2020 CMS Medical Record Changes
Practicefirst would like to notify our clients of important changes as outlined by CMS for CY 2020 regarding Medical Record...
NCCI Update
Practicefirst would like to notify our clients about a NCCI update that is effective July 1, 2019. National Correct Coding Initiative...
Medicare fraud costs the U.S. hundreds of millions of dollars each year
Medicare fraud costs the United States government hundreds of millions of dollars each year. CMS works with other government agencies and...
Medical Coding for Critical Care in the Emergency Department
Part 2: Provider Time and Documentatio
With an understanding of the definition of critical care from Part 1 of this series, What Constitutes Critical Care?, below are essential...
Medical Coding for Critical Care in the Emergency Department: Part 1: What Constitutes Critical Care
Emergency medicine physicians are trained to assess patients and make split-second, life-saving decisions, but documenting and coding...
Revision to E/M Documentation Guidelines
Practicefirst’s March client memo referred to the important revisions that CMS has made to Evaluation and Management Documentation...
Tips for Avoiding Documentation Pitfalls
When aspiring medical professionals dream of their future careers, it’s unlikely that they consider the critical role that documentation...
Four Best Practices to Reduce Claim Denials
The average claim denial rate across the healthcare industry is 5%-10%, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)....
OIG Work Plan – Critical Care E/M Update
Practicefirst has received notification of an update added to the OIG Work Plan, in August, regarding Critical Care E&M services. The OIG...
Four Common Coding Errors in Radiology
Four common coding errors lead to lost compensation for radiology practices.
Radiology Revenue: Making the Most of Modifiers
The proper use of coding modifiers can dramatically improve the bottom line for radiology practices.
Five Reasons Why Anesthesia Practices Should Invest in Chart Audits
No one likes paying for an oil change or tire rotation every few months. And no one likes chart audits. But just like the return on...
NGS Preventive Services Guide
The National Government Service’s (NGS) recently posted their Preventive Services Guide. This tool is a great reference and reflects many...
HPSA Incentive Payments; Independent Health HEDIS
HPSA Incentive Payments: 2018 brings a change to the HPSA incentive payments for our clients rendering services in the Dunkirk area. Indepen
CMS Screening for Hepatitis B Virus Infection
On May 17, 2017, CMS updated their policy for Hepatitis B coverage. Payment for Hepatitis B apply to the following HCPCS and CPT codes,...
IRS Payment Summary; Univera Product Update
IRS INSURANCE COMPANY PAYMENT SUMMARY Practicefirst will aggregate client's IRS Form 1099’s through February 17th. These forms...
Coding: New Scoring for Body Areas/Organs
Effective February 1, 2017 coders will begin using the following: For new patients, 8 organ systems is still a comprehensive exam....