Attended by over 15,000 rheumatology professionals from over 100 countries, the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting is the largest rheumatology meeting in the world and the premier educational event for physicians, health professionals and scientists who treat or research rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The 2018 Annual Meeting will be held Oct. 19–24 in Chicago. Attendees will be…
In the coming fiscal year (July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019), the Rheumatology Research Foundation has committed to fund more than $9.4 million in rheumatology research and training. Approximately half of the awards will support efforts to recruit and train the next generation of rheumatology professionals. The remaining funds will be awarded to advance research projects…
Take the challenge. CPT codes: 96413, 96415, 96375, J1745x30, J1200x1 Diagnosis ICD-10: M05.79 With the total infusion time of two hours and 13 minutes, CPT code 96413 is used to code for the first hour of the infusion and 96415 for the additional hour. The infusion would have to be 31 minutes into the next…
A 73-year-old female established patient with rheumatoid arthritis affecting multiple joints and with positive rheumatoid factor returns to the office for an infliximab infusion. She denies any fevers, cough, dyspnea or concurrent illness. She has joint pain of 6 on the pain scale. She is on an NSAID, weekly methotrexate subcutaneous injections, folic acid and…
Advocacy and RheumPAC staff from the ACR and other medical specialty organizations gathered in Nashville this month to discuss the importance of making sure your members know the details of the work advocacy and the PAC are doing. Thus far, the ACR has had a very successful year in terms of its advocacy efforts. Following…
Beginning in June 2018, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will implement their risk adjustment data validation (RADV) audit program. UHC states that through the mandatory requirement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Medicare Advantage health plans will be reviewed for supporting medical documentation to check for accurately reported patient data. UHC will send requests…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The ACR hosted the 2018 Advocacy Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., on May 16–17. Rheumatology professionals from around the country flew to our nation’s capitol to attend the conference, where advocates heard from key policymakers and spoke with lawmakers about the issues that affect the rheumatology community—and what ACR/ARHP members can do to influence policy….
When coding evaluation and management (E/M) services provided to a patient, one of the most persistent concerns is whether a patient is new or established to the practice. Although this may seem like a simple coding answer, the distinction is an important one, because it enables providers to appropriately bill and receive reimbursement correctly. E/M…
Take the challenge. CPT codes: 96413, 96415, 96375, Q5103x20, J1200 ICD-10: M07.9 Coding Rationale This procedure is billed with CPT code 96413 for the initial hour of the intravenous infusion and CPT code 96415 for each additional hour. The patient was given 50 mg of diphenhydramine prior to the infusion to prevent reactions and should…
A 68-year-old female patient returns to the office for a second round of Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) infusion for her rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor of multiple joints without organ or systems involvement. She reports pain, stiffness and swelling in her left and right knees and right elbow and rates the pain at a 9 on a…