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Wound Debridement
March 30, 2023 Question: What CPT code would you use for a wound debridement when the operative notes says the…
Secondary Payor Doesn't Recognize Consultations
March 30, 2023 Question: We have a patient with 2 commercial payers (BCBS and Cigna). A consultation code was submitted…
Costochondral Injection
March 30, 2023 Question: We saw a patient who presented with chest pain and the physician diagnosed costal chondritis and…
Glossectomy Coding Help
March 30, 2023 Question: I have a question about glossectomies. When coding a glossectomy what needs to be documented? My…
Billing for an Iatrogenic Injury, Not my Patient (Stage 2)
March 30, 2023 Question: My surgeon was called to the OR by an OB-GYN who accidently lacerated the bowel during…
CP Angle vs Skull Base Codes
March 30, 2023 Question: I just got a case where the neurosurgeon and ENT want to bill the following codes:…
Consultation Coding in 2023
March 16, 2023 Question: In 2023 will the level of service be determined by history, exam and medical decision making…
Adjacent Tissue Transfer
March 16, 2023 Question: How should my physician document an adjacent tissue transfer? My physician documents the total in sq…
Lesion Crossing Two Territories
March 16, 2023 Question: Our vascular surgeon did a single intervention on a lesion that was at the juncture of…
Billing for Comparison Views
March 16, 2023 Question: Can we bill comparison in-office x-ray views (usually knees or elbows) if the patient is asymptomatic…
Adjacent Tissue Transfer
March 16, 2023 Question: How should my physician document an adjacent tissue transfer? My physician documents the total in sq…
Skin Cancer Screening
March 16, 2023 Question: What is the correct CPT code or CPT code range for skin screening exam for lesions…
Billing for an Iatrogenic Injury, Not my Patient (Stage 1)
March 16, 2023 Question: My surgeon was called to the OR by an OB-GYN who accidently lacerated the small bowel…
Coding for a Chiari Malformation
March 16, 2023 Question: Is there a code for a craniotomy for decompression for Chiari? And the surgeon also did…
Forehead Flap
March 2, 2023 Question: Our plastic surgeon routinely does repairs after Mohs surgery. What CPT code do I report for…
Venogram and Catheterization
March 2, 2023 Question: During a catheterization the surgeon performed a venogram. I don’t see that these procedures are bundled,…
Portable Ultrasound Equipment
March 2, 2023 Question: Our physician’s submitted literature to our administration team related to portable handheld ultrasound equipment for purchase…
What Does “Separate Procedure" Mean in a CPT Code Description?
March 2, 2023 Question: What does “separate procedure” mean when it follows a CPT code description? Answer: Per CPT: Some…
Billing for an Iatrogenic Injury, My Patient
March 2, 2023 Question: The surgeon reported an intestinal perforation caused by a trocar during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to…
Lumbar Drain in a Cranial Procedure
March 2, 2023 Question: Can placement of a lumber drain be billed separately with a cranial procedure? I heard that…
Implant vs Foreign Body
February 16, 2023 Question: What is the difference between an implant and a foreign body? Answer: On page 74 of…
Coding for a Wound Vac
February 16, 2023 Question: Can we code 97605 for a wound vac when the wound is closed and a wound…
Catheterization and Intervention Billing
February 16, 2023 Question: Does TEVAR allow for billing of catheterization and intervention? Would a 59 modifier be needed? Answer:…
Modifier Order on CMS Claim Form
February 16, 2023 Question: We are submitting a hospital claim form with the modifier 25 and FS modifier. We are…
Secondary Payor Doesn't Recognize Consultations
February 16, 2023 Question: We have a patient with 2 commercial payers (BCBS and Cigna). A consultation code was submitted…
What does “Separate Procedure “mean in a CPT Code Description?
February 16, 2023 Question: What does “separate procedure” mean when it follows a CPT code description? Answer: Per CPT :…
E-Consults?
February 16, 2023 Question: One of my colleagues told me that she was doing e-consults with other physicians for Medicare…
Ruptured Aneurysm and a Hematoma
February 16, 2023 Question: The patient present with a ruptured aneurysm. A craniotomy was performed to clip the aneurysm and…
What does “Separate Procedure“ Mean in a CPT Code Description?
February 2, 2023 Question: What does “separate procedure” mean when it follows a CPT code description? Answer: Per CPT: Some…
Nonselective or Selective
February 2, 2023 Question: When does a nonselective catheterization become a selective catheterization? Answer: If the catheter (not just the…
Articles
Simple Patient Financing Solutions for Maximizing Treatments
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2022 by Karen Zupko Many aesthetic practices and spas we work with offer patient financing—but you’d…
CMS Updates Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Billing
AAOSNow – May 2022 by Sarah Wiskerchen In January, CMS introduced guideline changes to its Medicare reporting rules that impact…
Commonly Asked Coding Questions in 2022
AAOSNow – March 2022 by Sarah Wiskerchen In this column, KarenZupko & Associates addresses recently asked questions on coding for…
Three Ways to Increase Employee Engagement in a Remote Workplace
Three Ways to Increase Employee Engagement in a Remote Workplace Physicians Practice – April 2020 by Amy Anderson Engaged employees…
Five Mistakes Doctors Make that Can Cause Big Problems
Five Mistakes Doctors Make that Can Cause Big Problems Physicians Practice – February 2020 by Karen Zupko and Logan Lutton…
Tips for Delivering Feedback Based on Brain Science
Tips for Delivering Feedback Based on Brain Science Physicians Practice – February 2020 by Cheryl Toth Giving staff feedback can…
5 Questions Every Older Physician Should Ask Themselves
5 Questions Every Older Physician Should Ask Themselves Physicians Practice – November 2019 by Karen Zupko Realistically, how long can…
What I Learned in Miami at The Aesthetic Meeting 2021: News You Can Use
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2021 by Karen Zupko In 2020, 40 years of traveling weekly came to an abrupt halt…
Touchpoints of Impression—Seven Areas to Sweat the Small Stuff
Aesthetic Society News – Winter 2021 by Karen Zupko and Isabel Bolt What keeps plastic surgeons up at night? Most would…
Leasing 101 for 2021
Aesthetic Society News – Spring 2021 by Karen Zupko The environment in which you practice is part of your brand.…
Five Stages of Patient Interaction - Are You Making the Most of Each?
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2020 by Karen Zupko Suspects. Prospects. First-time patients. Repeat Patients. Advocates. Are your Suspects or…
Navigating the National Correct Coding Initiative
AAOSNow – July 2021 by Sarah Wiskerchen and Michelle Abraham For procedural coding in orthopaedic surgery, physicians, and their staff…
‘Technical Corrections’: CPT Evaluation and Management Publishes Additional Guideline Revisions
AAOSNow – June 2021 by Sarah Wiskerchen and Michelle Abraham Since the adoption of the CPT® Evaluation and Management (E/M)…
Hiring in 2021? – What to Expect and How to Navigate
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2021 by Karen Zupko The cover of Barron’s said it best: “Help is NOT on…
New Procedures Added to Medicare’s Prior Authorization (PA) List Effective 7/1/21
May 26, 2021 Since 7/1/20, when CMS initiated a requirement for specific procedures to be prior authorized, we have sent…
Is Time on Your Side in 2021?
AAOSNow – November 2020 by Margaret M. Maley In 2021, medical decision making (MDM) or time can be used to select the…
Five Coding Tips for Dealing with Third-party Billing Entities
Five Coding Tips for Dealing with Third-party Billing Entities AAOSNow – February 2020 by Sarah Wiskerchen, MBA, CPC Whether due…
Prior Authorization Chaos is the New Normal for Spine Surgery
ORTHOWORLD – December 11, 2019 In 2017, the American Medical Association surveyed physicians across all specialties about the amount of…
All Work (RVUs) and No Pay?: Eight Questions to Ask the Hospital about Its Work RVU Compensation Formula
GreenBranch.Com – Jan/Feb 2013 by Sarah Wiskerchen As more surgeons and specialists are offered hospital employment, work RVU-based compensation agreements…
Therapy Billing: Be Sure Your Team Is Doing Things Right
Therapy Billing: Be Sure Your Team Is Doing Things Right AAOSNow – October 2019 by Sarah Wiskerchen, MBA, CPC Many…
Coding Errors Can Cost You Money and Potentially a Sale
Coding Errors Can Cost You Money and Potentially a Sale Healio Orthopedics – October 2019 by Karen Zupko As more…
4 Reasons You Should Prepare a Physician Rights and Responsibilities Document
4 Reasons You Should Prepare a Physician Rights and Responsibilities Document Physicians Practice – September 2019 by Karen Zupko It’s…
7 Things to Include in Your Practice's Governance Agreement
7 Things to Include in Your Practice’s Governance Agreement Physicians Practice – September 2019 by Karen Zupko and Michael R.…
How to Bill and Get Paid for Unlisted Procedures
How to Bill and Get Paid for Unlisted Procedures AAOSNow – September 2019 by Cheryl Toth Orthopaedic surgeons often perform…
5 Questions Every Older Physician Should Ask Themselves
5 Questions Every Older Physician Should Ask Themselves Physicians Practice – August 2019 by Karen Zupko 1. Realistically, how long…
Does My Documentation Tell the Story in Critical Care?
Does My Documentation Tell the Story in Critical Care? SCCM Critical Connections – August 2019 by Deborah Grider The initial and…
Does Your Practice Treat Pain?
Does Your Practice Treat Pain? AAOSNow – August 2019 by Cheryl Toth Interventional pain management is a growing specialty, and…
Practice Acquisition: How to be Easy to Do Business With
Practice Acquisition: How to be Easy to Do Business With Healio Orthopedics – August 2019 by Karen Zupko When was…