October 2021

Average charge for COVID-19 hospitalization, by state

By Alia Paavola for Becker’s Hospital Review The cost of a complex and noncomplex COVID-19 hospitalization in each state varies, according to a new interactive map from Fair Health, an independent nonprofit focused on enhancing price transparency in healthcare. To determine the average cost of both a complex and noncomplex COVID-19 hospitalization across states, Fair Health used…

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CMS unveils billing codes for J&J, Moderna COVID-19 booster doses

Alia Paavola for Becker’s Hospital Review CMS unveiled Medicare Part B billing codes and payment allowances for administering booster doses of the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine for COVID-19. The FDA authorized booster doses for eligible adults Oct. 20 and unveiled the codes two days later. The doses must be available without cost sharing for Medicare,…

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The US’s pandemic era is phasing out. Here’s what that means

Erica Carbajal for Becker’s Hospital Review CDC models predict the nation’s daily COVID-19 cases will drop about 20 percent by Nov. 13, perhaps an early signal of the beginning of the end of COVID-19’s pandemic-level status. The seven-day average for COVID-19 cases has declined for five consecutive weeks, reaching 73,079 as of Oct. 22, CDC data shows. After 19…

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Dolbey Adds Denial Management Module to Their Healthcare Revenue Cycle Suite

When healthcare providers submit a billing claim to a payor and the payor denies the claim, a set of events must occur which, for many, is time-consuming and costly. Nationally, denial management costs hospitals hundreds of billions of dollars, with nearly 1 in 10 claims being denied. Without proper management, denials can create significant stress…

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How hospitals can use Z codes to track social determinants of health

Georgina Gonzalez for Becker’s Hospital Review Z codes, which are ICD-10-CM codes used to identify non-medical factors that may affect a patient’s health status, are a useful way to track social determinants of health and capture standardized data for Medicare beneficiaries. However, they are underused, with Z codes reported from only 1.59 percent of beneficiaries…

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Docs who spend less time in the EHR are more likely to leave their jobs

By Kat Jercich for Healthcare IT News A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open this week found an association with electronic health record usage patterns and physician turnover. But contrary to researchers’ hypothesis, their analysis found that less time in the EHR – especially inbox management – was associated with provider departure.…

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Watch for these urology-related CPT codes this January

By Jonathan Rubenstein, MD, Mark Painter for Urology Times New and updated codes encompass balloon continence devices, hypospadias Current Procedure Terminology (CPT) codes are continuously being updated. New and updated Category I and III codes will become active on January 1, 2022. In addition, some other Category III codes may be released on July 1 of…

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37% of millennials don’t trust their providers, study shows

By Katie Adams by Becker’s Hospital Review Americans between ages 25 and 34 are most likely to say they don’t always trust their healthcare provider to make the right decisions for them, according to research released by branding agency Monigle. In partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development,…

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