Stories written by Ellen Terry

Are You Ready for Telemedicine Prime Time? - 02/07/2025

Like a stage actor who comes across awkward on a television or movie screen, you might find it challenging to connect with your patients during video telehealth visits. Here are some tips to make for five-star video telehealth visit.

Three Steps to a Tech Contract You Can Live With - 08/30/2023

When you are shopping for a new technology vendor for your practice, signing a contract is the easy part. The real work starts well in advance and continues as long as the contract is in force.

Here’s What Medicare Pays for Flu Shots This Season - 08/23/2023

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently published 2019-20 payment rates for personal flu vaccines and their administration. The effective dates for these rates are Aug. 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020.

Payers Axe Consultation Codes - 07/25/2023

Both Cigna and UnitedHealthcare (UHC) have announced that starting in October, they will no longer pay for CPT consultation codes 99241-99245 – office consultations – and 99251-99255 – inpatient consultations. UHC’s policy change becomes effective Oct. 1, as outlined in its March bulletin. Cigna’s July newsletter says Cigna’s policy takes effect Oct. 19.

Use EHR to Improve Patients’ Vaccination Rates - 07/25/2023

If you are working to improve the vaccination rates among your patients, don’t underrate your electronic health record (EHR) as a tool.

UnitedHealthcare Waives Cost Sharing, Extends Telemedicine for Certain Plans - 06/16/2021

UnitedHealthcare is waiving cost sharing for Medicare Advantage plan members for primary care services, and has extended access to in-network and out-of-network telemedicine visits, including COVID-19 testing and treatment, until Dec. 31 for most of its plans.

Revised UnitedHealthcare E&M, Prior Auth Procedures to Take Effect Jan. 1 - 12/09/2020

The Texas Medical Association’s reimbursement specialists want to be sure you see the following items in the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) December bulletin.

Blue Cross Bundles Payment for Some Diagnostic Services - 11/16/2020

Effective July 1, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas will cut payments for certain diagnostic procedures. The cut will apply to diagnostic cardiovascular and ophthalmology procedures that are billed for the same patient on the same day.

See Blue Cross Referral Chart, Colonoscopy Coding Tips - 10/14/2020

As a result of “feedback from the provider community,” Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas has removed 111 procedure codes from its preauthorization requirements related to additional care categories of codes.

Upgraded Free Tool Helps With HIPAA Compliance - 10/12/2020

If you participate in the Medicare Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), you must complete your security risk assessment by Dec. 31. An upgraded tool from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services might make the assessment easier.

Blue Cross Prior Authorization Manager Changing - 09/30/2020

Starting Jan. 1, AIM Specialty Health will manage certain outpatient prior authorizations for some Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) patients.

Charging Concierge Fees to BCBSTX Patients - 09/23/2020

Although Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) places limits on the additional fees participating network physicians can charge BCBSTX patients, some are allowed when you provide concierge services.

Ambetter: New Required Field on CMS-1500 Claim Form - 09/23/2020

Ambetter from Superior HealthPlan, a plan available on the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange, has changed the status of box 18 on the CMS-1500 claim form from a conditional/optional field to a required one, effective July 1.

UnitedHealthcare Phasing Out Paper Checks - 08/03/2020

If you receive claims payments from UnitedHealthcare (UHC) in paper checks, now is the time to enroll in direct deposit. UHC says it will phase out sending paper checks for payments throughout the remainder of 2020

New CPT Code Is “Industry Standard” for COVID-19 Antigen Testing - 07/08/2020

Three new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are now on the list of COVID-19 lab testing codes, effective June 25

Invoice No Longer Required for Some Medicare Claims - 06/03/2020

For certain biologicals and medications reported in Medicare Part B claims, Novitas Solutions now will allow you to enter invoice information on the claim, rather than provide the actual invoice for the services.

Use “Time, MDM” for Medicare Telehealth Coding - 06/02/2020

When coding for Medicare telehealth visits, you can use either medical decisionmaking (MDM) or time as the basis for your selection of office/outpatient evaluation and management (E&M) levels of service, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has clarified.

UnitedHealthcare Out-of-Network Referrals: Prior Approval, Patient Consent - 02/05/2020

If you are a UnitedHealthcare (UHC) participating physician referring a patient out of network in a nonemergency, you’re now required to first obtain either (1) prior approval from UHC; or (2) the patient’s written consent.

You May Need to Refile Some Medicare Claims - 02/03/2020

Be on the lookout for Medicare claims you’ve filed since Oct. 1 in which procedure codes failed to process, causing a rejected claim. You will need to refile these claims.

Medicare Lab Fee Includes Routine Venipuncture - 10/16/2019

If you perform the lab test in your office, you may not bill separately for the “collection of venous blood by venipuncture,” or CPT code 36415, according to the Medicare Claims Processing Manual. However, a significant number of physicians who collect blood and perform lab tests in their office are billing for CPT code 36415 along with the test code, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services says.

Get Dates of Service Right on Medicare Claims - 05/30/2019

When you a perform a Medicare service that is global, has both a professional and a technical component, or spans days or months, you need to know what date Medicare considers to be the official date of service when you file your claim. Here is some guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) about coding and billing dates of service on professional claims.

Doctor’s Order A Must For Lab Tests - 05/29/2019

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is paying attention to claims for these lab services because it has found they were paid in error in 2018 by some $28 million. For routine venipuncture, medical necessity errors accounted for virtually all the improper payments. For urinalysis, it was insufficient documentation.

Dos and Don’ts of Using Modifier 22 - 04/25/2019

Sometimes the work to provide a service is “substantially greater” than typically required on the date of services. When this happens, document the extra work by adding modifier 22 to the procedure code.

Humana Peer-to-Peer Review Changing for Medicare Advantage Plans - 10/05/2018

Effective Aug. 1, Humana Medicare Advantage health plans will no longer offer peer to peer reviews after a medical necessity denial. Instead, the company will offer to schedule a peer-to-peer review before Humana issues the denial

United to Add Lab, Change Lab and Other Policies - 10/04/2018

Starting Jan. 1, 2019, UnitedHealthcare will use Quest Diagnostics, in addition to LabCorp, as in-network laboratories for all UHC members (excluding existing lab capitation agreements).