Telehealth in Wound Care
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the healthcare system as a whole and brought attention to remote wound management. Providers and patients alike see the benefits of providing care via telehealth.
Five Tips for CTP Compliance: How to avoid being flagged for overuse
Also referred to as skin substitutes, cellular and tissue-based products (CTPs) include non-autologous human skin grafts, non-human skin substitute grafts, and biological products that form a sheet scaffolding. They’re increasingly being used in the wound care clinic for the treatment of non-healing wounds including diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and venous ulcers. In order to ensure optimal patient care and a smooth insurance reimbursement process, it’s important for wound care clinicians to strive for accurate documentation when using CTPs. Christina Le, CNO and Nick Jagodzinski, Atlantic Regional Clinical Coordinator, offer five helpful tips to help you avoid claim denials.
Wound Care Billing & Coding: Proceed with Caution When Using E&M and Modifier 25
Medicare and other providers have increased scrutiny of modifier 25, and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has identified it as a potential area of overuse or misuse, thereby increasing the possibility of audits. Here’s what you need to know.
Wound Care Weekly: Hospitals Sue Over Site-Neutral Rule
Last week, we discussed the “Site-Neutral Rule,” which would reduce Evaluation and Management charges for off-campus outpatient programs, including wound care and hyperbaric medicine centers. This week, 38 Hospitals sued Health and Human Services (HHS), challenging the rule. The lawsuit alleges that HHS Secretary Alex Azar exceeded his authority when this rule was implemented January 1, 2019.
CMS Regs in 2019: Three Things You Need to Know
Each year, CMS releases new regulations and policy changes. Our financial team offers three things all outpatient hospital wound care teams need to know.
Wound Care Weekly: OIG Finds 92% Overpayment for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The OIG released the results of a MAC audit report on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) services. Based on the sample charts, they estimated there were over $39 million in HBOT overpayments for the sample year alone in this jurisdiction.
Five New Regulations to Watch for in 2018: CMS Reimbursement
Fall brings vibrant colors, homemade chili, championship baseball – and new CMS regulations for reimbursement! In reviewing upcoming changes for 2018, here are five takeaways that wound centers need to be aware of.
A Breath Of Fresh Air: The Innovation of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
By Melissa Bailey, Director of Education Sometimes medicine is birthed in the most unlikely of places. Studying the lives of milkmaids helped Edward Jenner discover the smallpox vaccine. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) owes its roots to a doctor who noticed that patients with heart disease had better outcomes when they lived closer to sea level than … Continued
A little protein goes a long way!
By Melissa Bailey, Director of Education We keep seeing more studies that relate nutrition (or lack thereof) to chronic wounds. Today, let’s quickly unpack one specific nutrient that makes a huge difference in the healing rates of chronic wounds: proteins! Proteins are large molecules made up of smaller units called amino acids. Combined in various ways, … Continued
“Oh maggot where art thou?” A quick history and update on Maggot Therapy
By Melissa Bailey, Director of Education Upon working in the chronic wound industry, people either loved talking to me at dinner parties or ran in the other direction! If I’m honest, I, too, realize that words like debridement and slough don’t make for good table conversation. By far, the area of wound care that solicits the … Continued