For many years, the ChiroCode DeskBook has emphasized the need for providers to firmly establish the patient’s financial responsibility through clear communication. We even created a “Patient Financial Responsibility Acknowledgment Form” to help providers with this process. Lately, the lack of pricing transparency has been in the news and even …
Question: I got a denial on my claim and it said the problem was with the diagnoses codes that I used. I used M54.15 and M79.2. I don’t understand why this is a problem.
How do we know which codes a payer will allow?
The best way to determine the codes (CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS) allowed by a payer is to review their payer policy. While it is good to know the official guidelines (e.g., ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, AMA Guidelines, Medicare …
Medicare creates and maintains the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits and NCCI Policy Manual, which identify code pair edits. When performed on the same patient, on the same day, and by the same provider, the secondary code is considered an integral part of the primary code, and payment for …
CMS has made changes to their payment policies for reciprocal billing arrangements and Fee-For-Time compensation arrangements (formerly referred to as locum tenens arrangements). Providers need to be aware of these changes and update their policies as appropriate.
Topic: Electrical Stimulation (EMS)
Question: An orthopedic surgeon/IME recommended a denial for all electrical stimulation
(EMS) by stating that “according ODG electrical stimulation is experimental therefore not
medically necessary or eligible for reimbursement.” Is that true?
Identity theft has become a major problem in the United States. As a prevention measure, the Centers for Medicare& Medicaid Services (CMS) is readying a fraud prevention initiative that removes Social Security numbers from Medicare cards to help combat identity theft, and safeguard taxpayer dollars.
Q: If a patient is treated with chiropractic manipulation and it is clinically appropriate but doesn’t qualify as medically necessary care, what is the proper way to communicate this when billing the insurance company for the service?
Are you having a difficult time getting reimbursed? Are claims being denied because the insurance classifies everything as maintenance?
Q&A: If we use low level codes on each visit (such as 98940, 99212, 99202), will our chances of being audited be less than if we billed higher level codes?
