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9 tips to meet the toughest meaningful use measures: electronic submissions to others

07/18/2011

You must use your electronic health record (EHR) system to transmit patient data, either to another EHR-equipped provider or to public health agencies, in order earn your $18,000 first-round incentive payment – but complying with these measures are often the toughest parts of demonstrating meaningful use, experts say. Follow these tips to get it done and collect the $18,000 check.

Specialties get their own set of PQRS rules, more measures

07/18/2011

by: Lauren C. Williams

Your specialty would get its own reporting criteria for the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) program, according to a Part B News analysis of the many PQRS changes in the 2012 proposed Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). CMS wants to create separate reporting criteria and more measures for specialists, tailoring the way you participate in PQRS on your specialty.

3 ways to handle annual wellness visits quickly and efficiently

07/18/2011

by: Grant Huang

You could make more money and improve health outcomes by billing Medicare’s new annual wellness visit (AWV), but only a tiny fraction of beneficiaries have gotten the service. While AWVs do come with a lengthy checklist and new rules, you get a lump sum of $161.05 per visit billed. Learn to streamline your AWVs and you get a new revenue source that never wastes staff time on copays or collection efforts, experts say.

6 tips to consider when balance billing patients

07/18/2011

by: Marla Durben Hirsch

If your state still allows balance billing and you’re not on a particular payer’s network, you can still balance bill members of that payer. But the atmosphere for doing so may be less conducive than in the past. Take these steps to protect yourself when balance billing.

Advanced imaging providers face snags after PECOS updates

07/18/2011

by: Lauren C. Williams

You won’t be able to complete the Medicare enrollment or revalidation process via the online Provider Enrollment Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) if you have not yet received your updated advanced diagnostic imaging technology accreditation from one of three CMS-approved accrediting bodies. Your best bet is to switch to paper now or wait for a bug fix from CMS to continue, experts say.

Benchmark of the Week: Top code changes proposed for 2012

07/18/2011

by: Grant Huang

This chart shows price changes for a total of 20 codes based on relative value unit (RVU) data from Medicare’s proposed 2012 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). A wide range of services would see significant pay increased in 2012 under the proposed rule, but far and away the biggest winners are G0422 and G0423 for intense cardiac rehabilitation.

Ask a Part B News Expert: Denominator codes for e-Rx

07/18/2011

What denominator codes can be used in order for a claim to be eligible to be counted toward receiving an e-prescribing bonus?

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