September 18, 2020 | By Pam Vanderbilt, CPC, CPMA, CPPM, CPC-I, CEMC, CEMA, CEMA-O One of my favorite bedtime stories, when I was younger, was Chicken Little. Part of the reason it is a favorite is because I remember my father’s voice and facial expressions when Chicken Little exclaimed “The sky is falling! The…
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November 6, 2020 | By Pam Vanderbilt, CPC, CPMA, CPPM, CPC-I, CEMC, CEMA, CEMA-O Pumpkin spiced lattes are back at Starbucks, the days are getting shorter, there is a crispness in the air (in some parts of the country, anyway), and the 2021 ICD-10-CM guidelines have gone into effect. These are all signs we…
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December 11, 2020 | By Pam Vanderbilt, CPC, CPMA, CPPM, CPC-I, CEMC, CEMA, CEMA-O There is a long-standing rule in our family that Christmas is not allowed to start until the Thanksgiving dinner dishes are washed and put away. I must be completely honest; that family rule has been thrown out the window this…
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February 12, 2021 | By Pam Vanderbilt, CPC, CPMA, CPPM, CPC-I, CEMC, CEMA, CEMA-O A few weeks ago, NAMAS presented a webinar about 2021 time and prolonged services. The flood of participant questions made it very obvious there is still uncertainty about how to appropriately use time to select the level of office…
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July 9, 2021 | By Shannon DeConda, CPC, CEMC, CEMA, CPMA, CRTT After 6 months of speaking to the 2021 AMA guidelines, many of you may be tired of talking about the new documentation guidelines. But the other half of us are frustrated at still seeing documentation come through that represents the mandated…
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June 11, 2021 | Edward Townley CPC, CEMC, CUC, ROCC, Founder, Cogent9 Consulting Challenges for patients in cancer care include many devastating factors, including loss of a job or changes in job status, such as switching to part-time work or taking extended leave. For those who have a job to return to, there are…
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July 2, 2021 | By Pam Brooks, MHA, COC, CPC As an auditor, you might find that the “meat and potatoes” of the audit is the most interesting part. Then you finish and it is time to pull together your findings into an executive summary. The best and most effective executive summary design is…
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June 25, 2021 | By Stephanie Allard, CPC, CEMA, RHIT When I ask practices if they have been through an external audit recently, they typically will state “no” or let me know if recent requests for a larger number encounter notes have been received. Through these conversations, I realize that they are not noticing…
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May 21, 2021 | By Stanley Nachimson, Nachimson Advisors April 5th 2021 was a major day in the history of patient data access. On that day, providers, vendors, and health information networks were required, under federal regulation, to make patient data available electronically to patients. The federal rule, 21st Century Cures Act: Interoperability, Information Blocking,…
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May 14, 2021 | By Jill Young, CPC, CEDC, CIMC The time has come for you to consider the “new time” method to determine the evaluation and management (E&M) coding for your office and other outpatient services. I use the phrase “new time” to differentiate it from the “old time” concept you are accustomed…
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