Healthcare Practice Advisor Blog

This is the place to turn to for physician practice-specific how-to-articles to help you overcome the top challenges you face in medical coding & billing, compliance, credentialing, practice management, HIPAA, and more.

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New CMS March 30 Rule: Update Your Telehealth Billing Now, Speed Cash Coming In

Just when you thought you got your head semi-wrapped around Medicare telemedicine rules, they go and throw it out the window! On March 30, CMS issued an Interim Final Rule and released new guidance on how to code and bill for rapidly evolving telehealth services. Before you file another claim, here are the three sweeping […]

Published Date: March 31, 2020

Work Remotely During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Keep Staff Motivated, Productive When Working Remotely

Many states and municipalities are mandating that nonessential businesses have employees work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers don’t fall in this category, but to address staff shortages and prevent the spread, you should have a plan in place of who you can have work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why Work Remotely […]

Published Date: March 30, 2020

Claim Denial Telehealth: Check 2 Items Before Refiling

QUESTION: We just received our first denial for a telehealth service using audio-visual. The claim was filed with office visit code 99212, place of service 02 for telehealth and modifier 95. Can you tell us what we did wrong so that we can get paid for these visits? Question from Palatine, Illinois Subscriber ANSWER: There […]

Published Date: March 27, 2020

New DOL Law: Prevent Employee-Related COVID-19 Lawsuits

Effective April 1 through 2020, your practice will violate government employment regulations related to how to manage employees who have COVID-19 symptoms unless you get a handle on the new laws outlined in the First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Break it or other emergency guidelines, and you’ll face costly penalties and lawsuits. Answers to your toughest questions: […]

Published Date: March 26, 2020

Successfully Manage Patients at Your Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With an influx of COVID-19 confirmed cases across the country, your practice needs to be ready for the unknown. From keeping patients informed of emergency office policies to getting even stricter about infection prevention, here are 5 steps to help you better manage your patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPORTANT: The expert advice below is […]

Published Date: March 25, 2020

Cheat Sheet Masters Emergency Telemedicine Policies Coverage

Your head is spinning as you try to recommend remote service solutions to your providers. To make an intelligent presentation to your doctors, you need to do some homework, so you’re getting the coverage you expect and avoiding hot-water regulations. Get a jump start with expert practice management and reimbursement tips from nationally-recognized coding and […]

Published Date: March 21, 2020

protected health information during COVID-19

Prevent HIPAA Penalties: 5 Emergency Disclosure Rules to Follow Now

With patients becoming ill or exposing others to COVID-19, your practice is going to be faced with more requests for Protected Health Information (PHI). To comply with health department and local requests without facing HIPAA privacy fines, be sure to know your and your patients’ rights. Here are your legal disclosure allowances form privacy expert […]

Published Date: March 19, 2020

COVID-19 Practice Protection: Remote Service Tactics That Get You Paid – Safely

Knowing how to correctly code, bill and get paid for remote services (telemedicine) might be the only way your practice can continue to provide services to your patients without risking the spread of COVID-19. Telehealth services reimbursement has become an overnight necessity for many practices with the recent highly-infectious coronavirus outbreak. The challenge is that […]

Published Date: March 17, 2020

3 Audit-Proof Telehealth Scenarios That Count as High-Paying 99201-99215

QUESTION: The telehealth rules indicate the service must be patient initiated. What does this mean? We are a pulmonology specialty group and are considering seeing new patient referrals and established patients by Skype. How can the new patient visits meet the office visits’ exam requirements? Question from Detroit, MI Subscriber ANSWER: CMS included the patient-initiated […]

Published Date: March 16, 2020

CMS NEW Telemedicine COVID-19 Rule: Get Reimbursed for Medicare Virtual Services

IMPORTANT UPDATE: With Coronavirus numbers increasing daily, your practice needs to treat patients without spreading their germs. Telemedicine can help you treat patients virtually and reserve your waiting room for more seriously affected patients. Make the most out of CMS’s new telemedicine rules for COVID-19. To help healthcare practices treat more patients virtually, Congress passed […]

Published Date: March 12, 2020