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Debridement Coding
June 10, 2021 Question: If 10 sq. cm subcutaneous tissue is debrided from the right leg and 20 sq. cm…
What Does “Separate Procedure” Mean in a CPT Code Description?
May 27, 2021 Question: What does “separate procedure” mean when it follows a CPT code description? Answer: Per CPT :…
Co Surgeon or Assistant?
May 13, 2021 Question: A vascular surgeon is requested to come to the OR to repair a blood vessel that…
Fem-Fem Bypass
April 29, 2021 Question: How is a left femoral to right femoral artery bypass with PTFE reported? Answer: Report code…
Embolization and Catheterization
April 15, 2021 Question: I was told catheterization is included in the embolization codes, 37241-37244. Is that correct? Answer: No,…
Lesion Crossing Two Territories
April 1, 2021 Question: Our vascular surgeon did a single intervention on a lesion that was at the juncture of…
Venogram and Catheterization
March 18, 2021 Question: During a catheterization the surgeon performed a venogram. I don’t see that these procedures are bundled,…
Catheterization and Intervention Billing
March 4, 2021 Question: Does TEVAR allow for billing of catheterization and intervention? Would a 59 modifier be needed? Answer:…
Nonselective or Selective
February 18, 2021 Question: When does a nonselective catheterization become a selective catheterization? Answer: If the catheter (not just the…
Modifier 52 vs. 53
February 4, 2021 Question: We are confused about the difference between modifier 52 and 53. What is the difference? Answer:…
Documenting Family History for New Patient Visits
January 21, 2021 Question: I’ve heard that all you need to document for family history is the word “none”, and…
New 2021 E/M Coding Guidelines
December 17, 2020 Question: In the new guidelines, how does Time affect billing for a teaching physician’s E/M service when…
Stent vs. Embolization or Both
December 3, 2020 Question: If the surgeon uses a covered stent and performs an embolization on a patient with a…
New 2021 Evaluation and Management Code Guidelines
November 12, 2020 Question: I heard that the E/M code guidelines are changing in 2021. Will this apply to all…
Dialysis Circuit Revision
October 29, 2020 Question: My vascular surgeon performed a dialysis circuit open revision, and had to remove subcutaneous fat during…
Billing Separately for Diagnostic Angiograms
October 15, 2020 Question: Our surgeon performed an aortogram with run-off to bilateral lower extremities. He then performed interventions in…
Confusion About New 2021 E/M Guidelines
October 1, 2020 Question: The new guidelines that are coming out in 2021 for all types of E/M services, right?…
Overreading a Diagnostic Imaging Study
September 17, 2020 Question: I sent a patient out to the hospital for a CTA and the patient brought in…
2021 EM Guidelines: Only for Medicare?
September 3, 2020 Question: I work with a surgeon and we see just a few Medicare patients. The surgeon believes…
Stent and Embolization Coil Used In Same Session
August 20, 2020 Question: The surgeon used a stent and then inserted an embolization coil for an aneurysm. Are both…
Billing for Lesion Intervention Crossing Territories
August 6, 2020 Question: Our vascular surgeon documented a single intervention for a lesion that crosses the margin between the…
Angiogram Billing for All Vessels Viewed
July 23, 2020 Question: Can we bill for all vessels mentioned if they are documented within the angiogram? Answer: No.…
Billing for Vascular Access
July 9, 2020 Question: I’m new to vascular coding, can we bill for vascular access for a catheterization? The provider…
Co-Surgery Due to Complex Procedure
June 25, 2020 Question: I have 2 vascular surgeons from the same practice that want to bill co-surgery for a…
Payment and Coding Changes you need to know with Open Exposure in EVAR
June 11, 2020 Question: Does it matter that the open exposure codes are now add-on codes? Does that change payment…
Billing code 34713, using a 12 French or larger catheter with EVAR
May 28, 2020 Question: I almost always use a 12 French or larger catheter for placing the main body for…
Billing Additional Pre-Op Visit
May 14, 2020 Question: Since we have to bring the patients back in for COVID testing and H&P for Joint Commission,…
Billing Multiple Phone Calls
April 30, 2020 Question: Can we bill telephone only (99441-99443) calls subsequently during the week (or the same day) for…
Documentation Requirements
April 16, 2020 Question: What are the documentation rules for telehealth visits? Answer: Medicare now says that the appropriate E/M…
Approved Telehealth Platforms
April 2, 2020 Question: Now that we aren’t limited to HIPAA compliant software, can we use any app or platform…
Articles
Does My Documentation Tell the Story in Critical Care?
Does My Documentation Tell the Story in Critical Care? SCCM Critical Connections – August 2019 by Deborah Grider The initial and…
Is Your Practice Not Getting Paid?
AAOSNow – July 2017 by Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA, and Cheryl Toth, MBA Coding May Not Be the Reason…
Liability Management 101
Liability Management 101 – August 2016 by Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA Why Malpractice Insurance Is Not Enough Today’s orthopaedic practices…
OIG Says "No Bonus Points" for Having a Compliance Plan
AAOS Now – July 2016 by Cheryl Toth, MBA New announcements and guidance push providers toward an active program If your…
The Revenue Engine that Could “Think You Can” by Refining the Revenue Cycle with the Right People, Processes, and Tools
Greenbranch – May/June 2013 Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC Many physicians continue to wrestle with an economy-in-recovery and declining reimbursements. In…
8 Things Your Medical Billing Service Should Be Doing
Physicians Practice – 2016 by Karen Zupko What has your billing service done for you lately? A good vendor does more than just…
Is Your Bariatric Practice Ready for Retail?
Mystery Shopping Results Indicate a Need for Improvement – April 2016 by Karen Zupko and Samantha Lappe After the news of a…
The Impact of ICD-10 Implementation
by Kyle M. Lee Survey finds a smooth road so far On Oct. 1, 2015, the 10th revision of the…
Surviving in an ICD-10 World
by Deborah Grider, CPC, COC, CPC-I, CPC-P, CEMC, CPMA, CCS-P, CDIP Certified AHIMA Clinical Documentation Improvement Practitioner AHIMA-Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer…
Practice Transition Planning: When Is the Right Time?
The American Journal of Orthopedics – December 2015 by Karen Zupko, BSJ If you are a solo orthopedic surgeon or…
The Only Safe SMS Texting Is No SMS Texting
Greenbranch – Nov/Dec 2015 by Cheryl Toth, MBA, and Michael J. Sacopulos, JD Many physicians and practice staff use short messaging…
Reduce Medical Practice Embezzlement Risk by Implementing Cash Controls
Physicians Practice – September 2013 by Karen Zupko and Cheryl Toth, MBA Several years ago, we visited a practice in…
21st-Century Patient Collections: Implement a Point-of-Service Collections Program Now
The American Journal of Orthopedics – May 2015 by Cheryl Toth, MBA An 8-surgeon group in the Southeast had a…
Seven Surefire Ways to Start a Nonphysician Practitioner Off Right
The Journal of Medical Practice Management – January/February 2015 by Cheryl Toth, MBA With the proper planning and preparation, nonphysician…
The Patient Relations and Service Recovery Guide: A Colorful Approach to Handling Upset and Angry Patients
The American Journal of Orthopedics – January 2015 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD Tearful breakdowns and loud outbursts—they happen with…
Patient Portal in Your Orthopedic Surgery Practice: You Can So Do This
The American Journal of Orthopedics – September 2014 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD On initial consideration, the patient portal portion…
Banking: Shop and Compare
Journal of Medical Practice Management – May/June 2014 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD, and Sherry DeJarnette, CPA There are many reasons to…
Avoid Billing Service Nightmares: Issues to consider before partnering with independent and hospital-based billing services
AAOS Now – April 2014 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD In addition to the compliance and security issues highlighted in…
What To Expect from the Orthopaedic Surgery Practice Manager
AAOS Now – April 2014 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD When a physician gives an order to a nurse, technician,…
Avoid Billing Service Nightmares: Use Business Rigor to Reduce Your Risk: Part I
AAOS Now – February 2014 by Cheryl L. Toth, MBA Recently, an orthopaedic surgeon remarked that he was thinking about…
Are Your Business Associate Agreements HIPAA (Omnibus) Compliant?
Plastic Surgery News Connection – 2013 by Karen Zupko If you’ve been “too busy” to update your Business Associate Agreements…
The Employment Agreement: What Every Doctor (Junior and Senior) Needs to Know, Parts 1, 2, and 3
Journal of Practice Management – May/June 2000; July/August 2000; September/October 2000 by James G. Stuart J.D. This is the first…
