Medical necessity is defined as services that are reasonable and necessary for diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury, or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member and are not excluded under another provision of the Medicare Program. Unfortunately, we have many practices trying to slide under the radar the experimental and/or […]

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Terry discusses Behavioral Health services, best practices documentation and coding specifics. Also, Terry offers some bonus discussion on RAC auditors trying to bait providers into not responding to ADR requests. Check out this episode for intel on these important topics and more. Subscribe and Listen You can subscribe to our podcasts via: Apple Podcasts – […]

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With all of the AI implementation into EHR and EMR systems, there is concern about how providers rely on these AI shortcuts more than ever. Without proper safeguards, accountability, and compliance perimeters, relying on AI could be problematic. Terry discusses the red flags to look for and how to proceed with caution in this new […]

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The 2023 CPT® Errata and Technical Corrections added a one-liner on Independent Interpretations that responds to the question, “Can a practitioner get credit for both ordering and interpretation of a test, if documented?” In this episode of the CodeCast podcast, Terry answers this question referencing the March 2023 CPT® Errata and Technical Corrections. She also […]

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The 2021/2023 E/M guideline revisions read: “The evaluation and/or treatment should be consistent with the likely nature of the condition.” Before this, the CPT® guidelines did not discuss medical necessity. Guidance was left to the payers, particularly Medicare, via the Social Security Act. CMS’s guidance doesn’t necessarily hold regulatory authority. However, it often reflects a new, shared […]

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It’s time for another round of frequently asked questions as Terry’s expertise covers orthopedic surgery, imaging, data points for E/M, and administrative charges for practices. She also answers questions relating to multiple E/Ms on the same date by the same and different physicians from the same group practice. Tune in for a lot of good […]

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We all know the age-old question, “Where does it say that?” In this episode, Terry brings receipts, explaining it’s been this way since 2003: “Reviewing results of laboratory tests, phoning results to patients, filing such results, etc., are Medicare-covered services. Payment is included in the physician fee schedule payment for the evaluation and management (E/M) services to […]

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An ADR (Additional Documentation Request) is a request from CMS or another insurance payer for additional documentation to review a claim. Most of these requests come from payer investigative units looking for medical necessity support. Terry discusses how to handle these requests, as well as how to ensure they are addressed promptly to meet the […]

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