Becker's ASC Review

40 CODING & BILLING health plans post-Affordable Care Act implementation. As a result, a patient may find that they have large and unexpected medical bills aer treatment at an in-network facility by an out-of-network pro- vider. States have long been making changes to legislation to protect consumers in these scenarios, which are oen difficult to anticipate. From 2016 to 2017, at least 89 bills have been introduced in 28 states on the issue, with nearly every state in the country addressing some form of consumer protection related to balance or surprise billing. Understanding how your state regulates balance billing will help your facility remain compliant as you manage your revenue cycle. Best Practices ough the use of automated tools and knowledge of collection practices will foster positive patient-provider relations and improve revenue, they are not the only options available to providers. ere are other best practices that span many avenues. Facility or physician practice collection policies should be provided both directly to the patient and posted publicly in the office space with the goal of edu- cating the consumer about collection practices. With growing efforts surrounding price transparency, patients are now educated consum- ers who expect to have open conversation about costs for healthcare services with their providers. Payment plan and financing options are other great services to have available to patients. Not only do these options make the process of receiving care more efficient and seamless for the consumer, they also decrease the amount of time and resources needed to follow back-end collections. Payment plan and financing options also allow the practice to engage the patient in their financial planning and sup- ports a collaborative effort to find a payment plan that is customized for the patient but that also meets the providers requirements. Main- taining a credit card on file can also help to ensure that you are able to charge payment in a timely fashion either as a one-time payment or as part of a payment plan. is will decrease the patient days in ac- counts receivable and increase cash flow while adding an additional level of convenience for the patient. Closing Because the patient is now one of the major payors in the healthcare space, providers and practices alike must pay even greater attention to the patient experience and patient satisfaction expanding patient advocacy beyond clinical care. No longer is the patient experience only about the time the patient spends in your office or facility. Patient responsibility, collection practices, medical billing and the encounters associated with these areas have a profound impact on how the patient views their experience and the care they receive. Improving time of service collection practices with policy disclosure and use of new technologies will help you improve your cash flow. Remaining current and knowledgeable on state and federal regula- tions that govern collection practices will help you maximize your revenue while remaining compliant. n AMA releases 335 code changes for 2019 — Here are the key updates By Angie Stewart T he American Medical Association revealed the 2019 Current Procedural Terminology code set, which includes significant changes to CPT codes and descriptors. Here's what you should know: 1. The AMA changed 335 codes to reflect scientific and technological advances in medical, surgical and diag- nostic services. Several new codes reflect the possibility of using connected health tools and other new delivery systems to improve healthcare quality. 2. Key changes include: • 3 new remote patient monitoring codes • 2 interprofessional internet consultation codes • New and revised codes for skin biopsy, fine needle aspiration biopsy, adaptive behavior analysis and central nervous system evaluations, including psy- chological and neuropsychological testing 3. New CPT category 1 codes go into effect Jan. 1, 2019. The AMA releases new CPT editions four months in ad- vance to ease the transition between sets. 4. The downloadable CPT 2019 Data File contains the updated code set's complete descriptor package and the official CPT coding guidelines. It enables the 2019 CPT codes and descriptors to be imported directly into exist- ing claims and billing software. 5. Healthcare professionals can learn about the CPT code changes at the CPT and RBRVS 2019 Annual Symposium in Chicago, Nov. 13 to Nov. 16, 2018. "The AMA has urged CMS to adopt the new codes for remote patient monitoring and internet consulting and designate the related services for payment under federal health programs in 2019," said AMA President Barbara McAneny, MD. "Medicare's acceptance of the new codes would signal a landmark shift to better support physicians participating in patient population health and care coordi- nation services that can be a significant part of a digital so- lution for improving the overall quality of medical care." n States have long been making changes to legislation to protect consumers in unexpected out-of- network medical bills.

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