Who heals the healers? When I was ten, my grandfather suffered his third and final heart-attack in as many decades. The attending physician performed a coronary artery bypass, and an angioplasty, but neither was enough. Two days later, he advised us to pull the plug. Several hours later, the ventilator was switched off and Grandpa Read more…
Physicians’ Fears about ICD-10 are unfounded, CMS explains
Two recent updates: CMS has compiled a list of things you should know about ICD-10. They focus on how the transition is not as hard as it is being trumped up to be. CMS will run ICD-10 acknowledgment testing from June 1- 5, to give providers a chance to test their ICD-10 procedures before October. This will Read more…
No ICD-10 Penalty till 2017?
Another update in the World of ICD-10. With the SGR repeal bill signed into law, the ICD-10 transition deadline of October 1 2015 is almost certain. However, an interesting recommendation surfaced last week during a hearing about HHS’ proposed 2016 budget. Senator Bill Cassidy recommended that the ICD-10 penalty be delayed for two years. This essentially means Read more…
Did you receive a Meaningful Use Audit Notice?
April 2015 is the month the dreadful OIG Meaningful Use audits commenced. These audits are different than the ones conducted by Figliozzi & Company, the outside audit contractor of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Unlike the Figliozzi audits, which cover MU attestation for a single Meaningful Use reporting period, the OIG audits cover incentive Read more…
SGR Repealed– What does that mean for you?
What a happy month April has been. First, CMS announced the simplification of the Meaningful Use program, and then, after 18 years of haggling over it, both Senate and Congress passed the SGR repeal Bill (signed into law by Obama yesterday). If you have been living under a rock and don’t know what the bill is about, Read more…
Good News for Physicians: Meaningful Use Stage 1 and Stage 2 has been simplified
Last Friday, April 10, was a good day. In a welcome yet delayed move, CMS finally announced its proposed rule to simplify its Meaningful Use program. While many Healthcare pundits are praising CMS for its sensitivity to physician concerns, I believe this decision had more to do with rescuing the program from its imminent failure-as Read more…
Road to ICD-10 FAQs
In CureMD’s Road to ICD-10 series we received a number of questions from our participants- so many in fact that we decided to address them in a separate blog post. Read on to find answers to all your ICD-10 related queries. Don’t see an answer to your question? Post it in our comments section below and we Read more…
Are You Ready for #HIMSSanity?
The Oscars of Health IT, as my boss likes to call it, is less than a week away. I personally believe that HIMSS is more like the Golden Globes; you actually get to party while working and networking with your peers, rather than be suffocated by the air of formality which seems prevalent at the Read more…
The Shakespearean World of ICD-10 Mental Disorders
William Shakespeare’s works are known for their universality. His plays and characters are relatable to every time and age. These plays reflect the depravity of society that manifests in the form of human mental disorders including psychopathology. The symptoms and mental conditions displayed by Shakespeare’s famous characters are discussed in DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Read more…
Increase Your Patient Collections
Consider how a patient feels when they can’t pay your statement. Most will attempt to avoid your reminders and phone calls, and might avoid coming back to your practice altogether. So not only have you not collected what you’re owed, but you’ve also lost the patient. Having a patient friendly collections process for your patients is essential Read more…