Lab Orders That Have a Source Collection

Beginning Wednesday, September 18th, 2019, source descriptions and some additional information questions will be prompted for while ordering a sub-set of labs that are collected in the office. ThinPrep Paps…

Opioid Statement in Notes

Patients Requesting Transfer Within Starling Physicians

Pharmaceutical and Device Vendors in Patient Care Areas

Pharmaceutical and Device Vendors in Patient Care Areas >>

Pre-Payment Audits Expand to Include CPT® 99214

As you are aware, National Government Services (NGS), our local Medicare Administrative Contractor, reviews data provided from CMS to identify coding and claim submission patterns that may indicate a propensity…

Important E&M Updates from National Government Services

National Government Services (NGS), our local Medicare carrier, has posted some changes to its previous publications surrounding three important areas of Evaluation & Management coding and documentation guidelines. Consultative Services:…

Update on Starling’s Policy on HIPPA Disclosures

Back in March, 2016, the Starling BOD approved a sanction policy relating to HIPAA disclosures – to address both incidental and intention disclosures. I am sending this note to you as…

Coding Your Evaluation & Management Services Based on Time

There are instances when your patient encounters are not driven by the key components of history, examination and medical decision making.  In some cases, it is more relevant to select…

“Incident To” Billing: When & How?

“Incident to” services are defined by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as: services that are furnished as an integral, although incidental, part of the physician’s personal, professional…

Churning & Ping-Ponging: Establishing the medical necessity of an encounter

You may think of churning as something done on a dairy farm – to agitate cream and turn it into butter.  The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), however,…

Pre-Payment Audits of CPT99215, 99223, 99233: How to avoid decrease or denial of payment

As you know, National Government Services (NGS), our local Medicare Administrative Contractor, has identified certain codes and code combinations as having a high error rate for meeting documentation requirements. They…

The Inspector General’s 2016 Plan to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid programs

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is the arm of the US Department of Health and Human Services that fights fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.…

Medical Records – Signatures, Amendments and Delayed Entries

Completing Your Documentation According to Guidelines The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has established guidelines for compliant medical record documentation. Specifically, CMS states that “All medical record entries…

Compliance Committee Mission Statement

Starling Physicians is committed to providing comprehensive education and timely communication to our physicians regarding coding regulations, guidelines and documentation requirements. The Compliance Committee has been established to review CMS…