claim approval. Coders have […]
Telehealth fraud

3 Recent Cases Show Providers Charged With Telehealth Fraud

Telehealth has become such an important part of our lives that it’s now second nature for many medical practices. That doesn’t mean you can become complacent, however. The reality is that auditors are still scrutinizing telehealth claims to look for instances of wrongdoing, and several recent cases highlight how telehealth fraud scrutiny may even be […]
ICD-10-CM

4 New External Cause ICD-10-CM Code Sets to Know for 2024

The 2024 ICD-10-CM codes — which took effect on Oct. 1 —include nearly 450 changes, with many of the new codes slotted into chapter 20, which describes external causes of illness or injury. While not all payers require the use of these codes, they can absolutely help you paint a clearer picture of why a service […]
I-9 form

Check These NEW I-9 Form Changes Before the Nov. 1 Deadline

The updated I-9 form is already out, but many practices aren’t using it yet. The catch? You must start using this form effective Nov. 1, 2023, since the previous version expires on Oct. 31. To prepare for the switchover and ensure you’re ready to begin using the new I-9 form, take a look at these […]
Medicare appeals

7 Tips for Medicare Appeals That May Help Reverse Denials

Unless you engage a consultant or attorney to assist, it costs nothing to submit Medicare appeals, but it can net you big money because you’ve already performed the service — and you deserve to get paid for it. Many practices avoid appealing denials because it’s time consuming, but if you know the ropes about Medicare […]