AMA Bookstore News, Feb. 14, 2012

The volatile Medicare physician payment schedule is burdening to coders and billers who need to stay on top of the latest rule in order to accurately report claims. If you are a health care professional frustrated by this scenario, RBRVS DataManager Online might be your solution!

Launched in July 2011, this powerful online coding product provides its users with instant access to the latest Medicare physician payment schedule, CPT® codes and insight on the Resource-Based Relative Value System. Quarterly updates, or more if necessary, keep you up-to-date on the latest local and national data so you can increase your accuracy and efficiency.

Other features include:

• More than 3,200 AMA-exclusive CPT vignettes with pre-/intra-/and post-service data
• Rationale on the assignment of relative value units (RVUs)
• 2012 CPT codes, plus the short and full descriptions
• Top five-related ICD-9-CM to CPT codes
• Direct practice expense inputs (clinical staff, medical supplies and equipment) for every CPT code
• Ten years of Medicare utilization data for each CPT code, including the specialties that perform the service, site-of service, diagnosis and patient demographics
• Instant, local calculations using conversion factors you input
• Physician time data for each individual physician service
• AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) rationale for work value recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Learn more about RBRVS DataManager Online on the new AMA Coding Online site. Use promotion code EDMY212W to save 20% on a one-year license for up to 10 users. Email bookandonlinesales@ama-assn.org to receive discounted license information for 11 or more users.

Read about the latest AMA efforts to replace the flawed Medicare physician payment formula.

Have a nagging question about the appropriateness of appending modifier 52 to code 92568? Who do you ask? How about the CPT experts on the CPT® Network.

The CPT Network provides paid subscribers and AMA members a searchable Knowledge Base of answers to more than 5,000 commonly asked coding questions. Additionally, some codes within the Knowledge Base also feature clinical examples.

But there's more. As a subscriber you may also purchase inquiry packages that allow you to electronically submit a question that isn't already answered in the Knowledge Base. Inquiries receive a timely response from AMA's CPT coding experts. So not only do you get the answer you need, you also help to grow the Knowledge Base.

Subscription packages are as follows:

• Access to the Knowledge Base only = $250
• 2 inquiries + Knowledge Base access = $352
• 5 inquiries + Knowledge Base access = $452
• 10 inquiries + Knowledge Base access = $664
• 15 inquiries + Knowledge Base access = $836
• 25 inquiries + Knowledge Base access = $1,100

AMA members receive a complimentary full-year subscription to the CPT Network, including access to the Knowledge Base and six free inquiries.

But let's say you don't need the Knowledge Base just yet but you still have that nagging coding question. Consider purchasing a single inquiry only for $80.

Learn more about the Network or register now.

This January Modern Healthcare highlighted a CMS monthly report showing total payments to hospitals through the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health-record system incentive programs more than doubled from October through December to more than $1.9 billion.
Combined payments to physicians and other professionals increased 99% over the same period to nearly $570.4 million.

December's numbers showed 176,049 active registrants in the programs, up 27% since October, according to the CMS' data. Among them, 98% were eligible professionals; 2% hospitals. About 75% of eligible professionals receiving payments—10,530 of them—are physicians, with nurse practitioners, dentists, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants accounting for the rest, according to the CMS.

Look to the AMA for more EHR and electronic medical practice resources. 

When a wound is left to heal by secondary intention, it is not appropriate to report codes 15002-15005 for the removal of nonviable tissue/debris in a chronic wound (eg, venous or diabetic). Instead, use the appropriate active wound management codes (97597, 97598) and the debridement codes (11042-11047) for this service. When treating necrotizing soft tissue infections in specific anatomic locations, use codes 11004-11008. Get more coding tips with the CPT® Assistant Newsletter.

Question: Are electrocardiograms (ECGs) an inherent component of elective cardioversion?

Answer: Any electrocardiogram (ECG) performed prior to or during cardioversion is included in code 92960, Cardioversion, elective, electrical conversion of arrhythmia; external. However, if a post-cardioversion ECG is medically necessary and documentation supports this additional study, then the appropriate 12-lead ECG CPT code should be reported with Modifier 59, Distinct Procedural Service, appended. In certain cases a post-cardioversion ECG is performed to diagnose unexpected arrhythmias after cardioversion or to define ST wave changes. Medical record documentation should reflect this eventuality.

Looking for more information on cardiovascular coding? Be sure to check out 2012 CPT® Reference Guide for Cardiovascular Coding. And for more coding Q&A subscribe to CPT® Assistant Newsletter today!

Proper coding is critical to managing a practice's claims revenue cycle. However, the complexity can be daunting. Knowing when and how to use codes such as Modifier 25 ensures that your practice accurately records the services it delivers—and is paid fairly for those services.

The AMA's Practice Management Center has recorded a brief, instructive webinar, “Definitions and use of Modifier 25,” to help you correctly and confidently record the performance of procedures and services.

Let AMA experts Marie Mindeman, of CPT Coding and Regulatory Affairs, and Danielle Pavloski, of CPT Education and Information Services, walk you through the proper and improper uses of Modifier 25.

This 20-minute webinar includes a checklist to evaluate the appropriate use of the modifier as well as answers to the most common questions about this important topic.

For more information on modifier usage, go to Coding with Modifiers, fourth edition.

Follow along with AMA's Dan Reyes, director of online business development and sales as he demonstrations AMA Coding Online live at the 2012 American Academy of Professional Coders National Conference and learn why CodeManager® Online: Elite is the AMA's premier coding and payment tool.

Demonstrations will last 15 minutes and address coding techniques using real coding scenarios; highlight intuitive research tools, such as date-of-service searching and top-five related ICD-9-CM to CPT codes; explain quick links to LCDs, DRGs, APCs and codebook sub-menus; and address questions with an end-of-session Q&A.

All demonstration attendees will receive a free gift card and will be automatically entered to win exciting giveaways!

Visit booth #200 for more information on CodeManager Online demonstrations and other offers and news from the AMA!

CodeManager® Online demonstration schedule*:

Monday:
1 p.m.
5:30 p.m.

Tuesday:
7:45 a.m.
8:15 a.m.
12 p.m.
2:30 p.m.

Wednesday:
7:30 a.m.

*Schedule is subject to change—visit booth #200 for updates.

Stop by Booth 200 April 1-4 at the 2012 American Academy of Professional Coders National Conference to participate in live AMA Coding Online demonstrations and take advantage of special offers, including: free shipping and discounted pricing on all AMA products! Demonstration attendees receive a free gift card and are automatically entered to win exciting giveaways! Featured publications include the all-new, Advanced Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10-CM/PCS as well as other ICD-10 preparation titles and the 2012 CPT® core coding line.

The AMA will also be exhibiting at this year's National Association of County and City Health Officials national conference taking place July 11-13 in Los Angeles. Stop by booth 213 for special conference pricing and free shipping on all titles— including the recently published Death in Large Numbers.

Can't attend these conferences? Visit amabookstore.com or call (800) 621-8335 to learn more!

You are heading to the location of a major earthquake. You want to go over the steps to implement the SALT Mass Casualty Triage process prior to arriving. No need to carry your Advanced Disaster Life Support™ (ADLS®) manual. The ADLS course manual is now available as a downloadable e-book and available to any electronic device that supports the ePub format.

The new e-book format provides on-the-go access to best-selling publications. E-book downloads give you lifetime access to the latest in disaster medicine publications.

Features include:

• Simple navigation—use the table of contents or enter a page number to take you to the desired information
• Search by keyword or phrase—searched terms are highlighted within the text
• Bookmarks and Notes—quickly find pertinent information within the e-book
• Platform independence—access content on up to six different devices including your PC or MAC computer, iPad, iPod, iPhone, Nook or Sony Reader
• Adobe Digital Editions bookshelves—help you organize and keep track of the titles you have downloaded

Watch for more information on additional titles coming soon! Visit the AMA Bookstore to purchase the newest titles available: Advanced Disaster Life Support™ Manual 3.0 and Core Disaster Life Support® Manual 3.0.