Mark Painter

In this article, Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter share with you steps you can take to increase your income, and, at the same time, significantly decrease the chances of take-backs.

"In this article, we attempt to provide a way for a practice to consider the question, 'Does this new technology make sense for my practice?' " write Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter.

The Painters also answer coding questions regarding prostate needle biopsy and InterStim.

Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter also answer coding questions regarding vasectomy and code 50543.

"One of the most common complaints we hear is, 'I am working harder and making less.' Even if you were perfect in billing and collections, this would be true," write the Painters.

"If you are hoping to be paid more with the –22 modifier, make sure you are committed to both the documentation and the follow-up," write Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter.

Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter also answer questions regarding BCG instillation and reporting of simple laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Also watch for new telemedicine codes and positive relative value unit updates.

Charging by time is permissible with appropriate documentation, according to Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter.

Errors related to bladder cancer site and symptom codes could lead to take backs.

"If a high percentage of the radicals are billed with urethral suspension, then it is likely to be bundled in the future and it is possible that it will be tagged with an indicator that will not allow unbundling," write Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter.

"If the rule changes proposed by Medicare for 2019 are passed, they may very well change the way you practice," write Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter.

Advanced-practice providers can report services incident to an MD under a few circumstances.

The programs present an opportunity for urologists to evaluate how they practice.

Be prepared to supply supporting clinical reasons as part of your appeal to the payer.

Modifier use without supporting documentation could be considered fraudulent, write Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter.

In this edition of "Coding Q&A," Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter also discuss the use of the –59 modifier when instilling mitomycin after TURBT, and whether you can charge for a establishing a treatment on the same day for a patient on whom you have just performed a cystoscopy.

In this column, we outline the issues that we know will be important in 2014 and discuss what we think might be implemented by Medicare for 2014.

Make sure that you are coding correctly for the instillation based on the type of drug you are using and charge separately for the drugs that are instilled.

What does this all mean to the practicing urologist? Here is an overview of what to expect in the months and years ahead.

In a recent audit of urodynamics charges, Medicare recognized some codes but not others, and the documentation for all services that were reviewed only included the report from the urodynamics machine. This review pointed out the lack of understanding of these codes by payers and physicians.

There are many aspects of the business of medicine that are difficult to influence. Here are some ways that you can have some control.

Private payer rules differ from Medicare rules. From payment for procedures to globals, bundling, coverage, and modifier usage, private payers are not required to use Medicare rules.

Once again, we face a Medicare payment update for the new year that raises a number of questions, the answers to which are not favorable to practicing urologists.

Once again we face a Medicare payment update for the new year that raises a number of questions, the answers to which are not favorable to practicing urologists.

The issues are too complex for a simple answer when it comes to 'incident to' billing.

As the debate over health care reform rages, one thing is certain: Regardless of what happens in Washington, changes will occur in 2010 that will directly affect your practice.

The definition of "consult" has moved the target for reimbursement over the years.

The question is no longer if health care reform will occur, but when and what it will look like.

The 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule was recently published, containing many important changes in reimbursement for urologists.