Summary: Most common modifiers saw increased utilization from 2006 to 2008, with a notable exception being the GA modifier, a sign practices are using advance beneficiary notice of non-coverage (ABN) forms less frequently.

This tool, developed by DecisionHealth Professional Services, will help you keep a record of training opportunities completed by staff members - whether it is training for billing purposes, HIPAA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), or other related training carried out by personnel. You are able to customize this tool to each specific training program offered by your practice.

You must have one of seven CMS-approved software programs to report Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and e-prescribing codes via an electronic health record (EHR) system this year. CMS announced its list of approved vendors during a provider telephone conference March 10.

When your physicians can't be in the office, you face a potentially confusing menu of billing arrangements to cover them, and choosing the wrong one can lead to compliance risks, experts say. The key: Because many of these arrangements are informal, take place between different practices and usually don't require any sort of written agreement, you need to know which arrangement works for your situation, and how much documentation you do need.

CMS is taking pains to ensure you won't be paid by Medicare Part B for ambulatory surgery center (ASC) facility costs when treating skilled nursing facility (SNF) patients in the ASC setting. Whenever SNF patients receive ASC services during SNF stays covered by Part A, the ASC cannot bill Part B separately for facility costs, CMS says in Transmittal 1911 to the Medicare Claims Processing Manual.

A new CMS proposed rule to add more certification standards for electronic health records (EHR) systems could mean more confusion for you when you try to buy a system for your practice, experts tell Part B News. Currently you have only one certifying standard to look for, known as CCHIT (it's devised by the non-profit Certification Commission for Health Information Technology).

The uncertain future of Medicare payment has caused your peers to take steps to limit or reduce the number of Medicare patients on the daily schedule. The projected 21% cuts to Medicare payment hanging over your head and getting delayed a month or two at a time are cited as the main driver for reducing Medicare's role in your payer mix. Here are three ways to accomplish this.

You won't have to worry about Medicare payments dropping by 21% until Oct. 1 under a Senate-approved bill. The American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213) passed with a 62-36 vote on March 10. The tax bill includes a section addressing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) Medicare cut, therapy cap exceptions and an extension of the minimum Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCIs) work floor of 1.000.