Surgeons could see both payment and post-op patient volume drop under CMS’ proposed reconstruction of relative value units (RVUs) for the E/M portion of surgical procedures with a global period. But despite possible revenue loss, surgeons pack in more billable patient visits and procedures with slashed post-op E/Ms.

Assess payments you receive from pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers for research, presentations, testing and other services and whether you’re comfortable with that information being posted on the Internet. The Sunshine Act, which is part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), requires certain pharmaceutical, biologic and medical device makers to track and annually report to the HHS payments or other “transfers of value” they give to physicians and teaching hospitals.

The problem: Physicians use of template language, “old review of systems [ROS] updated,” on all charts when such an update was not documented correctly or completed for every patient. For example, a doctor refers to her review and changes of a previous visit’s ROS and PFSH in the current note by writing, “ROS from Jan. 5 reviewed and updated.” But the Jan. 5 note does not have the required doctor’s signature and current date on it, says Regan Tyler, senior consultant for DecisionHealth Professional Services.

Physicians transitioning to Novitas Solutions need to provide a new electronic funds transfer (EFT) authorization agreement. Practices that had used EFT with Pinnacle Business Solutions, Cahaba GBA and TrailBlazer Enterprises could see payment disruptions if they don’t submit new EFT authorization agreements using the CMS-588 form. Those providers received letters between May 15 and July 27, depending on their location, from Medicare administrative contractor (MAC) Novitas asking them to complete and return the form.

Now that the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act last month, physician practices are beginning to form their impressions and either responding accordingly, or not at all. These charts, based on 136 responses to a Part B News survey conducted late last month, depict answers to two questions, both of which allowed respondents to check off all answers that are applicable: What part of the ACA affects your practice and how have regulatory provisions of the health care law (including revalidation and the 60-day overpayment rule) affected your practice?

What is the correct date of service to use for the professional component (-26) of an X-ray? Should it be the actual date the provider read the film or the date the film was taken?