Melody Mulaik is a featured writer for ICE magazine’s billing and coding column. Melody is the president of Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies in Powder Springs, Georgia. The corporate office is located in Cedar Park, Texas. She has a masters of science in health systems and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Melody’s certifications include CRA, RCC, RCC-IR, CPC and COC. In addition to managing a consulting and publishing firm with clients in all 50 states, Melody is an active presenter and writer in the specialty area of radiology coding, billing and compliance. When she is not working, she is an extensive traveler, travelling to all 50 states, as well as quite a few countries.
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I want to Break Free: OBLs vs. ASCs
One of the hot topics of discussion for many organizations is whether to open a free-standing center to perform interventional procedures. And, to take it one step further, should the free-standing center be an outpatient-based lab (OBL) or an ambulatory surgery center (ASC)? The answer really does depend on the organization’s goals, resources and needs.
Can we…? Probably not…
To be clear, I am a strong advocate for interventional radiologists appropriately billing for evaluation and management (E/M) services. Technically the E/M visit codes are available for use by all specialties but everyone must be mindful that all criteria of the code family must be met, the medical record documentation must support the billed level and type of service and the medical necessity for the visit must be clear.
It’s Edit Time Again
The beginning of the year always brings new coding changes as well as other changes, such as updates to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) guidelines and coding edits.
Post Procedure Mammograms Revisited
Changing payer guidelines and pending regulations changes from Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) has this topic back in the spotlight.
Are You Appropriately Capturing All Your Visits?
Evaluation and management (E/M) guidelines have changed significantly the past couple of years, and this is appropriately challenging many radiology practices to re-evaluate their coding and billing practices.
