ORTHOWORLD – December 11, 2019 In 2017, the American Medical Association surveyed physicians across all specialties about the amount of time spent by them and their staff on patient prior authorizations. The response was striking. Eighty-six percent of offices reported that their prior authorization activities had increased significantly over the last five years, and the...
Category: Art-Neurosurgery
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2017 Spine CPT Code Changes
AAOS Now – November 2016 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC Spine surgeons face a multitude of Current Procedural Terminology ® (CPT) code changes, effective Jan. 1, 2017. This article provides a summary of these changes so practices can get a head start on understanding their implications. A complete listing of changes can be found...
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Spine Practices May Lose Money When They Do Not Bill for Consults
Healio- October 2016 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC and Teri Romano, BSN, MBA, CPC, CMDP Medicare eliminated payment for consultations in 2010, which resulted in significant revenue losses for spine surgeons and all specialists. All office consultations for Medicare patients became a new or established patient, or an emergency department visit if the patient...
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Spine Surgery Quandary: Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Healthcare Business Monthly – June 2016 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC When do you bill 63056-59 with 22633, rather than 63047-59? A common question among coders and spine surgeons is whether to bill 63056-59 with 22633, or 63047-59. The answer is complex, but CPT® and Medicare guidelines provide essential guidance. Read Full Article
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Follow an eight-step formula for correct spine coding
Spine Surgery Today, September/October 2014 Teri Romano, BSN, MBA, CPC, CMDP, and Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC Reporting the “just right” CPT codes isn’t easy for spine surgeons and coders. In fact, it is complicated. If you under code, in effect, you “pick your own pocket” by losing revenue and/or relative value unit. Overcoding leads...
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Follow an Eight-Step Formula for Correct Spine Coding
Follow an Eight-Step Formula for Correct Spine Coding – September/October 2014 by Teri Romano, BSN, MBA, CPC, CMDP and Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC As part of the new Spine Coding Source column, Spine Surgery Today will begin discussing relevant spine coding issues for surgeons. We hope this new feature will enhance your practice and help...
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Procedure Coding Made Simple: Five Principles Will Help You Capture Appropriate Charges for Spine Surgeries
Procedure Coding Made Simple: Five Principles Will Help You Capture Appropriate Charges for Spine Surgeries – September 2013 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC “It seems like coding spine cases is as complicated as doing the surgery,” said a spine surgeon at his first coding training session with me. Spine procedure coding can make even the...
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Coding For Same Day Anterior-Posterior Spine Procedures: Four Myths Clarified
Coding For Same Day Anterior-Posterior Spine Procedures: Four Myths Clarified – November / December 2012 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC Coding and billing for anterior-posterior spine procedures can almost be as complex as performing the procedure, particularly if you aren’t familiar with the nuances of the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology® (CPT) codes. Many...