If your are not aware and prepared for the 2009 cardiology billing and coding changes you may be leaving a lot of money uncollected.

Not since the mid 90's has cardiology seen such significant coding and billing changes as have been put in place in 2009.

Across the board the average Medicare fee increased just 1.1 percent. Cardiology in general fared worse than average, experiencing an average decrease of 2% due primarily to decreases in payments for in-office imaging.

Keep in mind the 2% reduction is an average number. Some practices will be well above this (especially heavy users of echo services) and others will actually see fee increases.

Here are examples of some of the upcoming changes:

- Sweeping changes in the codes for following up on implanted devices (sweeping as in all of the old codes are gone and the new ones have significant differences). The new codes include such things as specific codes or internet (remote) device checks, codes for devices with leads in 3 chambers, ICM device follow-up codes, and codes for periprocedural checks.

- 30 and 90 day global periods are now in place for follow-up for some devices. Also, the new codes are specific to either an interrogation evaluation or a programming evaluation. The codes are no longer dependent on whether reprogramming occurred.

- Wearable cardiac telemetry devices (for instance Cardionet type service) now have specific codes. You no longer bill with an unlisted code. These new codes include the complication of global periods.

- Codes that bundle multiple echo services under a single code have been introduced. Examples include a single CPT for bundling an echo with both a Doppler and color flow and a stress echo CPT that bundles both the stress test and stress echo.

As the examples above demonstrate, the magnitude of this year's cardiology billing changes are more significant that has been seen in recent years. Without proper education, cardiology billing training, software upgrades and billing resources cardiology practices may see marked reductions in collections and increases in AR.

To learn more visit the Cardiology Billing Partners website.

Copyright 2009 by Carl Mays II