I. Scope This policy applies to Coronis Health, LLC and all of its affiliated entities and subsidiaries and governs the use of Short Message Service (SMS) texting by Coronis Health, LLC for communicating with FirstAnesthesia clients regarding account-related matters. II. Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish […]
Last week, we sent out a special alert advising our readers of a change in Aetna’s payment policy in connection with physical status (PS) modifiers on anesthesia claims. The payer announced it would no longer provide additional payment for PS 3-5, effective July 15 of this year. Not to be outdone, several of the “Blues” […]
On April 10, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule. While these provisions are not final, they do give current insight into the agency’s thinking in terms of a host of issues concerning the inpatient hospital setting, including […]
We’ve come a long way since the days when the milkman would make his deliveries at the door and the doctor would make house calls, black bag in hand. Now, we order our goods online and we can even see our healthcare professional via the latest telecommunications technology. Americans love convenience, and it is certainly […]
According to an April bulletin published by Aetna, the payer will no longer reimburse additional unit value(s) for anesthesia physical status (PS) modifiers, effective July 15, 2024. Aetna gave as a reason for the decision its desire to align with similar Medicare guidelines. It should be noted that this change will only affect Aetna’s commercial […]
We recently brought an alert dealing with allegations against Medicare Advantage (MA) to the effect that MA plans were more prone to deny claims or delay payments when compared to Medicare or third-party payers. Medicare Advantage is back in the news—but, this time, for another reason. Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services […]
There is clearly a shortage of anesthesia providers in the country today. This a a result of a variety of factors including the pandemic, dramatic increases in the number of anesthetizing locations and provider lifestyle choices. According to various sources, by 2033, the anesthesiology workforce may experience a shortage of approximately 12,500 anesthesiologists, representing nearly […]
In the opening lines of Pink Floyd’s trippy hit, Comfortably Numb, the doctor instructs the patient to provide a response, saying: “just nod if you can hear me.” While not an exact example of what the medical industry means by “informed consent,” it does help us to think about what that term means. What are the […]
