Observation services increased 34% from 2007 to 2009, “from an average of 86.9 observation stay events per 1,000 inpatient admissions per month in 2007 to 116.6 in 2009,” according to a June article in the Journal...Read More »
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is seeking nominations for its ICD-10-CM/PCS Conversion of Quality Indicators (QIs) workgroup. The text of the notice, including workgroup selection criteria and specific activities, may be found at...Read More »
The proposed rule changes for the Conditions of Participations (CoP) were recently finalized. They include some relief regarding rules for physicians signing, dating, and timing verbal orders within 48 hours of the order being given.
According to the new rule, HHS eliminated the...Read More »
CMS recently posted two separate sets of data that provide nationwide statistics on its Recovery Auditor program. The first update contains improper payment figures as well as the top Recovery Auditor issue per region. In the second update, CMS provides appeals statistics for fiscal year 2011....Read More »
Over a nine-year period, from 2001 to 2010, physicians increased billing of higher level evaluation and management (E/M) codes in all types of E/M services, according to an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report released in May...Read More »
Patients of physicians using dictated electronic health records appear to be receiving lower quality care than those of physicians who use structured or even free-text documentation. At least that’s the findings of a recent study by Jeffrey A. Linder, PhD, division of general medicine and...Read More »
The latest Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) was released May 24. CDI specialists may access the report via their facility QualityNet account, located here: www.qualitynet.org.
US Senator Tom Coburn, MD, (R-OK) suggests Congress hold committee hearings regarding ICD-10 implementation to evaluate its cost/benefit analysis in a position paper titled...Read More »
