Published in Paediatric Anaesthesia (Sep 2014) Authors: Tobias J One of the long held tenets of pediatric anesthesia has been the notion that the pediatric airway is conical shape with the narrowest area being the cricoid region. However, recent studies using radiologic imaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography) or direct bronchoscopic observation have […]
Read MoreCountdown to ICD-10 Good news on the coding front: With more than half its coders already using ICD-10 diagnosis codes on a daily basis we have found that the acute documentation and productivity problems many feared would overwhelm the ICD-10 transition have not materialized. We began shifting coders to the new code set in December […]
Read MoreOf the many financial challenges facing physician groups today, cash shortfalls triggered by problems collecting from self-pay patients can be among the most trying and potentially destructive. The growth of high-deductible health plans, including health savings accounts (HSAs), is pushing primary payment responsibility toward individuals and away from insurance companies. That means that unless practices […]
Read MoreThe Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it is introducing four new HCPCS modifiers to further scrutinize the use of modifier -59. The implementation date for these modifiers is Jan. 1, 2015, however, local Medicare contractors may implement earlier. The announcement of these new HCPCS modifiers ties closely with an earlier […]
Read MoreThe recent political silly season is over — finally — and once again I was listening for one particular word in the endless ads that peppered the airwaves: accountability. It seems like the only time you hear that word is in the context of blaming one’s opponent for lack of it. I suspect that the […]
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