Many Coders tend to read a physician’s note and make assumptions without first reading the coding guidelines. One particular entry, which is found in many admission notes is “elevated troponin”. An elevated troponin does not always mean that a heart attack has occurred, many many coders will leap to that conclusion before reviewing the documentation. […] The post Elevated troponin levels: may not be what you think! appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

Instructional notes in ICD-10-CM are there for a reason. “Code First” denials are happening more often, when these directions are not followed. In this jam-packed episode, Terry discusses when certain conditions have instructional notes that mandate sequencing, the rules for them, and how this impacts your reimbursement. Also, Terry shares some recent changes to the […] The post ICD-10-CM “Code First” Clarifications appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

In this episode, Terry discusses late entries, addendums, or corrections to a medical record that are legitimate occurrences in the documentation of clinical services. Compliance is always an issue in this act and Terry clears up the confusion. A late entry, an addendum or a correction to the medical record, must bear the current date […] The post Addendums, corrections and late entries to the medical record appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

As 2023 arrives, many coding professionals might be thinking about their career goals, maybe a career change, or just enhancing their current position in coding. In today’s work environment, it is important to be flexible. How does that relate to the coding professional? Flexibility ultimately leads to stability, as it provides coding departments with employees […] The post Life as a Coder Equals Flexibility appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

For the last CodeCast podcast of 2022, Terry gives quick fire details on the new 2023 EM Rules for Data Points, plus reminders on what to make sure you are documenting to support medical necessity in the history and physical as well. Subscribe and Listen You can subscribe to our podcasts via: Apple Podcasts – […] The post 2023 EM Data Points Reminders appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

When using time to level your E/M visit in 2023, you need to focus on the individual patient. In this week’s CodeCast, Terry talks “time” when giving auditing tips to consider when your providers use it to level their E/M encounters. This is low hanging fruit for payers to find an issue. You want to […] The post Time-Based EM for 2023 appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

On this edition of the CodeCast, Terry Fletcher defines the laymen’s terms for definitions of all fractures, She also has an update on the 2023 rules for prolonged services. And don’t miss her personal tidbit as it may help those of you having trouble with the hard-to-buy for person this holiday season! Subscribe and Listen […] The post Fractures Defined appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

Terry tackles a challenging topic in the appropriate documentation of prescription drug management when reporting moderate level E/M codes. Doctors need to know that adding the current medication list to the progress note is not adequate to support this level of risk. Prescription drug management is based on documented evidence that the physician has evaluated […] The post E/M: Prescription Drug Management Defined appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

In this Top Ten Tuesday edition of the CodeCast, Terry answers frequently asked questions about ACP and PHE extensions, Orthopedic procedures, and Gastro endoscopy. Tune in to to hear her insight on these topics and more. The post Top 10 Tuesday Q&A – Multi-Specialty Questions appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

There has been a lot of confusion, on when it is appropriate to bill for e-Visits, using CPT codes 99421-99423 and HCPCS codes G2061-G2063, as applicable. The patient must verbally consent to receive these services, and the patient must be informed that Medicare coinsurance and deductible would apply to these services. Terry discusses the rules […] The post eVisits the Portal Connection appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

The U.S. will extend the COVID-19 public health emergency through at least April 11, 2023, Biden administration officials confirmed to CNBC on November 11th. But why? Does this make sense with the COVID pandemic virtually over? HHS last renewed the PHE on October 13th for an additional 90 days to January 11th, 2023 — it […] The post Are they really extending the PHE again? appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

The Medicare 2023 PFS and the CMS Final Rule were published on November 1st. In this episode of the CodeCast podcast, Terry does a deep dive into the specifics so that you have an idea of what your reimbursement cuts will be, where Telehealth stands in 2023, and any new regulatory guidance for procedures that […] The post The Medicare Final Rule and 2023 PFS Summary appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

This episode of the CodeCast Podcast discusses Preventative Medicine confusion and how to explain to your patients the difference between IPPE, AWV, and Routine Annual PEs. Terry Fletcher will explain what is and isn’t covered. Subscribe and Listen You can subscribe to our podcasts via: Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/codecast-medical-billing-coding-insights/id1305926627 Google Podcasts – https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ia47t6quqphhsanlzpajk37yiga Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/1lA69Q7EnjSMuVr3sXVWlX […] The post Understanding Preventative Medicine Codes appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

HHS recently published a data brief on Telehealth Compliance Risks during the first year of the pandemic. It outlines what they are investigating, what you should be aware of, and how to take proactive steps to correct any errors. In this week’s CodeCast Podcast, Terry discusses this brief along with her own commentary on corrective […] The post Top 10 Tuesday Q&A – Telehealth Compliance Risks appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

In this episode of the CodeCast podcast, Terry Fletcher discusses the front desk staff and how they are key to a practice’s success. Tune in to find out how you can capture success with your front office team as Terry shares insights on how to make that position your own: and how the front desk […] The post The front desk is your starting point for an efficient office appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

Making the Decision to use -25 can be a tough one because first, you need to know if the “significant separately identifiable” CPT definition was met. Second, the coding provider must be able to defend the history, examination, medical knowledge, professional skill, and work time that was above and beyond what is usually required solely […] The post Using The 25 Modifier Correctly appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

When a provider uses time as the factor to determine the level of care, how do they document what elements were done regarding that time? A statement that says “greater than 30 minutes was spent…” is not acceptable. Terry gives her insights into “time-based” coding for E/M services in 2022 and into 2023. Listen to […] The post Time-Based EM Coding appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

The No Surprises Act took effect on January 1, 2022, and has had dramatic effects on how U.S. healthcare providers are required to conduct their business operations. The NSA seeks to protect patients from surprise medical bills and prohibits balance billing of patients for certain out-of-network care. However, there is still confusion in medical practices […] The post Top 10 Tuesday Q&A – No Surprises Act Top appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

October 1st is the effective date for the biggest change in diagnosis coding in a few years. There will be almost five times as many new codes in 2023 than there were in 2022. On this edition of the CodeCast podcast, Terry breaks down the most impactful changes. With 1,179 new codes (153 in 2022), […] The post ICD-10-CM 2023 Update appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..

In this day and age of texting, shortcuts, and acronyms, Terry takes a look at the Business of Medicine Acronyms you can use every day. Terry also talks about the appropriate level of exam needed for E/M that may not be clear in CPT. Note: You may find a full list of these acronyms referenced […] The post Business of Medicine Acronyms appeared first on Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc..