Nov. 22, 2006
The American Medical Association has released the 2007 edition of the following publications:
- CPT® 2007 Professional
- AMA Physician ICD-9-CM 2007, Volumes 1 & 2 spiral
The AMA HCPCS 2007 Level II and CPT® Changes 2007 have not yet been released but may be preordered to reserve your copy.
Stay in compliance - order your copies today from the ASIPP Bookstore!
www.asipp.org
| Still Time to Register for December Cadaver Workshop |
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The early registration discount deadline for the December Cadaver Workshop and Comprehensive Review Course has been extended to Nov. 25 with only a few spots still open.
The course is planned as a CME activity to prepare physicians seeking board certification by ABIPP or as an in- depth review of interventional techniques. Additionally the review course will be based on the specifications of the cadaver workshop and will assist in preparation for ABIPP Part I or Part II (FIPP) examinations.
The Workshop and Review will be held on December 1-3, 2006 in Memphis, TN. The host hotel is the DoubleTree on Union Ave.
Click here to register |
| Congress Back in Session: Continue to Write |
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It could be March, or even April, before Congress is able to revoke the 5 percent physician payment cut that’s scheduled to take place in January, physicians should continue to apply pressure on Congress with our calls, e-mails, and letters.
The earlier in the year Congress reverses the cut, the more likely the reversal will be retroactive to Jan. 1, so it is imperative we keep the momentum going. Revised sample letters are located on the ASIPP home page: www.asipp.org (to send on personalized letterhead), or you may send your congressional letters through Capwiz by the links below.
Physicians can also follow the link provided to the Capwiz Web site: http://capwiz.com/asipp/i ssues/alert/?alertid=9037126&type=CO Staff members and patients should follow this link for their letters: http://capwiz.com/asipp/i ssues/alert/?alertid=9037126&type=CO
It is critical that we not give up this fight - immediate action is needed. Without support of each and every physician in the country we won’t be able to survive. Please get your colleagues, staff, patients and friends to support these issues. Let congress hear from you today.
Medical News Today |
| Medicare Physician Payment Cut Fix Unlikely in 2006 |
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Talk of warding off scheduled cuts for Medicare's physician payment rates took a pessimistic turn on Tuesday after lawmakers said a post-Thanksgiving lame duck session is likely to be brief and that any effort to add a proposal to a package of tax "extenders" might be risky.
Read CQ Today Article |
| Coding Information |
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Fluoroscopy
The fluoroscopy codes were deleted and renumbered. 76005 (fluoro for epidurals, transforaminal epidurals, facets, SI join injections, and neurolytics) was renumbered as 77003; 76003 (other needle localization) was renumbered as 77002. The definitions were left unchanged. Similarly, the fluoro code for vertebroplasty and kypohplasty (76012) has been renumbered as 72291. The vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty "fluoro" code is actually and "S&I" (supervision and interpretation) code.
IDET Get a New Code
Effective Jan. 1, 2007, IDET will be coded as 00526 for a single level and 22527 for one or more additional levels. Worth noting is coding convention for the add- on code 22527 - it is not a separate add-on code for each additional level. It is only one add-on code no matter how many levels are addressed. The IDET code does not include nucleoplasty which is still coded as 0062T (now defined as "percutaneous intradiscal annuloplasty, any method except electrothermal...") and includes fluoroscopic guidance as a bundled service.
Consult Update for 2007
CPT 2007 contains new instructive language that a patient or his family cannot request a "consult," as a consult can only be generated by "a physician or other approprate source." As to what constitutes an "other appropriate source," CPT 2007 states, "e.g., physician assistant, nurse practitioner, doctor of chiropractic, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, psychologist, social worker, lawyer or insurance company." However, Medicare does not list a lawyer or insurance company as providers who can request a consult. Bottom line:
- A consult cannot be generated by a patient or his family
- Providers who can request a consult include a broader spectrum than just physicians
- The CPT code allows an attorney or insurance company to generate a consult, whereas Medicare does not
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| Studies Show Underprescribing and Overprescribing Both Common |
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Find the right fit for the prescription drugs taken by patients, especially older patients on multiple medications, is a difficult balance, according to two studies published this past October.
One, appearing in Medical Care, was based on the results of researchers' interviews and reviews of the records of 3,457 adults across the United States. They found that nearly 17% were prescribed a drug they did not need, but more than 37% didn't receive what they should have. The second paper, this one in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that 65% of the 196 older patients studied were on a drug they shouldn't have been taking and 64% were missing an important medication from their regimen. Many were both lacking a drug and taking one that was unnecessary.
Read more |
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