SGR Update: What’s Up With That 21 Percent Physician Pay Cut?

Here’s what you should be watching on Capitol Hill.
It’s that time of year again — the time when we all bite our nails wondering if Medicare will slash physician payments in the New Year.
This year, the drama is more intense as Congress decides whether to permanently repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula that creates […]

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CPT 2010 Update: Laboratory & Pathology Coding

Stop using general codes for analyte-specific tests. Here’s why.
You have 15 new codes scattered throughout the pathology/laboratory CPT chapter, so we’ll help you jump start your 2010 claims with this how-to inventory. “From chemistry to surgical pathology, you’ll find new codes in CPT 2010 that you need to know,” says Peggy Slagle, CPC, billingcompliance coordinator […]

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Test Yourself: ICD-9 2010 for Ob-Gyn Coders

Is your ob-gyn practice using the new codes correctly? 3 quick questions say for sure.
This year, ICD-9 2010 brought new hyperplasia, mammogram, and fertility preservation codes. In some cases, these codes simply expanded on existing options, and it’sup to you to spot when you should report the new versus old alternatives. Dig in to […]

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Can a Sleep Study Code Describe an Awake Test?

Question: A sleep study was ordered for a patient diagnosed with hypersomnolence. The neurologistincluded a multiple wake test in the sleep study. What CPT code should I use for the multiple wake test?
Answer: You should use 95805 (Multiple sleep latency or maintenance of wakefulness testing, recording, analysis and interpretation of physiological measurements of sleep during […]

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Test Yourself: ICD-9 2010 for Ob-Gyn Coders

Is your ob-gyn practice using the new codes correctly? 3 quick questions say for sure.
This year, ICD-9 2010 brought new hyperplasia, mammogram, and fertility preservation codes. In some cases, these codes simply expanded on existing options, and it’sup to you to spot when you should report the new versus old alternatives.
Dig in to these three […]

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