ASC Coding, Billing & Collections Archives - Page 651 of 760

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Simplifies Brand Names

UnitedHealthcare is changing its Medicare brands to a single brand name to simplify its relationship with providers and consumers, according to an AAPC report.

Maine High Court to Hear Anthem Health Insurance Case

Maine's highest court will hear a long-running dispute between health insurance company anthem and the Maine Bureau of Insurance today, according to a Boston Herald report.

Important 2012 CPT Coding Changes to ASC Spine & Pain Management Procedures

CPT copyright 2010 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. The following article is written by Stephanie Ellis, RN, CPC, president of Ellis Medical Consulting. CPT changes to spine…

HCPCS Level II Code Updates Released

On Oct. 31, CMS released the HCPCS Level II codes that go into effect Jan. 1, 2012, a set that includes 285 code additions, 48 revisions and 75 deletions compared to the previous version, according to an AAPC report.

Private Businesses Spending More on Employee Benefits 10 Years Later

While private businesses are compensating employees more than they did 10 years ago, the increase in compensation has been absorbed by employee benefits rather than salary hikes, according to a Forbes report.

States Expand CHIP Programs to Include Children of Low-Income State Workers

At least six states have expanded their Children's Health Insurance Programs to include children of low-income state employees, according to a Kaiser Health News report.

With ICD-10 Coming, What is a Coder's Earning Potential?

The following article is written by Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, of AAPC. AAPC recently released its yearly salary survey and the results of over 12,000 respondents indicated that even during this time of recession, the salaries of coders…

Massachusetts Insurers Receive Average 4.8% Increase in Base Premiums

Massachusetts regulators announced yesterday they have approved an average 4.8 percent increase in base premiums for individuals and small businesses proposed by state insurers, according to a Boston Herald report.

Physician Orders Account for Nearly 70% of Healthcare Premium Dollar

Services ordered during physician visits can account for 60-70 percent of the total healthcare premium dollar, according to an editorial written by Ted Norman, MD, an internist with Big Thompson Medical Group in The Coloradoan.

Administrative Expenses for Medicare Plans Continue to Fluctuate

Administrative expenses for Medicare plans grew by 0.9 percent per member in 2010, following a decrease of 4.1 percent in 2009, according to a MarketWatch report.