Get free
resources
practice alerts
Coding Coaches
.
By Specialty
coding Coaches
E&M Coding Based on Time
August 17, 2023 Question: Our physicians’ defaults to time for almost every office encounter. We are working with them on…
Billing FEVAR with a Physician-Modified Endovascular Graft ( PMEG)
August 17, 2023 Question: We use a Physician-Modified Endovascular Graft (PMEG) for our FEVAR procedures. Do we have to bill…
Regenerative Medicine Injection (C1762)
August 17, 2023 Question: There is a product called CTM Boost that is being marketed as a regenerative medicine injection…
Shared Visits in the Hospital for Medicare
August 17, 2023 Question: I have a question regarding 2023 shared visit rules. I am reviewing an E&M note where…
Billing a Cholangiogram with ICG Dye
August 17, 2023 Question: Can I report code 47563 when indocyanine green (ICG) dye is injected and then I use…
Somatic Nerve Injections
August 3, 2023 Question: When reporting an injection of a steroid of the brachial plexus can I report imaging such…
Modifier Order on CMS Claim Form
August 3, 2023 Question: We are submitting a hospital claim form with the modifier 25 and FS modifier. We are…
Billing Diagnostic Angiograms with Lower Extremity Interventions
August 3, 2023 Question: Are diagnostic angiogram billable with a lower extremity intervention, such as an atherectomy or stent? I’ve…
Using a Scribe
August 3, 2023 Question: I would like to know if it is compliant for the doctor to make corrections or…
Allergy Injections
August 3, 2023 Question: After a physician has signed off an order for the administration of allergy injections, is he/she…
Coding for a Laceration Repair
August 3, 2023 Question: I repaired a 12 cm jagged laceration of the midabdomen by undermining 1cm to release the…
Lysing Adhesions
August 3, 2023 Question: The patient had extensive adhesions that had to be lysed. Is it appropriate to report 44005,…
Placement of Percutaneous Posterior Instrumentation (Rod and Screws) Part 2
August 3, 2023 Question: I placed posterior percutaneous screws and rods without an arthrodesis. I know I have to use…
Allergy Testing Help
July 20, 2023 Question: What is the daily maximum allowable unit for CPT 95017 [Allergy testing, any combination of percutaneous…
Coding for a Laceration Repair
July 20, 2023 Question: I repaired a 12 cm jagged laceration of the midabdomen by undermning1cm to release the skin…
Documenting Assistant Surgeon
July 20, 2023 Question: When acting as an assistant surgeon, should I dictate a separate operative note? Answer: No. In…
Internal Brace for ACL Reconstruction
July 20, 2023 Question: We have a surgeon who is planning to perform an ACL procedure using the InternalBrace TM…
Billing a Right Colectomy with a Diverting Loop Ileostomy
July 20, 2023 Question: How is a right colectomy with a loop ileostomy reported? Answer: A loop ileostomy with a…
Placement of Percutaneous Posterior Instrumentation (Rod and Screws) Part 1
July 20, 2023 Question: I placed posterior percutaneous screws and rods without an arthrodesis, the day after an ALIF. Should…
Coding for Trigeminal Neuralgia
July 6, 2023 Question: How is RFA rhizotomy of the trigeminal nerve at the second and third division branches of…
Gynecomastia
July 6, 2023 Question: A 24-year-old male is seen in our office for gynecomastia. My physician did a bilateral resection…
EVAR and Co-surgery
July 6, 2023 Question: My vascular surgeon partner and I performed an EVAR together. Is this reported as co-surgery? Answer:…
Radiology Reports
July 6, 2023 Question: Earlier this year, I attended an education session (not provided by KZA) where radiology reports were…
Removing a Nasal Pack
July 6, 2023 Question: I have looked everywhere and cannot find a CPT code for removing a posterior nasal pack.…
Shared Visits in the Hospital for Medicare
July 6, 2023 Question: I have a question regarding 2023 shared visit rules. I am reviewing an E&M note where…
Billing Two Hernias
July 6, 2023 Question: The surgeon performed a laparoscopic repair of an initial strangulated ventral hernia and a laparoscopic repair…
Codes for Laminectomy for Lumbar Radiculopathy
July 6, 2023 Question: For a patient with a diagnosis of lumbar radiculopathy, the surgeon performed a L3-L4 laminectomy with…
Diagnosis Coding Help
June 22, 2023 Question: I need some guidance. A general surgeon did a left mastectomy four months ago for a…
Syndesmosis Repair
June 22, 2023 Question: I coded a case for one of our surgeons where he did an ORIF of a…
Reshaping of the Internal Nasal Valve Region
June 22, 2023 Question: My physician has started doing repairs for nasal valve collapse using low energy radiofrequency. We have…
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…
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…
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…
Seven Common Questions in Foot and Ankle Coding
AAOS Now – July 2019 by Sarah Wiskerchen A previous article published in AAOS Now (“How to Avoid Common Mistakes…
Four Proven Post-Consult Follow Up Techniques
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2019 by Karen Zupko Turning callers and prospects into scheduled consults is a subject that…