In this episode of the MGMA Insights podcast, we’re joined by , FACMPE, CPMA, CPC-I, CEMC, independent consultant, MGMA, principal, Enos Medical Coding. In her 40 years in practice management, Enos has never seen as many major – and frequent – coding and billing changes as she has since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
“After March 17, we had the March 30 and April 30 revisions, which were 221 pages each,” she said. “To cull through that much information and find the most important facts, summarize them and teach them quickly has been the biggest challenge of my career.”
The rapid expansion of telehealth services amid the pandemic has come with a slew of coding and reimbursement challenges for billing staffs across the country. According to a recent MGMA Stat poll, responding healthcare leaders reported inconsistent pa yer rules, pay parity and accuracy, and documentation as their top three coding/billing challenges for telehealth and telephone visits during the public health emergency.
Be that as it may, the convenience of the care delivery model from the patient perspective has made it difficult to imagine a future where telehealth access returns to limited levels.
“I’m hoping that after this is over, there’ll be a lot of consideration before things go back to the previous stringent rules about originating site and telehealth platforms,” Enos said. “Now that patients have been introduced to this service delivery, once you give something, it’s very difficult to take it away.”
There’s never been a more important time to understand the medical coding landscape, which is precisely why Enos and other industry experts will be presenting an MGMA online seminar May 21 on “Coding Essentials for the Non-Coder,” with a spotlight on telehealth and COVID-19. Through this virtual event, attendees will gain a deeper knowledge of the major coding principles during the coronavirus outbreak and beyond, learn how to become more strategic in their coding practices and gain insights on how these processes drive practice revenue.
The seminar, which consists of six 45-minute sessions, is eligible for ACMPE, ACHE, CME, CPE (live only) and CEU credit. Each session will be made available as an on-demand recording.
Reference:
