Availability of the Essential Medicines Shortage List for the Recently Finalized Separate IPPS Payment for Establishing and Maintaining Access

Availability of the Essential Medicines Shortage List for the Recently Finalized Separate IPPS Payment for Establishing and Maintaining Access  On Thursday, 8/1/2024, CMS issued the FY 2025 Medicare Hospital IPPS and LTCH PPS final rule. [...]

Jurisdiction K Part B Top Claim Errors are Updated

Jurisdiction K Part B Top Claim Errors are Updated Using data analysis we update the Top Claim Errors on a quarterly basis and provide: the error reason code; a description of the error; the error type; details that include steps you can [...]

PR-B9

Avoiding/Correcting This Error When a Medicare beneficiary, or their authorized representative, elects hospice, all services related to the patient's terminal condition are handled by the hospice, and not billed to Medicare Part B. If the [...]

Diabetic Self-Management Tool for Billing

Diabetic Self-Management Tool for Billing DSMT and MNT complementary services. This means Medicare will cover both DSMT and MNT without decreasing either benefit as long as the referring physician determines that both are medically necessary. [...]

NGSConnex: Inquiries and Remittance Advice

Did you know you can initiate general claim inquiries through the NGSConnex portal? Do you have trouble understanding the remittance advice? If you answered yes, this session is for you! During this webinar, we’ll provide instruction on how to [...]

Reimbursement for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Using Antiretroviral Therapy to Prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Reimbursement for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Using Antiretroviral Therapy to Prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection CMS has issued NCD 210.15 Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Using Antiretroviral Therapy to Prevent Human Immunodeficiency [...]

EDI Front End Clinical Edits

EDI Front End Clinical Edits EDI has begun to implement EDI clinical business edits into the NGS EDI front end. These edits will assist in proactively alerting providers of potential claim issues and provide resources to assist with avoiding [...]

CO-29

Avoiding/Correcting This Error Providers must file claims within a qualifying time limit to be eligible for Medicare reimbursement. The timely filing requirement is one calendar year after the date of service. The provider may not charge the [...]

Admission and Discharge Services

Admission and Discharge Services Is it permissible for an NPP to perform an initial hospital admission or discharge service on behalf of the attending physician, or on a split/shared basis, when both are members of the same provider [...]

Advanced Care Planning

Advanced Care Planning Please define documentation requirements when billing advanced care planning (CPT 99497 and 99498). Answer: ACP codes may be used with or without a base E/M code on the same date of service, based on whether a [...]

Behavioral/Mental Health Services

Behavioral/Mental Health Services Please explain the parameters for mental health services delivered via telehealth to a beneficiary who is at home. Note: CMS has extended the PHE-period waiver for in-person visit requirements for [...]

Chronic Care Management

Chronic Care Management The guidelines state moderate or high complex MDM. Do the E/M guidelines apply here? Answer: Yes, the E/M guidelines for MDM are applicable, since chronic care management (CPT 99490) is included within the E/M [...]

Consultations

Consultations Does CMS permit payment for consultative E/M services? Answer: CMS permits payment for medically necessary consultative E/M services. The specific E/M codes previously used to represent consultative services were [...]

Critical Care Services

Critical Care Services Please define the time requirement for billing CPT code 99292. Answer: Whether critical care is performed by a single provider or on a split (or shared) basis, the time requirement for CPT code 99292 remains the [...]

Examination

As of 1/1/2023, CMS has eliminated prior specifications for the scope of examination and associated documentation in the outpatient office and hospital settings. The provider is expected to perform and document a medically necessary and [...]

Fee-For-Time Compensation Arrangements

Fee-For-Time Compensation Arrangements Can a physician return to work in his or her practice for a short period of time to reset the 60-day clock requirement for the fee-for-time compensation arrangement provider? Answer: In order for the [...]

Global Period Services

Global Period Services Is it permissible for a provider (physician or NPP) who has served as an assistant surgeon, or another provider in the surgeon’s group, to bill for preoperative or postoperative care relative to the surgery? Answer: [...]

Medicare Remit Easy Print

Coordination of Benefits

Internet-only Manuals

National Correct Coding Initiative Edits

Medicare Remit Easy Print

Internet-only Manuals

Coordination of Benefits

National Correct Coding Initiative Edits

About PC-ACE

About PC-ACE The National Government Services PC-ACE free billing software is available for NGS J6 and JK providers only. If you are not a J6 or JK provider, the free billing software must be obtained from your MAC. PC-ACE is a [...]

PCACE Download Text - ALOB

The installation code to run the full install or the upgrade for PC-ACE is: NGSMAC1 Important Warning: For PC-ACE version 6.4 updated version: please be patient and allow the full install or update complete. It is important that you do not [...]

Download PC Print

Download PC Print Please select from the two available versions of PC Print below. PC Print 7.1.5 PC Print 9.3.2 For the most current CARC/RARC code sets with full narrative and business scenarios, please download PC Print 9.3.2. and [...]

PCACE Upgrade Text - ALOB

Version 6.4 (Institutional and Professional) PC-ACE users

PCACE Full Install Text - ALOB

Version 6.4 (Institutional and Professional) PC-ACE users

About PC-ACE

About PC-ACE The National Government Services PC-ACE free billing software is available for NGS J6 and JK providers only. If you are not a J6 or JK provider, the free billing software must be obtained from your MAC. PC-ACE is a stand-alone [...]

History

As of 1/1/2023, CMS has eliminated prior specifications for documentation of a patient’s history for services provided in both the outpatient office and hospital setting, including the emergency department. The provider is expected to obtain [...]

IPPE and AWV Services

IPPE and AWV Providers are reminded that the IPPE and AWV are Medicare-covered services within their own benefit category. As such, they are not subject to standard “incident to” billing guidelines and must be billed by the performing [...]

Medical Decision Making

Medical Decision Making In a split/shared service, when a medical record includes a plan of care developed by the physician, based on a history and/or examination performed by the NPP and a personal review of diagnostic findings, [...]

New vs. Established Patients

New vs. Established Patients How does CMS define a patient as “new” versus “established”? Answer: In 2023, the definition of a “new” patient differs based on whether the patient is being treated in an office or an observation/ inpatient [...]

Nonphysician Practitioner Services

Nonphysician Practitioner Services In addition to the frequently asked questions below, please view NGS’ Nonphysician Practitioners-Reducing Costly Appeals; Increase Provider Revenue article for related information. Is it permissible for [...]

Observation Services

Observation Services Please define guidelines for providers billing observation services. Answer: Observation services are ordered, performed and billed by the practitioner (or group), who is responsible for the patient’s care during the [...]

Preoperative Clearance

Preoperative Clearance What requirements must be met for a preoperative clearance visit to be considered medically necessary and billable? Answer: CMS does not set requirements for medical clearance; these are established by individual [...]

Prolonged Services

Prolonged Services Note: View NGS’ Prolonged Services Timetable for CPT codes and time requirements.  Please explain why time thresholds for some E/M services vary between AMA/CPT and CMS guidance. Answer: The CMS RVU RUC assessed [...]

Provider Specialty

Provider Specialty Should each MD in the same practice bill with two different taxonomy codes based on whether functioning as a cardiologist or electrophysiologist? Answer: Yes, providers should be billing with their taxonomy codes. The [...]

Scribes

Scribes When a physician or NPP performs a service that is documented by a scribe, what are the documentation requirements? Answer: As per CMS IOM Publication 100-08, Medicare Program Integrity Manual, Chapter 3, Section 3.3.2.4: “CMS [...]

Separately Identifiable Service

Separately Identifiable Service Please define the appropriate use of modifier 57 to identify a separately payable E/M with an initial decision for surgery. Answer: Modifier 57 is added to an E/M service that resulted in an initial [...]

Skilled Nursing Facility Services

Skilled Nursing Facility Services Please define rules for initial and subsequent SNF services, when the same provider has treated the patient at another site on the same date of service. Answer: This depends on the site of the prior [...]

Smoking Cessation

Smoking Cessation Please clarify appropriate codes for smoking cessation services. Answer: CPT codes 99406 and 99407 may be used for smoking and tobacco-use cessation counseling visits. Please clarify what constitutes a session which [...]

Teaching Environment E/M Services

Teaching Environment E/M Services Please define levels of care for E/M services that can be performed by residents in a hospital outpatient setting under the PCE rules. Answer: CMS PCE guidelines for the hospital outpatient setting permit [...]

Telehealth Services

Telehealth Services Note: View National Government Services' Place of Service Codes for CY 2024 Updates Please explain Medicare’s definition of a telehealth service. Answer: Medicare defines a telehealth service as a service provided by [...]

Time-Based Services

Time-Based Services Please define rules for using time to level-set a service. Answer: In both the office and observation/inpatient setting, the provider’s time is calculated based on pre-visit, intra-visit, and post-visit activities [...]

Transitional Care Management

Transitional Care Management Please clarify responsibility for the TCM interactive contact. Can this be performed by a hospital-employed nurse prior to discharge? Answer: The provider who is billing the TCM service is responsible for the [...]

Urgent Care

Urgent Care Please explain the concepts of split/shared and incident to E/M services in the urgent care setting. Answer: The urgent care setting is defined by CMS as a nonfacility setting. This means the split/shared concept does not [...]

Why is radiofrequency ablation (RFA) noncovered?

Can SIJIs be performed under sedation? How about monitored anesthesia care (MAC)? Is “twilight” allowed?

Emergency Department

Emergency Department When a consultant has seen a patient in the ED and billed an ED code, how are subsequent services billed when the patient is then admitted to inpatient status? Answer: The ED consult (billed with an ED code [...]

Repetitive Scheduled Non-Emergent Ambulance Transports Prior Authorization

Attention All Independent Ambulance Suppliers! If you are providing repetitive, scheduled, non-emergent ambulance transports (RSNAT), you'll want to attend this webinar. Join us to learn everything you need to know about the RSNAT program.

ASCA: Must an Administrative Simplification Compliance Act waiver be mailed or can it be faxed?

ASCA: When applying for an ASCA waiver, do I need to complete the Waiver Request form for each provider number?

ASCA: I was under Administrative Simplification Compliance Act review once and received an approved waiver request to send paper claims, why am I under review again?

EDI: Is the 277CA returned for each test submission?

EDI: After I receive a 277CA will I receive anything else?

EDI: How can I tell if I am set up for electronic billing?

EDI: How do I restore a remit file?