Healthcare Industry Articles

Welcome to our news and healthcare industry updates. Here you will find information relevant to medical billing and coding, including important news and updates from AMA, CMS, and other Medical industry authoritative resources.

Please check back frequently as new updates are made bi-monthly.

Telehealth spotlight and post-pandemic Medicare audits

May 21, 2020

Over the past several weeks, we have seen unprecedented changes to rules, edits, and other measures traditionally put in place to stave fraud, waste, and abuse in the healthcare industry. …

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Breaking News

Urgent Telemedicine update from CMS and the White House

March 17, 2020

COVID-19 Regulatory Alert: Medicare Telehealth Services Restrictions Lifted Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar’s waiver authority …

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Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc. - Taking the Business of Medicine to the next level

Modifier 22 Letter

October 18, 2019

As promised, below is my Modifier 22 Letter to assist in appealing claims: when the procedure or surgery was an “increased procedural service” and the reimbursement on the fee schedule …

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Handwriting

The Dangers of “Cloned Notes E/M” in Healthcare Practices

August 15, 2019

The practice of cloned or copy and pasted documentation is a significant issue in the use of electronic health records (EHRs). A recent study in the Journal of the American …

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Medical team standing in the hospital corridor

Professionalism in the Healthcare Profession

July 18, 2019

Do you magically become a professional when you obtain a certificate that says you attended school for a certain amount of time? There are ways to represent professionalism, but what …

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Professional typing an email

Email like a boss

July 1, 2019

Sometimes the smallest things can make all of the difference when you are a boss, supervisor, administrator, team leader, manager, etc, trying to have the face of credibility but also …

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Healthcare billing and coding changes

E/M Documentation Revisions for 2021 are around the corner

March 25, 2019

AMA is on track to revise E/M codes and set new documentation guidelines. What was considered to only target the Office and Other Outpatient visits, has now been expanded to …

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Consulting with a patient in reception area

You only have one chance to make a first impression

February 8, 2019

We have all heard the phrase “You can never make a first impression twice”. This hold’s true for almost anything in life. Job interviews, first dates, and yes, the first …

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What is a Remote Coder?

What is a Remote Coder?

January 24, 2019

A career as a remote coder allows you to work remotely in the healthcare field and use your computer skills to access what you need to fulfill the job requirements …

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CMS Physician Final Fee Schedule for 2019

CMS Physician Final Fee Schedule for 2019

December 13, 2018

There seems to be a lot of confusion that the E/M codes and levels are changing in 2019. This is NOT accurate. The changes to the levels of E/M’s and …

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A woman walking on a path

Make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change 

November 15, 2018

My daughter has one more semester of student teaching before she is a full-fledged high school teacher at 23 years old. After countless hours of hard work, test preparation and …

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Coding on a laptop

How to break into the Healthcare field as a medical coder

November 1, 2018

As the population ages, the need for medical coders is growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects this field to grow by 21% through 2020, a rate much higher …

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Physician billing and coding

CMS 2019 PFS E&M – single payment coding and 50% reduction with modifier 25 usage

October 11, 2018

In what is being reported as the biggest change of its kind in more than two decades, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to redefine the documentation …

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AAPC Regional National Conference Hawaii 2018

September 14, 2018

Recently, I was once again honored to speak at the 14th Regional AAPC Conference at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki in Honolulu Hawaii. This year I had the opportunity to …

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Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc. - Taking the Business of Medicine to the next level

FAQs for 2018

September 10, 2018

Coding multiple PCI in one vessel for Cardiology: Question: My Cardiologist placed a DES (Drug Eluding Stent) in the right coronary artery, and then did several passes in the proximal …

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Woman reading an electronic healthcare and medical billing coding reference guide

2018 Specialty Coding Workbooks now available for purchase!

June 11, 2018

Take Terry Fletcher’s expertise with you everywhere you go. New 2018 reference guides are now available including updates to the Cardiology Coding Resource, Orthopedic Coding Resource, and Gastroenterology Coding Resource. …

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Physician reviewing medical billing and coding with patient

Discover Pods “spotlights” Terry Fletcher’s CodeCast Podcast

June 1, 2018

If you love podcasts, chances are you’ve tried to find your favorites by searching the Internet. Oftentimes, locating that new must-listen show can be a challenge. That’s where Discover Pods …

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Answering your Telemedicine questions for 2018

February 9, 2018

There are a lot of questions about Telemedicine for the new year. Here are some frequently asked questions and/or statements about the service.

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