Expect more reporting on the coronavirus.
We here at the Monitors – RACmonitor, ICD10monitor, Monitor Mondays, and Talk Ten Tuesdays – continue to report on COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which has claimed the lives of more than 210,000 and has infected more than 7.5 million here in the U.S. amid an unrelenting global pandemic. We have taken every effort to ensure that our reporting and that of our contributors on the topic is objective and straightforward.
Nonetheless, when the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, despite an obvious political component, it was clearly news, which we again sought to report on, devoid of any political bias. That the President was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was also news, and that he was discharged to the White House after three days of care was news as well. Reporting on his medication and treatment, including the use of experimental antiviral drugs and steroids, continues to be news.
In light of this, we’d like to again reflect on the notion that we have a solemn responsibility to our readers and our own sense of journalistic integrity to remain steadfast in our respect for sound science and medical facts through our reporting. Even the suggestion of looking the other way, out of some sense of deference to the Executive Branch of the federal government, is intolerable.
COVID-19 has no political loyalty. It infects the rich, the powerful, the poor, the indigent, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, as well as everyday Americans, equally.
Even before there was Medicare, America’s healthcare discourse has been interwoven in the fabric of American politics. We apologize in advance if our reporting on COVID-19 and the President offends any political sensitivities. Regrettably, the coronavirus has been politicized, leaving us no other alternative than to simply seek to report the truth, devoid of bias. So please be prepared for more news stories to come on the coronavirus and its impact on all Americans, including the First Family.
Readers last week surely noted my coverage of a few of the key regulatory initiatives the Biden Administration intends to undertake during the last part
Well, the debate was held between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, and healthcare, particularly the Affordable Care Act (ACA), emerged as
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Join Beth Wolf, MD, CPC, CCDS, for an in-depth webcast on the FY2025 spinal fusion MS-DRG updates. Discover key changes in DRG classification, understand impacts on documentation and CMI, and learn strategies to ensure compliance.
Join Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, as she presents effective strategies to strengthen collaboration between CDI, coding, and quality departments in acute care hospitals. Angela will also share guidance on implementing cross-departmental meetings, using shared KPIs, and engaging leadership to foster a culture of collaboration. Attendees will gain actionable tools to optimize documentation accuracy, elevate quality metrics, and drive a unified approach to healthcare goals, ultimately enhancing both patient outcomes and organizational performance.
Optimize your outpatient clinical documentation and gain comprehensive knowledge from foundational practices to advanced technologies, ensuring improved patient care and organizational and financial success. This webcast bundle provides a holistic approach to outpatient CDI, empowering you to implement best practices from the ground up and leverage advanced strategies for superior results. You will gain actionable insights to improve documentation quality, patient care, compliance, and financial outcomes.
Enhancing outpatient clinical documentation is crucial for maintaining accuracy, compliance, and proper reimbursement in today’s complex healthcare environment. This webcast, presented by industry expert Angela Comfort, DBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, will provide you with actionable strategies to tackle complex challenges in outpatient documentation. You’ll learn how to craft detailed clinical narratives, utilize advanced EHR features, and implement accurate risk adjustment and HCC coding. The session also covers essential regulatory updates to keep your documentation practices compliant. Join us to gain the tools you need to improve documentation quality, support better patient care, and ensure financial integrity.
Dr. Ronald Hirsch provides critical details on the new Medicare Appeal Process for Status Changes for patients whose status changes during their hospital stay. He also delves into other scenarios of hospital patients receiving custodial care or medically unnecessary services where patient notifications may be needed along with the processes necessary to ensure compliance with state and federal guidance.
Healthcare organizations face complex regulatory requirements under the No Surprises Act and Price Transparency rules. These policies mandate extensive fee disclosures across settings, and confusion is widespread—many hospitals remain unaware they must post every contracted rate. Non-compliance could lead to costly penalties, financial loss, and legal risks. Join David M. Glaser Esq. as he shows you how to navigate these regulations effectively.
Protect your facility from unwanted audits! Join Becky Jacobsen, BSN, RN, MBS, CCS-P, CPC, CPEDC, CBCS, CEMC, and take a deep dive into both the CMS and AMA guidelines for reporting post operative pain blocks. You’ll learn how to determine if the nerve block is separately codable with real life examples for better understanding. Becky will also cover how to evaluate whether documentation supports medical necessity, offer recommendations for stronger documentation practices, and provide guidance on educating providers about documentation requirements. She’ll include a discussion of appropriate modifier and diagnosis coding assignment so that you can be confident that your billing of post operative pain blocks is fully supported and compliant.
During this RACmonitor webcast Dr. Ronald Hirsch spotlights the areas of the OIG’s Work Plan and the findings of their most recent audits that impact utilization review, case management, and audit staff. He also provides his common-sense interpretation of the prevailing regulations related to those target issues. You’ll walk away better equipped with strategies to put in place immediately to reduce your risk of paybacks, increased scrutiny, and criminal penalties.
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