With changes in compliance regulations for Radiation Oncology revenue cycle management and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement cuts looming in 2013, it’s a critical time for practices to ensure their Radiation Oncology coding, billing and collections is optimized.
As reported by Radiation Therapy Alliance in a HeraldOnline.com article on Nov. 5, changes for Radiation Oncology practices include CMS reimbursement cuts of 7 percent (considered to be 15 percent at one time).
Excerpts from the article include:
“The reimbursement cuts to Radiation Oncology in 2013 will equate to approximately $140 million compared to 2012 rates. Though this amount is less than half of the proposed $300 million in cuts, the RTA remains concerned about the impact on the nation’s community-based radiation therapy facilities, following significant cumulative cuts in recent years.
“CMS has also expressed interest in engaging in a radiation therapy bundling project that would explore paying for episodes of treatment and related medical services. CMS notes in the Final Rule that it will examine episode-based payments in its upcoming report to Congress. The RTA has, since its inception, advocated for fundamental payment reform and looks forward to working with the agency to achieve reimbursement stability and predictability and to ensure patients’ access to vital radiation therapy services in the community setting. Payment reform also offers the opportunity to promote the highest quality of care and better align the objectives of patients, providers and taxpayers.”
Connecting all the compliance and reimbursement dots in Radiation Oncology medical coding, billing and collections for practices is a constant challenge these days. Yet, maintaining a razor sharp focus on the priorities and newest changes in Radiation Oncology compliance regulations is critical to a practice’s success.
The OIG Work Plan for 2013 will focus squarely on how certified EHR systems address physician practices’ compliance vulnerabilities including Radiation Oncology revenue cycle management. Areas include:
- Claims Processing Errors—Medicare Payments for Part B Claims With G Modifiers (New)
- Physicians and Other Suppliers—Noncompliance With Assignment Rules and Excessive Billing of Beneficiaries
- Physicians—Error Rate for Incident-To Services Performed by Non-physicians
- Physicians—Place-of-Service Coding Errors
- Evaluation and Management Services—Potentially Inappropriate Payments in 2010
- Laboratory Tests—Billing Characteristics and Questionable Billing in 2010
- Laboratory Tests—Part B Payments for Glycated Hemoglobin A1C Tests
[space height=”25″]
revMD is prepared to help Radiation Oncology practices understand all the changes in Radiation Oncology coding, billing and collections that lie ahead.
Formerly known as Asterino & Associates, revMD is the results-proven alternative for Radiation Oncology revenue cycle management based just east of Phoenix, Arizona. They specialize in compliance for Radiation Oncology practices and maintain tight adherence to OIG regulations.
Any more, it takes an industry insider with the experience that only builds when your services have responded to the specific Radiation Oncology medical coding, billing and collections needs for many years.
For further OIG Work Plan details: Download a PDF of the 2013 OIG Work Plan.