Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCO – Page 2

Is Direct Primary Care the Answer?

December 5, 2019December 4, 2020Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

Direct primary care (DPC) is one of the newer forms of plans offered by primary care providers to their patient populations. Some see DPC as an alternative to traditional third-party payment for care and other more recent models such as concierge med… For more, read here: AAPC Blog

OIG to Audit Risk Adjustment Coding

November 27, 2019December 4, 2020Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

Consistent with previous reporting, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has added to its 2020 Work Plan a targeted audit of Medicare Advantage (MA) programs for risk adjustment diagnosis codes. This is not the first time federal agency has targeted … For more, read here: AAPC Blog

Ascension Enters Contract with Google to Share PHI

November 18, 2019December 4, 2020Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

If you are a patient of Ascension in the St. Louis, Mo., area, Google has your healthcare protected health information (PHI). Patients and doctors of the second largest Catholic health system in the United States have not been notified that their data… For more, read here: AAPC Blog

OIG Uncovers Medicare Overpayments for Chronic Care Management Services

November 14, 2019December 4, 2020Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

Chronic care management (CCM) services are services that do not involve face-to-face patient/provider contact. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented Medicare coverage for CCM in Jan. 1, 2015. There are very specific guid… For more, read here: AAPC Blog

Pharmaceutical Compounding Chapter Revisions on Hold

October 30, 2019December 4, 2020Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

But for how long, nobody knows. allergy, otolaryngology and primary care practices can breathe a sigh of relief, as the new Compounding Pharmacy USP standards set to go into effect Dec. 1, 2019, have been postponed as a result of appeals. The revision… For more, read here: AAPC Blog

How Many Units of 95165 Can You Bill, Really?

September 30, 2019December 4, 2020Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

Three credible sources give three different answers, and only one is right. The definition for billing units of allergy serum preparation for patients was recently challenged by a colleague of mine who works in the allergy space. Are there limitations… For more, read here: AAPC Blog

MDM – New Problem to Examiner or Patient?

September 26, 2019December 4, 2020Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

When calculating an evaluation and management (E/M) level or auditing an E/M service, every Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) has always had the points assigned for a new problem under the Number of Diagnoses or Treatment Options based on a new… For more, read here: AAPC Blog

Incident-to Billing May Be Eliminated

September 13, 2019September 14, 2019Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

Incident-to billing for advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, etc.) has been available to limited license practitioners s… For more, read here: AAPC Blog

2 Tips for Billing a Physician Assistant as Assistant Surgeon

August 29, 2019September 3, 2019Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

A physician assistant (PA) serves as an assistant surgeon only to suture and close an incision. There is no documentation that the PA performed any other function to assist the primary surgeon during the surgery performed on the Medicare patient, suc… For more, read here: AAPC Blog

CMS Goes After Medicare Advantage Overpayments

August 27, 2019September 3, 2019Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CPCONo Comments

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) knows that a significant amount of money is being overpaid to insurance companies in the Medicare Advantage program, but they have yet to recover these overpayments. That’s about to change. CMS sa… For more, read here: AAPC Blog