Automated Downgrade of Emergency Physician Visit Codes Coming April 1
UnitedHealth says it will use proprietary software to deny claims. EDITOR’S NOTE: The topic of this article was previously covered by RACmonitor on separate occasions
UnitedHealth says it will use proprietary software to deny claims. EDITOR’S NOTE: The topic of this article was previously covered by RACmonitor on separate occasions
EDITOR’S NOTE: Not everyone will be home for the holidays this season. Healthcare doesn’t ever take a holiday. Emergency departments across the country will be
EDITOR’S NOTE: Not everyone will be home for the holidays this season. Healthcare doesn’t ever take a holiday. Emergency departments across the country will be
EDITOR’S NOTE: Not everyone will be home for the holidays this season. Healthcare doesn’t ever take a holiday. Emergency departments across the country will be
EDITOR’S NOTE: CORRECTION: In the RACmonitor Nov 29, 2019 edition, Dr. Ronald Hirsch noted that resource use data on skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) was not
Since 2010, a total of 113 rural hospitals have closed in the U.S Last week I was honored to be the opening keynote for SEACAA
Issues abound in prominent payer coding guidance. By now, many hospitals have received denials for emergency department level-of-care coding. We could legitimately ask, “how did
There are steps providers should take for holding managed care plans accountable. Considerable effort is regularly devoted by healthcare providers to overcome coverage denials through
Assigning status to likely terminal patients. I received a great question last week and thought I’d share it with you, our readers. This case management
UnitedHealth Group and MEDPAC both reported on the state of emergency departments last week. Last week, emergency departments (EDs) got some serious national attention. First,
Emergency departments (EDs) have been a hot-button topic in the battles over “surprise” billing. Certainly, many patients use EDs inappropriately. We’ve all read and heard
Recent issues in Oklahoma, Nebraska portend a growing crisis. The news coming out of Oklahoma was grim: Pauls Valley Regional Medical Center couldn’t keep its

In this timely session, Stacey Shillito, CDIP, CPMA, CCS, CCS-P, CPEDC, COPC, breaks down the complexities of Medical Decision Making (MDM) documentation so providers can confidently capture the true complexity of their care. Attendees will learn practical, efficient strategies to ensure documentation aligns with current E/M guidelines, supports accurate coding, and reduces audit risk, all without adding to charting time.

Join Ronald Hirsch, MD, FACP, CHCQM for The PEPPER Returns – Risk and Opportunity at Your Fingertips, a practical webcast that demystifies the PEPPER and shows you how to turn complex claims data into actionable insights. Dr. Hirsch will explain how to interpret key measures, identify compliance risks, uncover missed revenue opportunities, and understand new updates in the PEPPER, all to help your organization stay ahead of audits and use this powerful data proactively.

Stay ahead of the 2026-2027 audit surge with “Top 10 Audit Targets for 2026-2027 for Hospitals & Physicians: Protect Your Revenue,” a high-impact webcast led by Michael Calahan, PA, MBA. This concise session gives hospitals and physicians clear insight into the most likely federal audit targets, such as E/M services, split/shared and critical care, observation and admissions, device credits, and Two-Midnight Rule changes, and shows how to tighten documentation, coding, and internal processes to reduce denials, recoupments, and penalties. Attendees walk away with practical best practices to protect revenue, strengthen compliance, and better prepare their teams for inevitable audits.

As AI reshapes healthcare compliance, the risk of biased outputs and opaque decision-making grows. This webcast, led by Frank Cohen, delivers a practical Four-Pillar Governance Framework—Transparency, Accountability, Fairness, and Explainability—to help you govern AI-driven claim auditing with confidence. Learn how to identify and mitigate bias, implement robust human oversight, and document defensible AI review processes that regulators and auditors will accept. Discover concrete remedies, from rotation protocols to uncertainty scoring, and actionable steps to evaluate vendors before contracts are signed. In a regulatory landscape that moves faster than ever, gain the tools to stay compliant, defend your processes, and reduce liability while maintaining operational effectiveness.

Sepsis sequencing continues to challenge even experienced coding and CDI professionals, with evolving guidelines, documentation gaps, and payer scrutiny driving denials and data inconsistencies. In this webcast, Payal Sinha, MBA, RHIA, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, CCDS-O, CRC, CRCR, provides clear guideline-based strategies to accurately code sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock, assign POA indicators, clarify the relationship between infection and organ dysfunction, and align documentation across teams. Attendees will gain practical tools to strengthen audit defensibility, improve first-pass accuracy, support appeal success, reduce denials, and ensure accurate quality reporting, empowering organizations to achieve consistent, compliant sepsis coding outcomes.

Expert presenters Kathy Pride, RHIT, CPC, CCS-P, CPMA, and Brandi Russell, RHIA, CCS, COC, CPMA, break down complex fracture care coding rules, walk through correct modifier application (-25, -57, 54, 55), and clarify sequencing for initial and subsequent encounters. Attendees will gain the practical knowledge needed to submit clean claims, ensure compliance, and stay one step ahead of payer audits in 2026.

Accurately determining the principal diagnosis is critical for compliant billing, appropriate reimbursement, and valid quality reporting — yet it remains one of the most subjective and error-prone areas in inpatient coding. In this expert-led session, Cheryl Ericson, RN, MS, CCDS, CDIP, demystifies the complexities of principal diagnosis assignment, bridging the gap between coding rules and clinical reality. Learn how to strengthen your organization’s coding accuracy, reduce denials, and ensure your documentation supports true medical necessity.

Denials continue to delay reimbursement, increase administrative burden, and threaten financial stability across healthcare organizations. This essential webcast tackles the root causes—rising payer scrutiny, fragmented workflows, inconsistent documentation, and underused analytics—and offers proven, data-driven strategies to prevent and overturn denials. Attendees will gain practical tools to strengthen documentation and coding accuracy, engage clinicians effectively, and leverage predictive analytics and AI to identify risks before they impact revenue. Through real-world case examples and actionable guidance, this session empowers coding, CDI, and revenue cycle professionals to shift from reactive appeals to proactive denial prevention and revenue protection.
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