Documenting an adequate description of an ulcer being treated is essential when dispensing surgical dressings. Providers know the elements that are necessary to thoroughly document a wound. These elements are taught in school. However, this list of elements may not satisfy the requirements of a third-party payer. From a payment perspective, the required elements of […]
Scheduling wound care patients can be complicated, and it is hard to know how to properly and efficiently schedule them. Why is scheduling wound patients correctly so important? It affects your patients, your staff, and your bottom line. Your staff hates it when you run late. It makes their job very stressful for them. Patients […]
According to the Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractors (DMEMACs), the definitions of primary and secondary surgical dressings are: Primary Dressing – Therapeutic or protective covering applied directly to wounds or lesions either on the skin or caused by an opening to the skin. Secondary Dressing – Materials that serve a therapeutic or protective function […]
A Medicare beneficiary may choose to receive hospice care after a doctor certifies that they are terminally ill, meaning they have a life expectancy of 6 months or less. Patients who choose hospice care agree to comfort care (palliative care) instead of care to cure their illness. These patients sign a statement indicating that they […]
As a consultant, I often hear excuses as to why doctors are not dispensing wound care supplies in their offices. Set up the proper protocols and train your staff. By using proper protocols and training your MA’s and staff, they will know when a patient qualifies for wound care supplies and when they do not. […]
Accurate diagnosis coding is essential when providing wound care. This can include primary, secondary, and sometimes even tertiary diagnoses. When a comorbid condition contributes to the care of a wound care patient, it may be appropriate to list the ICD-10 code representing that comorbid condition on the claim form. There are major changes this year […]
Dispensing surgical dressings in your office can improve outcomes, patient satisfaction, and can result in tremendous profits. The main surgical dressings that can be dispensed include: Collagen Foam Calcium Alginate Hydrogel Gauze Hydrocolloid Compression Garments With many options, it can be difficult to select the best option. In last week’s blog, we looked closely at AMERIGEL® […]
COVID-19 has brought different challenges and opportunities to clinical practices. As the COVID-19 numbers start to surge, shutdowns are becoming a reality again. Is your practice ready? While none of us want another shut down, now is the best time to prepare with these 3 simple steps: Do your patients know that you do virtual […]
Dispensing surgical dressings in your office can improve outcomes, patient satisfaction, and can result in tremendous profits. The main surgical dressings that can be dispensed include: Collagen Foam Calcium Alginate Hydrogel Gauze Hydrocolloid Compression Garments With many options, it can be difficult to select the best option. In last month’s blog, we looked closely at […]
One of the most common errors I see when auditing wound care and DME billing is found in box 17 on the CMS 1500 form. This is the box that lists the referring, supervising or prescribing physician. Many electronic health record (EHR) programs automatically fill in this information with the referring physician (aka the primary […]