Knowledge Base Category -

Did You Know?

There is a new code to assign for Encounter for Screening for COVID-19.

 

Why It Matters?

Prior to October 1, 2023, coders assigned code (Z20.822) for contact with and (suspected) exposure to COVID-19, for COVID-19 screening, per the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE).  However, as of May 11, 2023, the federal PHE expired.  Therefore, the new code is to be assigned beginning with all encounters on or after October 1, 2023.

 

 

New Code	Description
Z11.52	Encounter for screening for COVID-19

 

 

What Can I Do?

Stay abreast of all new ICD-10-CM codes and guidelines and new Coding Clinic references.

 

References

Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS, Second Quarter 2012, Page 3

ICD-10-CM Official Coding Guidelines

Coverage Updates

 

September 6, 2023: National Coverage Determination (NCD) Dashboard

CMS released an NCD dashboard that was last updated on August 23, 2023. This document details the seven accepted NCD requests that are on the CMS Wait List, the four open NCD topics currently undergoing a National Coverage Analysis (NCA) with opportunities for public comment, and the two NCDs finalized in the past twelve months. Links to all thirteen topics are included in this document. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/ncd-dashboard.pdf

COVID-19 Update

September 11, 2023: FDA Approves and Authorizes Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

The FDA has approved an update COVID-19 vaccine that was developed to target current circulating variants. The updated mRNA vaccines for 2023-2024 were manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc. and have been updated to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant ZBB.1.5. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-updated-mrna-covid-19-vaccines-better-protect-against-currently-circulating

 

September 14, 2023: Special MLN Connects: COVID-19 Updated mRNA Vaccines for Patients 6 Months or Older

CMS issues a special MLN Connects announcing the FDA’s approval of updated vaccines noting that the CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Also includes in this announcement are six new CPT codes effective September 11, 2023 for the vaccine and administration of the vaccine. https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2023-09-14-oce

Other Updates

September 14, 2023: MLN Connects: Social Determinants of Health Resources

In this edition of MLN Connects, CMS let providers know about a new CMS infographic to help you understand and use Z codes. They also included links to additional resources.

 

As a reminder, effective October 1, 2023, CMS finalized their proposal to change the severity level designation for diagnosis codes Z59.00 (Homelessness, unspecified), Z59.01 (Sheltered homelessness), and Z59.02 (Unsheltered homelessness) from NonCC to CC. https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2023-09-14-mlnc

 

September 19, 2023: CMS Requires States to Pause Disenrollments and Reinstate Coverage for Impacted Individuals

CMS indicated in a Press Release that they issued a call to action on August 30 about a potential issue where systems were inappropriately disenrolling children and other enrollees, even when the state had information indicating the person was still eligible for Medicaid coverage. As of September 19, 30 states report having system issues and “as a result, to avoid CMS taking further action, all 30 states were required to pause procedural disenrollments for impacted people unless they could ensure all eligible people are not improperly disenrolled due to this issue.” https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/coverage-half-million-children-and-families-will-be-reinstated-thanks-hhs-swift-action

Did You Know?

Effective October 1, 2023, there is a new Place of Service (POS) Code 27 – “Outreach Site/Street.” This POS is defined as “a non-permanent location on the street or found environment, not described by any other POS code, where health professionals provide preventive, screening, diagnostic, and/or treatment services to unsheltered homeless individuals.”

 

In the August 10^th Transmittal 12202, CMS indicated that “Medicare has not identified a need for this new code. However, in order to comply with HIPAA and its goals of promoting administrative simplification, contractors are to accept claims containing this new code in accordance with its effective date. Medicare contractors shall therefore implement the systems and/or local-contractor-level changes needed for Medicare to return as unprocessable claims with the new code should it appear on a Medicare claim.”

 

Why it Matters?

On September 20, 2023, CMS rescinded Transmittal 12202 and replaced it with Transmittal 12254 indicating that the transmittal has been revised to “align with broader CMS efforts to address economic, social, and other obstacles impacting Medicare beneficiary healthcare access by revising the IOM as well as the policy section and business requirements 13313.2.”

 

The policy note has changed to indicate that “Contractors are to accept claims containing this new code in accordance with its effective date. Medicare contractors shall therefore implement the systems and/or local-contractor-level changes needed for processing claims with the new code should it appear on a Medicare claim.”

 

What Can I Do?

Make sure key stakeholders at your facility are aware of this change to the new POS Code 27.

 

Resources

 

August 10, 2023 Transmittal 12202: New Place of Service (POS) Code 27 – “Outreach Site/Street” https://www.cms.gov/files/document/r12202cp.pdf

 

September 20, 2023 Transmittal 12254: New Place of Service (POS) Code 27 – “Outreach Site/Street” https://www.cms.gov/files/document/r12254cp.pdf

We are mid-way through a week of celebrating Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists. This year marks the 13^th annual Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) Week. The Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) theme for 2023 is CDI Success Stories: Writing your next chapter!

Like the detective in a good who done it book, CDI specialists review records to make sure all the key elements are in a patient’s “story.” They look for clues (clinical indicators) without a documented diagnosis and documentation without supporting clues and then work with physicians to make sure the record reflects the patient’s complete story.

MMP would like to wish all the hard-working CDI Professionals that we have the privilege to work with a happy CDI week. To help you prepare for the new CMS fiscal year, while celebrating this week, here are links to key documentation needed for a successful October 1^st start of the 2024 CMS fiscal year.   

 

FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule Home Page

On this webpage you will find links to:

• The FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule,
• FY 2024 Final Rule Tables
• Table 5: MS-DRGs, Relative Weighting Factors, Geometric and Arithmetic Mean Lengths of Stay, and Post-Acute Transfer designated MS-DRGs
• Table 6: New Diagnosis Codes,
• Table 6B: New Procedure Codes
• Table 6I: Complete MCC List,
• Table 6I.1: Additions to the MCC List,
• Table 6I.2: Deletions to the MCC List,
• Table 6J: Complete CC list,
• Table 6J.1: Additions to the CC list,
• Table 6J.2: Deletions to the CC list
• FY 2024 MAC Implementation Files
• MAC Implementation File 7: FY 2024 MS-DRGs Subject to the Replaced Devices Policy,
• MAC Implementation File 8: FY 2024 New Technology Add-on Payment

(https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/acute-inpatient-pps/fy-2024-ipps-final-rule-home-page)

2024 ICD-10-CM Files.)

Downloads available on this webpage includes:

• 2024 POA Exempt Codes,
• 2024 Conversion Table,
• 2024 Addendum – UPDATED 6/29/2023,
• 2024 Code Description in Tabular Order – UPDATE 6/29/2023,
• 2024 Code Tables, Tabular and Index UPDATED 6/29/2023,
• FY 2024 ICD-10-CM Coding Guidelines, and
• 2024 Errata – July 26, 2023.

(https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes/2024-icd-10-cm#:~:text=The%202024%20ICD%2D10%2DCM,2023%20through%20September%2030%2C%202024)

 

The ICD-10-Files are also available on the CDC’s Comprehensive Listing ICD-10-CM Files webpage (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/Comprehensive-Listing-of-ICD-10-CM-Files.htm).

2023 ICD-10-PCS Files

Downloads available on this webpage includes:

• 2024 ICD-10-PCS Order File,
• 2024 Official ICD-10-PCS Coding Guidelines,
• 2024 Version Update Summary,
• 2024 ICD-10-PCS Codes File,
• 2024 ICD-10-PCS Conversion table,
• 2024 ICD-10-PCS Code Tables and Index, and
• 2023 ICD-10-PCS Addendum.

(https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes/2024-icd-10-pcs)

Again, happy CDI week from our team to yours.

 

“The primary objective of the IPPS and the LTCH PPS is to create incentives for hospitals to operate efficiently and minimize unnecessary costs, while at the same time ensuring that payments are sufficient to adequately compensate hospitals for their legitimate costs in delivering necessary care to Medicare beneficiaries.”

• Source: Appendix A: Economic Analysis of FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule

 

There are eighteen days until the October 1^st start to the 2024 CMS Fiscal Year. As you continue to prepare, this article focuses on New Technologies Add-On Payments (NTAPs). Section E. Add-On Payments for New Services and Technologies for FY 2024 begins on page 58,793 of the FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule.

 

New Technologies Eligible for Add-On Payment (NTAPs) Background

Section 1886(d)(5)(K)(i) of the Act requires the Secretary to establish a mechanism to recognize the costs of new medical services and technologies under the payment system under the subsection which establishes the system for paying for the operating costs of inpatient hospital services.

 

The system of payment for capital costs is established in section 1886(g) of the Act. For this reason, capital costs are not included in the add-on payments for a new medical service or technology.  

 

NTAPs are not budget neutral and the “newness” for payment is limited to the 2-to-3-year period after the date a technology becomes available.

 

In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and as new therapies received approval to treat COVID-19, CMS established the New COVID-19 Treatments Add-on Payment (NCTAP). With the PHE ending in May of this year, the add-on payments for NCTAPs will end September 30, 2023.

 

There are three pathways for a new service or technology to be approved for the add-on payment (Traditional pathway, Certain Antimicrobial Products Alternative Pathway, and Certain Transformative New Devices Alternative Pathway).

 

For the alternative pathways, a technology is not required to have a specified FDA designation at the time the application for NTAP is made. Instead, “CMS reviews the application based on the information provided by the applicant only under the alternative pathway specified by the applicant at the time of new technology add-on payment application submission. However, to receive approval for the new technology add-on payment under that alternative pathway, the technology must have the applicable FDA designation and meet all other requirements in the regulations in § 412.87(c) and (d), as applicable.”

 

Coding NTAPs

Section X New Technology was added to ICD-10-PCS effective October 1, 2015. CMS has indicated (https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/Downloads/2016-Section-X-New-Technology-.pdf) that “Section X was created in response to public comments received regarding New Technology proposals presented at ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meetings, and general issues facing classification of new technology procedures.”  To receive payment for an eligible NTAP, the applicable section X New Technology ICD-10-PCS code must be on the claim submitted for adjudication.

 

NTAPs by the Numbers

Before looking ahead to FY 2024, I wanted to see what new technologies have been coded in FY 2023 claims with dates of service from October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023. The following claims volume was provided by our sister company RealTime Medicare Data (RTMD), represents claims volume for the entire nation, and is specific to the Medicare Fee-for-Service population.   

FY 2023

25: The number of technologies eligible for add-on payment.

 

94,210: The number of claims with dates of service from October 1, 2022 through March 2023 that included an ICD-10-PCS code eligible for add-on payment.

 

7,551: The number of claims with an ICD-10-PCS new technology code when the technologies eligible for the COVID-19 Treatments Add-On Payment (NCTAP) (convalescent plasma, Olumiant, and Veklury® (remdesivir)) were excluded from the claims volume. 

 

FY 2024

33: The number of technologies eligible for add-on payment.

 

58,524.5: The number of Medicare beneficiaries that CMS expects will receive one of the new technologies. Note, the .5 is not an error. CMS’ estimated cases for the NTAP Livtencity™ is 129.5 cases.

 

$495,497,861.97: CMS’ estimated Medicare spending on NTAPs in FY 2024.

 

Moving Forward

Identifying and coding new technologies is an opportunity not to be missed for those hospitals providing these services. That said, some questions come to mind for you to think about:

• Is your hospital providing any of these services or technologies?
• Who needs to be aware of what the new technologies are? (i.e., Physicians, Pharmacy, Coding Professionals, Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists, Case Managers)
• What process do you have in place to alert your Coding Staff of the need to code the new technology ICD-10-PCS codes?

 

Resource

FY 2024 IPPS CMS webpage: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/acute-inpatient-pps/fy-2024-ipps-final-rule-home-page

We have a couple of questions regarding the coding of hyperlipidemia with hypercholesterolemia.

 

Question#1

If a provider has documented mixed hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia in the record, do you code both conditions?

Answer#1

Only assign code E78.2 for mixed hyperlipidemia.  Pure hypercholesterolemia, unspecified (E78.00) is included with code E78.2 so it is not coded separately. 

Effective date:  June 9, 2023

 

Question#2

How do you code unspecified hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia?

Answer#2

In this case, only the code for pure hypercholesterolemia, unspecified (E78.00) is assigned.  Hyperlipidemia, unspecified (E78.5) is not coded separately since hypercholesterolemia identifies the specific blood lipid elevated.

Effective date:  June 3, 2022

 

Hypercholesterolemia is defined as a high blood cholesterol level.

Hyperlipidemia is defined as high lipid or fat levels in the blood. 

 

References:

ICD-10-CM Official Coding Book

Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS, Second Quarter 2023, Page 9

Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS, Second Quarter 2022, Pages 5 and 6

August 10, 2023: New Place of Service Code 27 – Outreach Site/Street

CMS published Change Request (CR) 13314 to inform providers about the new Place of Service (POS) code 27 for “Outreach Site/Street” – a non-permanent location on the street or found environment, not described by any other POS code, where health professionals provide preventive, screening, diagnostic, and/or treatment services to unsheltered homeless individuals. This code becomes effective on October 1, 2023.

 

In the August 25^th MLN connects e-newsletter, CMS noted “at this time, Medicare won’t use this code in claims processing. If you submit a claim with this code, we’ll return it to you.”

https://www.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/outreach/ffsprovpartprog/provider-partnership-email-archive/795634753/2023-08-24-mlnc#_Toc143610547

 

August 10, 2023: Review Choice Demonstration for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Services FAQs

On May 15, 2023, CMS announced the new initiative, The Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Services. This demonstration started in Alabama with the first cycle of review dates being August 21, 2023 through February 29, 2024.

 

Palmetto GBA Jurisdiction J is the Medicare Administrative Contractor for Alabama, and they have a dedicated webpage specific to this demonstration (https://palmettogba.com/palmetto/jja.nsf/DID/FHT2JV6UCF). On August 28^th, they posted a link to FAQs. Topics covered in this document include general questions, choice selection questions, submission questions, pre-claim review (PCR) questions, and medical necessity questions.

 

For IRF Providers outside of Alabama, I encourage you to pay close attention to the general question 4 asking what states does this demonstration impact.

 

CMS notes the demonstration initially for providers physically located in the state of Alabama and bill to MAC Jurisdiction J. The demonstration will then expand to Pennsylvania, Texas, and California, “as well as any state that bill to the MAC jurisdictions JJ, JL, JH, and JE, regardless of where they are physically located.”

 

Here is one example included in the answer to question 4:

I am an IRF located in a demonstration state but bill to a different MAC than the one for that state.

“You are included in the demonstration if the MAC that you bill to is JJ, JE, JL, or JH. If you bill to another MAC, then you are not included in the demonstration.”

You can find additional information about this demonstration on the CMS website at https://www.cms.gov/research-statistics-data-systems/medicare-fee-service-compliance-programs/prior-authorization-and-pre-claim-review-initiatives/review-choice-demonstration-inpatient-rehabilitation-facility-services#timeline.

 

August 21, 2023: CMS Issues Draft Guidance on New Program to Allow People with Traditional Medicare Fee-for-Service to Pay Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Costs in Monthly Payments

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into law on August 16, 2022. This law caps annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 for 2025.

 

In addition to capping the out-of-pocket amount, the law gives people with Medicare prescription drug coverage (Medicare Part D) the option to make monthly payments spread over the year, also starting in 2025. On August 21^st, CMS published draft guidance for comment outlining the requirements and procedures for spreading out the cost sharing over the year.

 

Due to the size of the new program, CMS indicated they would release the guidance in two parts. Part one was released August 21^st and focuses on “helping Medicare Part D plan sponsors and pharmacies prepare for the new programs and build necessary infrastructure for successful implementation.” CMS is soliciting comments on topics and strategies included in the guidance to ensure eligible Part D enrollees benefit from the programs.

 

You can submit comments to CMS on the first draft guidance through September 30, 2023.

 

The planned release date for part two of the guidance will be in early 2024. This second release will focus on Medicare Part D enrollee outreach and education, Medicare Part D plan bid information, monitoring and compliance. “CMS also intends to develop tools, such as calculators, to help people with Medicare Part D and their caregivers learn what monthly payments may look like under the new program.”

 

Links to a Fact Sheet about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, an implementation timeline, and the August 21^st draft guidance are included in an August 21^st CMS Press Release. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-issues-draft-guidance-new-program-allow-people-medicare-pay-out-pocket-prescription-drug-costs

Did You Know?

Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC (Noridian) is the current Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC). “With CMS directed topic selections and timeframes, Noridian conducts nationwide medical reviews (Part A, Part B, and DME), in accordance with all applicable statutes, laws, regulations, national and local coverage determination policies, and coding guidance, to determine whether Medicare claims have been billed in compliance with coverage, coding, payment, and billing practices.”

 

Reviews are assigned to the SMRC based on analysis of national claims data issues identified by other Federal agencies (i.e., OIG, Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing Program (CERT), and Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER)).

 

Why It Matters?

As of August 15, 2023, the SMRC has thirteen current projects. Examples of current projects includes hyperbaric oxygen of lower extremities diabetic wounds, hospice general inpatient (GIP) level of care, cryosurgery of the prostate, and Mohs surgery.

 

Also, as of August 15, 2023, Noridian has completed sixty projects since being awarded the $227 million SMRC contract by CMS in 2018. Error rates for their completed projects range from 1% to 98%.

 

The 1% error rate was for a sample of claims reviewed related to the 20% add-on payment for COVID-19 that was in place during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The 98% error rate was for a review of claims for Medicare Part B emergency ambulance services.

 

In July of this year, in addition to reporting an error rate for the reviewed claims, Noridian began reporting an error rate for the number of claims denied due to no response to an Additional Documentation Request (ADR). To date, SMRC medical review findings that include the no response error rate, includes:

 

Project 01-080: Vitamin B12 with Modifier 25 Findings of Medical Review

Error Rate for Reviewed Claims: 43%

No Response to ADR Denials: 39%

Results Published July 18, 2023

https://noridiansmrc.com/completed-projects/01-080/

 

Project 01-081: Outpatient Dental Services CPT 41899 Findings of Medical Review

Error Rate for Reviewed Claims: 95%

No Response to ADR: 20%

Results Published July 18, 2023

https://noridiansmrc.com/completed-projects/01-081/

 

Project 01-093: Overlapping Claims – Hospital Transfers During the PHE Findings of Medical Review

Error Rate for Reviewed Claims: 12%

No Response to ADR: 8%

Results Published July 18, 2023

https://noridiansmrc.com/completed-projects/01-093/

 

Project 01-050: Podiatry Findings of Medical Review

Error Rate for Reviewed Claims: 45%

No Response to ADR Denials: 29%

Published August 8, 2023

https://noridiansmrc.com/completed-projects/01-050/

 

Project 01-072: Neurostimulator Implantation Findings of Medical Review

Error Rate for Reviewed Claims: 39%

No Response to ADR Denials: 23%

Results Published August 15, 2023

https://noridiansmrc.com/completed-projects/01-072/

 

Noridian notes they must notify CMS of identified improper payments and noncompliance with documentation requests. They will initiate claims adjustments and/or overpayment recoupment by the standard overpayment recovery process.

 

What Can I Do?

First and foremost, make sure you have a process to receive and respond to ADR requests from the SMRC and other review contractors (i.e., CERT).

 

If a claim is denied for no receipt of documentation, you can complete the following steps posted to the Noridian Jurisdiction E (JE) MAC website:

 

SMRC Reviews Denied for No Documentation

“When a claim is denied for no receipt of documentation requested by the SMRC, the next step is to submit the documentation to the MAC that issued the demand letter for the overpayment. This must occur within 120 calendar days of the demand letter.

 

This situation is considered a reopening and the MAC will send the submitted documentation to the SMRC for a re-review decision. The SMRC has up to 60 calendar days to make this decision. The SMRC will then mail a letter to the supplier with their findings, either to pay the claim or they will outline the reasons for denial.

 

The SMRC will next notify the MAC of the payment or denial decision. The MAC will adjust the claim and a remittance advice with the adjustment results will be generated. The provider has the right to appeal the SMRC decision, if the claim remains denied.

 

Based on the timeframes and steps listed above, please call the MAC about the status of the SMRC re-review only after at least 140 days have passed from when documentation was sent.”

 

Last, become familiar with information available on the SMRC website (https://noridiansmrc.com/). 

July 21, 2023: MLN MM13240: Patient Driven Payment Model Claim Edits

CMS advises that Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and Hospitals need to make sure your billing staff knows about edits for SNFs billing on Type of Bill (TOB) 21X and Swing Bed TOB 18X, and hospitals billing during an interrupted stay. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13240-patient-driven-payment-model-claim-edits.pdf

 

July 21, 2023: MLN MM13248: Processing Services During Disenrollment from the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

Hospitals, SNFs and other providers billing Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) for inpatient services they provide to PACE-eligible Medicare patients need to make sure your billing staff knows how CMS handles payment for Medicare patients disenrolling from PACE and condition codes and value code (VC) CMS requires to prevent claims denials. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13248-processing-services-during-disenrollment-program-all-inclusive-care-elderly.pdf

 

July 27, 2023: MLN MM13275: ESRD Prospective Payment System: October 2023 Update

Make sure your billing staff knows about billing J0889 for daprodustat and new ICD-10-CM codes for comorbidity payment adjustment and acute kidney injury. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13275-esrd-prospective-payment-system-october-2023-update.pdf

 

Augst 3, 2032: MLN MM13299: HCPCS Codes Used for Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing (CB) Enforcement: October 2023 Update

Make sure billing staff knows about updates to the lists of HCPCS codes that are subject to the CB provision of the SNF prospective payment system (PPS), and additions and deletions of certain chemotherapy, blood clotting factors, and therapies inclusion codes from the Medicare Part A SNF files. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13299-hcpcs-codes-used-skilled-nursing-facility-consolidated-billing-enforcement-october-2023.pdf

 

August 10, 2023: MLN MM13289: Hospice Payments: FY 2024 Update

This article provides information about payment rates, inpatient and aggregate caps and wage index update effective October 1, 2023 for hospices and providers billing for hospice services. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13289-hospice-payments-fy-2024-update.pdf

 

August 16, 2023: SE19007 Revised: Activation of Validation Edits for Providers with Multiple Service Locations

This special edition MLN article was originally published on March 26, 2019 and recently updated for the fifth time on August 16^th. CMS has added information about the practice location address screen for round 3 testing Substantive changes are in dark red on pages 3 and 4.

 

Effective August 1, 2023, CMS started deploying the systematic validation edits requirements in Section 170 of the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 1. MACs have been told to develop implementation plans to permanently turn on the Reason Codes and set them up to RTP claims that don’t exactly match.

 

CMS notes in the MLN article that they “expect that the almost 7-year time frame that the edits haven’t been active gave you ample time to validate your claims submission system and the PECOS information for your off-campus provider departments are exact matches.” https://www.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/medicare-learning-network-mln/mlnmattersarticles/downloads/se19007.pdf

 

August 17, 2023: MLN MM13321: Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule & Laboratory Services Reasonable Charge Payment: Quarterly Update

Make sure your billing staff know about private payor data reporting (you must report data between January – March 2024), general specimen collection fee increase, and new and deleted HCPCS codes. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13321-clinical-laboratory-fee-schedule-laboratory-services-reasonable-charge-payment-quarterly.pdf

 

August 24, 2023: Transmittal 12222: Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System Updates for Fiscal Year 2024

This Change Request (CR) 13335 identifies changes that are required as part of the annual IPF PPS update and applicable to discharges occurring from October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/r12222cp.pdf

Coverage Updates

 

August 9, 2023: MLN MM13278: ICD-10 & Other Coding Revisions to National Coverage Determinations: January 2024 Update

Relevant National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) include NCD 50.3 (Cochlear Implants), NCD 90.2. (Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), and NCD 210.1 (Prostate Screening Tests). Make sure your billing staff are aware of newly available codes, recent coding changes, and how to find NCD coding information. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13278-icd-10-other-coding-revisions-national-coverage-determinations-january-2024-update.pdf

 

August 9, 2023: MLN MM13288: National Coverage Determination 30.3.3 – Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain

Make sure your billing staff knows about updated frequency edits for acupuncture for chronic low back pain (cLBP) and relevant codes for acupuncture and dry needling services starting January 1, 2024. Reminder, CMS won’t cover more than 20 acupuncture treatments annually. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13288-national-coverage-determination-3033-acupuncture-chronic-low-back-pain.pdf

 

Compliance Education Updates

 

August 2023: MLN Booklet Federally Qualified Health Center Revised

There have been several updates made to this MLN booklet. For example, CMS clarified the definition of telehealth and added consent for information for care management and virtual communications services. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mln006397-federally-qualified-health-center.pdf

 

Other Updates

July 27, 2023: MLN Connects Notification: CMS Updated the Discarded Drugs and Biologicals – JW Modifier and JZ Modifier Policy FAQs

In the July 27, 2023 edition of MLN Connects, CMS notes that they have updated the Discarded Drugs and Biologicals – JW Modifier and JZ Modifier Policy FAQs to clarify the applicability of the reporting requirements to various outpatient settings and certain not otherwise classified billing codes. They also clarify how to use the JW and JZ modifiers when you prepare the dose with more than 1 single-dose container.

 

Finally, they remind providers that they use the JW and JZ Modifiers to collect information on discarded drug amounts from drugs that are packaged in single-dose containers that are separately payable under Part B.

 

Starting July 1, 2023, report the JZ modifier when there are no discarded amounts and report the JQ modifier when there are discarded amounts. https://www.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/outreach/ffsprovpartprog/provider-partnership-email-archive/1368246344/2023-07-27-mlnc

 

 

August 16, 2023: CMS Fact Sheet: Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act: Update on CMS Implementation

In this Fact Sheet, CMS details Milestones that they have met for implementing the provisions in this Act. You will also find links to public education resources that CMS has produced to help people with Medicare and those who assist them understand the changes under the new drug law (i.e., Frequently Asked Questions: Medicare Part B & D Insulin Benefit). https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/anniversary-inflation-reduction-act-update-cms-implementation