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Don’t hold too tightly to departing providers’ patient lists

05/02/2016

Treating patient lists as a “trade secret” that doctors can’t take with them when they leave may lead to legal challenges and expensive settlements; instead try crafting contract language that gives departing providers, your practice and your patients what they need.

Use checklists, probing questions to boost providers’, patients’ use of ACP

05/02/2016

by: Roy Edroso

Many providers have trouble initiating and engaging in advance care planning (ACP) discussions with their patients — and sometimes vice versa. But simple techniques and guidelines can help both parties buy in for improved care and increased practice revenue.

Choose frequently performed services for your cross-cutting measure to ace PQRS

05/02/2016

by: Richard Scott

Focus on your high-volume activities that you have a penchant for performing well to choose the best cross-cutting measure for your physician quality reporting system (PQRS) submissions in 2016.

PQRS reporting rates increase yet penalties hit thousands of providers

05/02/2016

by: Richard Scott

A majority of eligible providers (EPs) — 62.2% — successfully participated in the physician quality reporting system (PQRS) in 2014, avoiding a 2% pay cut for 2016 Medicare fee schedule rates. Yet that leaves hundreds of thousands of providers who are being hit with a 2% cut this year.

Don’t expect a payment for IV chemotherapy administration in a facility

04/25/2016

by: Julia Kyles, CPC-A

Question: We have a two-part question about billing for intravenous chemotherapy administration services such as 96416 (Chemotherapy administration, intravenous infusion technique; initiation of prolonged chemotherapy infusion (more than 8 hours), requiring use of a portable or implantable pump.)

Ensure employee protections on hazardous drugs align with new USP standard

04/25/2016

by: A.J. Plunkett

A new U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) standard will dictate how you protect employees from unnecessary exposure to hazardous drugs, and though its effective date is in 2018, you need to start now with training and education.

New CMS primary care program promotes push to pay-for-performance

04/25/2016

by: Roy Edroso

The Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPCP) program announced April 11 by CMS is yet another sign that the agency is moving aggressively toward pay-for-performance, and Medicare providers will have to adjust sooner than later, experts tell Part B News.

Get providers comfortable with advance directives to encourage ACP use

04/25/2016

by: Roy Edroso

Give your clinical team the confidence to suggest and perform advance care planning (ACP) for their patients by increasing their understanding of advance directive forms.

Let the situation dictate your advance care planning diagnosis codes

04/25/2016

by: Richard Scott

Question: Our billers were wondering if you can lend some insight on the new advance care planning codes, specifically in a situation where a patient is still relatively young — say, 65 years old — is being seen for an annual comprehensive examination and has no major risk factors at the time. The doctor wants to start the discussion regarding their advance care directive. Do you know of a diagnosis code that exists that would cover this CPT code?

Brief: Office for Civil Rights (OCR) launches phase two of HIPAA audit program

04/25/2016

OCR has initiated the long-awaited second phase of its audit program, which will include covered entities and business associates, said OCR Director Joyce Samuels at the 24th National HIPAA Summit on March 21.

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