When Compassion and Compliance Collide New initiatives By now many of you, especially those of you who provide scheduled, routine, non-emergency transports (ie. Dialysis, radiation, etc.) are becoming aware of a new Medicare trial initiative for pre-authorizing approval for claims submitted for these types of transports. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) chose […]
The End to Medicare “Back Billing” Save the Date! Mark this date on your calendar- February 3, 2015. This is the date that sweeping and historic changes will take effect for the Medicare program. Late last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final rule on the Medicare Incentive Program and […]
CMS Releases 2015 Zip Code Changes Affecting Ambulance Bonus Payments AAA Challenges CMS-Revisions Possible Change Announced Last week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule that sets in motion a significant shift in the way that geographical areas are determined to identify urban versus rural areas for ambulance fee schedule […]
The “Continuous Monitoring” Factor for Inter-facility, Non-emergency Ambulance Transports From the Open Door Forum One of the staples of being an ambulance biller is religiously following any information provided by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Ambulance billers can easily follow CMS by participating in the Ambulance Open Door Forum audio-conferences. The Open […]
Non-Emergency Transports- Two Questions to ALWAYS Ask Big Brother’s Watching! Never before has the ambulance industry been so much under the microscope when it comes to billing and receiving payment for ambulance transports- especially non-emergency transports. Federal Government, State Governments, you name it. “Big Brother” is watching what we do. The focus has increased dramatically […]
Bill Extending Ambulance Bonus Payments, Delaying ICD-10 Passes Senate Last Minute Action With reimbursement cuts looming for the ambulance industry today, The Senate voted 64-35 in favor of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (H.R. 4302) late last evening effectively delaying those cuts. The bill now moves to President Obama’s desk for signing. […]
12 More Months/ICD-10 Delayed? Good News! Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a stop-gap measure to once again extend the ambulance bonus payments for another year. That’s really good news! Better News… But even better news was another part of the same bill passage. That part sets up a delay in the implementation of […]
Let’s Take a Walk! Walking, Medical Necessity and Billing Join us today as we take a few minutes to explore medical necessity issues surrounding patients who can ambulate and how that fact alone may affect billing for an ambulance transport. Medical Necessity Any claim for payment billed for ambulance transport must meet a medical necessity […]
Billing for ALS Assessments Often misunderstood EMS billing is a science all of its own. One of the often misunderstood topics is when and how to properly bill for an ALS Assessment. Today’s blog serves to educate our clients and friends who read this space regarding when and how to bill for an ALS Assessment. […]
Documenting and Billing “Brain Attacks” CVA CVA- Cerebral Vascular Accident or what we most commonly refer to as a “stroke” can be one of the most challenging and life threatening emergencies that we handle in EMS. The scenario is literally a “brain attack.” When part of the brain is damaged or destroyed because it’s deprived […]
