Knowledge Base Category -
CMS issued the CY 2024 OPPS/ASC Final Rule on November 2, 2023. You can read about changes to the Inpatient Only (IPO) Procedure List and ASC Coverage Procedure List (CPL) in a related article in this week’s newsletter. This article highlights additional topics that historically our clients have reached out to us to learn about.
OPPS Remedy for 340B-Acquired Drug Payment Policy
On July 7, 2023, CMS published a proposed rule, referred to as “remedy proposed rule” to address reduced payment amounts to 340B hospitals for CYs 2018 through 2022 and to comply with the statutory requirement to maintain budget neutrality. The “remedy proposed rule” proposed changes to the calculation of the OPPS conversion factor beginning in CY 2025.
The 340B final remedy was also issued on November 2nd. In this final rule, CMS finalized their proposed methodology of estimating the reduction in drug payments to affected 340B covered entity hospitals in CY 2018 through September 27, 2022, and will make total lump sum payments in the amount of $9.004 billion.
CMS will be issuing instructions to the MACs to issue a one-time lump sum payment to the affected hospitals within 60 calendar days of the MAC’s receipt of the instructions.
Based on updated analyses, the final rule Addendum AAA was updated with new hospital-specific payment amounts and accounts for all payment activity that has happened since the proposed rule was issued. Updated claims data reflects that affected hospitals received approximately $10.6 billion less in 340B drug payments (including money that would have been paid by Medicare and money that would have come from the beneficiaries as copayments) than they would have for drugs provided in CY 2018 through September 27, 2022, had the 340B policy not been implemented.
“The amounts included in Addendum AAA are the amounts that hospitals will receive, except that payment amounts may be affected by MACs continuing to follow normal accounting processes for collecting repayment amounts stemming from provider-specific overpayment obligations, adjustments resulting from errors identified through the lump-sum technical correction process described below, as well as other unique situations such as provider bankruptcy or payment suspension, any of which may impact the provider’s net payment amount.”
Unfortunately, the lump sum payments do not include interest and CMS is following budget neutrality requirements to make these payments. This means that “beginning in CY 2026, we will reduce all payments for non-drug items and services to all OPPS providers, except new providers (hospitals with a CMS CCN effective date of January 2, 2018, or later), by 0.5 percent each year until the total estimated offset of $7.8 billion is reached. We currently estimate that the payment decrease will be completed after approximately 16 years. To implement this reduction and exception for new providers, we are finalizing the proposed regulation text changes at § 419.32(b)(1)(iv)(B) as proposed, except for changing the implementation date of the 0.5 percent reduction from CY 2025 to CY 2026.”
CMS notes in the 340B remedy final rule that “generally the impact of that annual 0.5 percent reduction to the OPPS conversion factor on individual providers, as well as categories of providers, will depend on the percentage of their OPPS payments that are conversion factor-based, and in most cases will be a decrease of slightly less than 0.5 percent of overall OPPS payments.”
Beneficiary Cost Sharing
CMS noted in the final rule that commenters overwhelmingly supported their proposed approach and rationale for accounting for beneficiary cost sharing. They finalized their “policy to account for beneficiary cost sharing as proposed. We will exercise our authority under section 1833(t)(2)(E) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)(2)(E)) to make adjustments “as necessary to ensure equitable payments,” to pay the full $9.0 billion difference, including $1.8 billion, an amount that is approximately equivalent to what affected 340B covered entity hospitals would have collected from beneficiaries for these 340B-acquired drugs if the 340B Payment Policy had not been in effect from CY 2018 through September 27, 2022, so that affected 340B covered entity hospitals are paid the approximate amount they would have been paid in full without application of the 340B Payment Policy.”
340B Modifiers “JG” and “TB”
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 expanded the provider types that must report one of these modifiers no later than January 1, 2024, to now include critical access hospitals, Maryland All-Payer or Total Cost of Care Model Hospitals, and Non-excepted off-campus provider-based departments (PBD).
In the CY 2023 OPPS/ASC final rule, CMS maintained the requirements that 340B hospitals report one of two modifiers, “JG” – Drug or biological acquired with 340B drug pricing program discount, reported for informational purposes, or “TB” – Drug or biological acquired with 340B drug pricing program discount, reported for informational purposes for select entities.
In the CY 2024 OPPS/ASC proposed rule, CMS notes they “now believe utilizing a single modifier will allow for greater simplicity, especially because both modifiers are used for the same purpose: to identify separately payable drugs and biologicals acquired under the 340B program.”
CMS is proposing that all 340B covered entity hospitals would report the “TB” modifier effective January 1, 2025, even if the hospital previously reported the “JG” modifier. The “JG” modifier will remain effective through December 31, 2024. Beginning January 1, 2025, the “JG” modifier would be deleted.
CMS notes hospitals currently using the “JG” modifier could choose to continue to use it in CY 2024 or choose to transition to the “TB” modifier during that year.
Beth Cobb
Medicare Transmittals & MLN Articles
September 19, 2023: MLN MM13166: ICD-10 & Other Coding Revisions to National Coverage Determinations: October 2023 Update
Relevant NCD coding changes in related Change Request 13166 include:
- NCD 20.20: External Counterpulsation Therapy (ECP) for Severe Angina, effective August 7, 2023,
- NCD 90.2: Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), effective August 7, 2023, and
- NCD 210.1: Prostate Screening Tests, effective October 1, 2023.
October 11, 2023: MLN MM13381: Update for Blood Clotting Factor Add-on Payments
In this MLN article, CMS advises IPPS hospitals to make sure your billing staff knows about additional diagnosis codes eligible for blood clotting factors, and adjustment of certain claims with the added codes. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13381-update-blood-clotting-factor-add-payments.pdf
October 12, 2023: Transmittal 12299: An Omnibus CR to Implement Policy Updates in the CY 2023 PFS Final Rule, Including (1) Removal of Selected NCDs (NCD 160.22 Ambulatory EEG Monitoring, and (2) Expanding Coverage of Colorectal Screening
Transmittal 11865 issued February 16, 2023 has been rescinded and replaced by Transmittal 12299 to provide clarification on CMS policy and related claims processing instructions for their approach to colonoscopies within the context of a complete colorectal cancer screening. Specifically, this CR is amended to remove the requirement that contractors shall return to provider / return as un-processable certain screening colonoscopy claims that do not include the KX modifier. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/r12299bp.pdf
October 19, 2023: MLN MM13365: Medicare Deductible, Coinsurance, & Premium Rates: CY 2024 Update
CMS advises providers to make sure your billing staff knows about the CY 2024 Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B deductible and coinsurance rates, and Part and Part B premium amounts. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13365-cy-2024-update-medicare-deductible-coinsurance-premium-rates.pdf
Coverage Updates
October 13: NCD 220.6.20 Beta Amyloid PET in Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease Final Decision Memo
CMS announced a final decision removing this NCD and now permitting Medicare coverage determinations to be made by the MACs. Removing the NCD also removes the current limitation of one PET beta-amyloid scan per lifetime from the coverage requirements.
Beth Cobb
Social factors can have a positive and negative impact on our health and our general outlook on life. Hospitals have been tasked with assessing and identifying social factors that impact a patient’s health and well-being. Once identified, hospitals are taking action to mitigate the negative impact of social factors that are contributing to wide health disparities and inequities.
This article will review Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), Health Related Social Needs (HRSN), and Social Drivers of Health (SDOH).
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
HHS Health People 2030 National Health Initiative
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through their Healthy People 2030 national health initiative defines SDOH as being “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” They group SDOH into the five domains of economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context.
SDOH can negatively impact our health especially as we age. Collectively, the U.S. population is getting older, in fact “people aged 65 years and older made-up 17 percent of the population in 2020. By 2040, that number is expected to grow to 22 percent. An aging population means higher use of health care services and a greater need for family and professional caregivers.”
To learn more about how the Healthy People 2030 initiative is addressing SDOH and available resources, visit the initiative website at https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health.
SDOH and ICD-10-CM Z Codes
ICD-10-CM Z codes are found in Chapter 21: Factors Influencing Health Status and Contact with Health Services (Z00-Z99). The SDOH codes are a subset of this chapter and range from Z55 – Z65 and are used to document SDOH data (i.e., housing, food insecurity, lack of transportation).
CMS recently published information about a new CMS infographic to help you understand and use Z codes to improve the quality and collection of health equity data in the September 14, 2023 edition of MLN Connects (https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2023-09-14-mlnc#_Toc145581413).
ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting Documentation Tips Regarding SDOH Z Codes
- Code assignment may be based on medical record documentation from clinicians involved in the care of the patient who are not the patient’s provider (i.e., Social Workers, Case Managers, or Nurses).
- Patient self-reported documentation may be used when the information is signed-off by and incorporated into the medical record by either a clinician or provider.
- SDOH codes should be assigned only when the documentation specifies that the patient has an associated problem or risk factor. For example, you would not use ICD-10-CM code Z60.2 (Problems related to living alone) without documentation of a risk or unmet needs for assistance at home.
Z Codes IPPS FY 2024 Change in Severity Designation
In the 2024 IPPS Final Rule, CMS recognized that homelessness is an indicator of increased resource utilization in the acute inpatient hospital setting. Therefore, they finalized the proposal to change the severity designation for three codes to a CC (comorbidity) for the purposes of MS-DRG assignment:
- Z59.00: Homelessness, unspecified,
- Z59.01: Sheltered homelessness (due to economic difficulties, currently living in a shelter, motel, temporary or transitional living situation, scattered site housing, or not having a consistent place to sleep at night), and
- Z59.02: Unsheltered homelessness (residing in a place not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, or abandoned buildings (on the street)).
CMS noted in a FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule fact sheet that as SDOH codes are increasingly added to billed claims, they plan “to continue to analyze the effects of SDOH on severity of illness, complexity of services, and consumption of resources.”
Beth Cobb
Did You Know?
There is a new code to assign for Encounter for Screening for COVID-19.
Why It Matters?
Prior to October 1, 2023, coders assigned code (Z20.822) for contact with and (suspected) exposure to COVID-19, for COVID-19 screening, per the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE). However, as of May 11, 2023, the federal PHE expired. Therefore, the new code is to be assigned beginning with all encounters on or after October 1, 2023.
|
New Code |
Description |
|
Z11.52 |
Encounter for screening for COVID-19 |
What Can I Do?
Stay abreast of all new ICD-10-CM codes and guidelines and new Coding Clinic references.
References
Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS, Second Quarter 2012, Page 3
ICD-10-CM Official Coding GuidelinesSusie James
Coverage Updates
September 6, 2023: National Coverage Determination (NCD) Dashboard
CMS released an NCD dashboard that was last updated on August 23, 2023. This document details the seven accepted NCD requests that are on the CMS Wait List, the four open NCD topics currently undergoing a National Coverage Analysis (NCA) with opportunities for public comment, and the two NCDs finalized in the past twelve months. Links to all thirteen topics are included in this document. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/ncd-dashboard.pdf
COVID-19 Update
September 11, 2023: FDA Approves and Authorizes Updated COVID-19 Vaccines
The FDA has approved an update COVID-19 vaccine that was developed to target current circulating variants. The updated mRNA vaccines for 2023-2024 were manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc. and have been updated to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant ZBB.1.5. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-updated-mrna-covid-19-vaccines-better-protect-against-currently-circulating
September 14, 2023: Special MLN Connects: COVID-19 Updated mRNA Vaccines for Patients 6 Months or Older
CMS issues a special MLN Connects announcing the FDA’s approval of updated vaccines noting that the CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Also includes in this announcement are six new CPT codes effective September 11, 2023 for the vaccine and administration of the vaccine. https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2023-09-14-oce
Other Updates
September 14, 2023: MLN Connects: Social Determinants of Health Resources
In this edition of MLN Connects, CMS let providers know about a new CMS infographic to help you understand and use Z codes. They also included links to additional resources.
As a reminder, effective October 1, 2023, CMS finalized their proposal to change the severity level designation for diagnosis codes Z59.00 (Homelessness, unspecified), Z59.01 (Sheltered homelessness), and Z59.02 (Unsheltered homelessness) from NonCC to CC. https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2023-09-14-mlnc
September 19, 2023: CMS Requires States to Pause Disenrollments and Reinstate Coverage for Impacted Individuals
CMS indicated in a Press Release that they issued a call to action on August 30 about a potential issue where systems were inappropriately disenrolling children and other enrollees, even when the state had information indicating the person was still eligible for Medicaid coverage. As of September 19, 30 states report having system issues and “as a result, to avoid CMS taking further action, all 30 states were required to pause procedural disenrollments for impacted people unless they could ensure all eligible people are not improperly disenrolled due to this issue.” https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/coverage-half-million-children-and-families-will-be-reinstated-thanks-hhs-swift-actionBeth Cobb
Did You Know?
Effective October 1, 2023, there is a new Place of Service (POS) Code 27 – “Outreach Site/Street.” This POS is defined as “a non-permanent location on the street or found environment, not described by any other POS code, where health professionals provide preventive, screening, diagnostic, and/or treatment services to unsheltered homeless individuals.”
In the August 10th Transmittal 12202, CMS indicated that “Medicare has not identified a need for this new code. However, in order to comply with HIPAA and its goals of promoting administrative simplification, contractors are to accept claims containing this new code in accordance with its effective date. Medicare contractors shall therefore implement the systems and/or local-contractor-level changes needed for Medicare to return as unprocessable claims with the new code should it appear on a Medicare claim.”
Why it Matters?
On September 20, 2023, CMS rescinded Transmittal 12202 and replaced it with Transmittal 12254 indicating that the transmittal has been revised to “align with broader CMS efforts to address economic, social, and other obstacles impacting Medicare beneficiary healthcare access by revising the IOM as well as the policy section and business requirements 13313.2.”
The policy note has changed to indicate that “Contractors are to accept claims containing this new code in accordance with its effective date. Medicare contractors shall therefore implement the systems and/or local-contractor-level changes needed for processing claims with the new code should it appear on a Medicare claim.”
What Can I Do?
Make sure key stakeholders at your facility are aware of this change to the new POS Code 27.
Resources
August 10, 2023 Transmittal 12202: New Place of Service (POS) Code 27 – “Outreach Site/Street” https://www.cms.gov/files/document/r12202cp.pdf
September 20, 2023 Transmittal 12254: New Place of Service (POS) Code 27 – “Outreach Site/Street” https://www.cms.gov/files/document/r12254cp.pdf
Beth Cobb
Medicare Transmittals & MLN Articles
August 28, 2023: MLN MM13350: Changes to the Laboratory National Coverage Determination Edit Software: January 2024 Update
Billing staff need to know about newly available codes, recent coding changes, and how to find NCD coding information. CMS noted that there are no policy changes in this ICD-10 quarterly update. Instead, they follow the current, longstanding NCD process to implement policy changes. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13350-changes-laboratory-national-coverage-determination-edit-software-january-2024-update.pdf
August 28, 2023: MLN MM13335: Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System: FY 2025 Updates
This article discusses changes for FY 2024 that are effective October 1, 2023. Make sure your billing staff knows about FY 2024 market basket update, wage index update, and changes to the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility (IPF) Quality Reporting Program (IPFQRP). https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13335-inpatient-psychiatric-facilities-prospective-payment-system-fy-2024-updates.pdf
August 31, 2023: MLN MM13353: Ambulatory Surgical Payment System: October 2023 Update
CMS advises in this MLN article that you make sure your billing staff knows about the new HCPCS code for renal/kidney histotripsy, the new drugs and biological codes, and the new skin substitute HCPCS codes. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13353-ambulatory-surgical-center-payment-system-october-2023-update.pdf
September 6, 2023: MLN MM13340: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System: October 2023 Update
This article highlights new COVID-19 CPT vaccines and administration codes, proprietary laboratory analyses (PLA) coding changes, multianalyte assays with algorithmic analyses (MAAA) CPT coding change, advanced diagnostics tests (ADLTs) under the clinical lab fee schedule (CLFS) and HCPCS code changes. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13340-hospital-outpatient-prospective-payment-system-october-2023-update.pdf
September 6, 2023: MLN MM13343: DMEPOS Fee Schedule: October 2023 Quarterly Update
Make sure your billing staff knows about fee schedule adjustment relief for rural and non-contiguous areas, new HCPCS codes added, and new fee schedule amounts. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13343-dmepos-fee-schedule-october-2023-quarterly-update.pdf
September 12, 2023: MLN MM11262: Limitation on Recoupment of Overpayments
This article reviews how Medicare recoups overpayments and how appeals and reconsiderations affect the recoupment process. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm11262-limitation-recoupment-overpayments.pdf
September 14, 2023: MLN MM13306: Inpatient & Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System: FY 2024 Changes
Highlights of policy changes for FY 2024 are included in this MLN article. Of note, CMS indicates that for FY 2024, hospitals have until late-September to notify them of any errors in the calculation of their Total Hospital Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program score. For this reason, the list of hospitals subject to the HAC Reduction Program will not be available by October 1, 2023. They note that “until we issue a final list of hospitals that are subject to the HAC Reduction Program for FY 2024, MACs will hold hospital claims. We anticipate issuing the list on or about October 3, 2023.” https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13306-inpatient-long-term-care-hospital-prospective-payment-system-fy-2024-changes.pdf
September 19, 2023: MLN MM13166: ICD-10 & Other Coding Revisions to National Coverage Determinations: October 2023 Update
Relevant NCD coding changes in related Change Request 13166 include:
- NCD 20.20: External Counterpulsation Therapy (ECP) for Severe Angina, effective August 7, 2023,
- NCD 90.2: Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), effective August 7, 2023, and
- NCD 210.1: Prostate Screening Tests, effective October 1, 2023.
Beth Cobb
We are mid-way through a week of celebrating Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists. This year marks the 13th annual Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) Week. The Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) theme for 2023 is CDI Success Stories: Writing your next chapter!
Like the detective in a good who done it book, CDI specialists review records to make sure all the key elements are in a patient’s “story.” They look for clues (clinical indicators) without a documented diagnosis and documentation without supporting clues and then work with physicians to make sure the record reflects the patient’s complete story.
MMP would like to wish all the hard-working CDI Professionals that we have the privilege to work with a happy CDI week. To help you prepare for the new CMS fiscal year, while celebrating this week, here are links to key documentation needed for a successful October 1st start of the 2024 CMS fiscal year.
FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule Home Page
On this webpage you will find links to:
- The FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule,
- FY 2024 Final Rule Tables
- Table 5: MS-DRGs, Relative Weighting Factors, Geometric and Arithmetic Mean Lengths of Stay, and Post-Acute Transfer designated MS-DRGs
- Table 6: New Diagnosis Codes,
- Table 6B: New Procedure Codes
- Table 6I: Complete MCC List,
- Table 6I.1: Additions to the MCC List,
- Table 6I.2: Deletions to the MCC List,
- Table 6J: Complete CC list,
- Table 6J.1: Additions to the CC list,
- Table 6J.2: Deletions to the CC list
- FY 2024 MAC Implementation Files
- MAC Implementation File 7: FY 2024 MS-DRGs Subject to the Replaced Devices Policy,
- MAC Implementation File 8: FY 2024 New Technology Add-on Payment
2024 ICD-10-CM Files.)
Downloads available on this webpage includes:
- 2024 POA Exempt Codes,
- 2024 Conversion Table,
- 2024 Addendum – UPDATED 6/29/2023,
- 2024 Code Description in Tabular Order – UPDATE 6/29/2023,
- 2024 Code Tables, Tabular and Index UPDATED 6/29/2023,
- FY 2024 ICD-10-CM Coding Guidelines, and
- 2024 Errata – July 26, 2023.
The ICD-10-Files are also available on the CDC’s Comprehensive Listing ICD-10-CM Files webpage (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/Comprehensive-Listing-of-ICD-10-CM-Files.htm).
2023 ICD-10-PCS Files
Downloads available on this webpage includes:
- 2024 ICD-10-PCS Order File,
- 2024 Official ICD-10-PCS Coding Guidelines,
- 2024 Version Update Summary,
- 2024 ICD-10-PCS Codes File,
- 2024 ICD-10-PCS Conversion table,
- 2024 ICD-10-PCS Code Tables and Index, and
- 2023 ICD-10-PCS Addendum.
(https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes/2024-icd-10-pcs)
Again, happy CDI week from our team to yours.
Beth Cobb
“The primary objective of the IPPS and the LTCH PPS is to create incentives for hospitals to operate efficiently and minimize unnecessary costs, while at the same time ensuring that payments are sufficient to adequately compensate hospitals for their legitimate costs in delivering necessary care to Medicare beneficiaries.”
- Source: Appendix A: Economic Analysis of FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule
There are eighteen days until the October 1st start to the 2024 CMS Fiscal Year. As you continue to prepare, this article focuses on New Technologies Add-On Payments (NTAPs). Section E. Add-On Payments for New Services and Technologies for FY 2024 begins on page 58,793 of the FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule.
New Technologies Eligible for Add-On Payment (NTAPs) Background
Section 1886(d)(5)(K)(i) of the Act requires the Secretary to establish a mechanism to recognize the costs of new medical services and technologies under the payment system under the subsection which establishes the system for paying for the operating costs of inpatient hospital services.
The system of payment for capital costs is established in section 1886(g) of the Act. For this reason, capital costs are not included in the add-on payments for a new medical service or technology.
NTAPs are not budget neutral and the “newness” for payment is limited to the 2-to-3-year period after the date a technology becomes available.
In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and as new therapies received approval to treat COVID-19, CMS established the New COVID-19 Treatments Add-on Payment (NCTAP). With the PHE ending in May of this year, the add-on payments for NCTAPs will end September 30, 2023.
There are three pathways for a new service or technology to be approved for the add-on payment (Traditional pathway, Certain Antimicrobial Products Alternative Pathway, and Certain Transformative New Devices Alternative Pathway).
For the alternative pathways, a technology is not required to have a specified FDA designation at the time the application for NTAP is made. Instead, “CMS reviews the application based on the information provided by the applicant only under the alternative pathway specified by the applicant at the time of new technology add-on payment application submission. However, to receive approval for the new technology add-on payment under that alternative pathway, the technology must have the applicable FDA designation and meet all other requirements in the regulations in § 412.87(c) and (d), as applicable.”
Coding NTAPs
Section X New Technology was added to ICD-10-PCS effective October 1, 2015. CMS has indicated (https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/Downloads/2016-Section-X-New-Technology-.pdf) that “Section X was created in response to public comments received regarding New Technology proposals presented at ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meetings, and general issues facing classification of new technology procedures.” To receive payment for an eligible NTAP, the applicable section X New Technology ICD-10-PCS code must be on the claim submitted for adjudication.
NTAPs by the Numbers
Before looking ahead to FY 2024, I wanted to see what new technologies have been coded in FY 2023 claims with dates of service from October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023. The following claims volume was provided by our sister company RealTime Medicare Data (RTMD), represents claims volume for the entire nation, and is specific to the Medicare Fee-for-Service population.
FY 2023
25: The number of technologies eligible for add-on payment.
94,210: The number of claims with dates of service from October 1, 2022 through March 2023 that included an ICD-10-PCS code eligible for add-on payment.
7,551: The number of claims with an ICD-10-PCS new technology code when the technologies eligible for the COVID-19 Treatments Add-On Payment (NCTAP) (convalescent plasma, Olumiant, and Veklury® (remdesivir)) were excluded from the claims volume.
FY 2024
33: The number of technologies eligible for add-on payment.
58,524.5: The number of Medicare beneficiaries that CMS expects will receive one of the new technologies. Note, the .5 is not an error. CMS’ estimated cases for the NTAP Livtencity™ is 129.5 cases.
$495,497,861.97: CMS’ estimated Medicare spending on NTAPs in FY 2024.
Moving Forward
Identifying and coding new technologies is an opportunity not to be missed for those hospitals providing these services. That said, some questions come to mind for you to think about:
- Is your hospital providing any of these services or technologies?
- Who needs to be aware of what the new technologies are? (i.e., Physicians, Pharmacy, Coding Professionals, Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists, Case Managers)
- What process do you have in place to alert your Coding Staff of the need to code the new technology ICD-10-PCS codes?
Resource
FY 2024 IPPS CMS webpage: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/acute-inpatient-pps/fy-2024-ipps-final-rule-home-page
Beth Cobb
We have a couple of questions regarding the coding of hyperlipidemia with hypercholesterolemia.
Question#1
If a provider has documented mixed hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia in the record, do you code both conditions?
Answer#1
Only assign code E78.2 for mixed hyperlipidemia. Pure hypercholesterolemia, unspecified (E78.00) is included with code E78.2 so it is not coded separately.
Effective date: June 9, 2023
Question#2
How do you code unspecified hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia?
Answer#2
In this case, only the code for pure hypercholesterolemia, unspecified (E78.00) is assigned. Hyperlipidemia, unspecified (E78.5) is not coded separately since hypercholesterolemia identifies the specific blood lipid elevated.
Effective date: June 3, 2022
Hypercholesterolemia is defined as a high blood cholesterol level.
Hyperlipidemia is defined as high lipid or fat levels in the blood.
References:
ICD-10-CM Official Coding Book
Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS, Second Quarter 2023, Page 9
Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS, Second Quarter 2022, Pages 5 and 6Susie James
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