November 14
IN THIS ISSUE / November 14, 2018
- 2019 Fee Schedule – You asked. DWW answers.
- November Patient Care Hero: Jessica Burgy, MD
- Are you smarter than DataDerm™?
- CMS conducting new survey on post-op visits in global surgical codes
- The MIPS results are in: How did participants perform in 2017?
- FDA wants to hear from consumers about allergens and cosmetics
- Dermatologist, pediatrician win congressional seats
2019 Fee Schedule – You asked. DWW answers.
What are CMS’s plans for global codes? Evaluation and management payments and reporting requirements? What’s happening with modifier 25? Telemedicine reimbursement? Dermatology World Weekly answers your burning questions about the final 2019 Medicare physician Fee Schedule.
Need help deciphering the biopsy coding changes for 2019? Check out DW’s latest iteration of its Cracking the Code column.
Related Links:
- Register today! Coding & Practice Updates for 2019 – live webinar
- Components of evaluation and management – Dermatology World (May 2018)
- Components of evaluation and management 2 – Dermatology World (June 2018)
- Digital Derm Coding Consult Pro
- 2019 Coding & Billing for Dermatology Manual
- Principles of Documentation for Dermatology, Second Edition
November Patient Care Hero: Jessica Burgy, MD
Dr. Burgy treated a family with pityriasis rubra pilaris. Their new insurance provider required step therapy, denying them the treatment they knew worked. Learn how Dr. Burgy helped her patients get the care they needed.
Each month, the Academy will highlight members’ efforts to treat serious skin disease, work with other physicians as part of a health care team, and expand access to dermatology. Submit your story at SkinSerious.org.
- Access granted: Improving access for referrals – Dermatology World (October 2017)
- Lending a hand: Physicians discuss the rewards and challenges of caring for the underserved – Dermatology World (December 2015)
Are you smarter than DataDerm™?
Is the average psoriasis patient more likely to be male or female? Test your knowledge against DataDerm’s.
Related Links:
- DataDerm participants earned MIPS bonuses in 2017 – Dermatology World (November 2018)
- When dealing with payers, the data can speak for itself – Dermatology World Weekly
- AAD product: 2018 MIPS Reporting Module
- AAD web: MACRA Resource Center
CMS conducting new survey on post-op visits in global surgical codes
CMS is conducting a new survey to collect data on post-operative visits in global surgical codes. Physicians in dermatology, ophthalmology, and orthopedics will be randomly selected to participate in the survey.
Dermatologists who performed a combined total of 80 or more complex repair procedures (codes 13100, 13101, 13120, 13121, 13131, 13132, 13151, or 13152) in 2017 will receive the survey — excluding those in the nine states who are already in the process of reporting their post-operative visits using CPT code 99024. The survey will collect information on the activities performed during the follow-up visits on five patients. Read more about the survey.
Related Links:
- AADA Practice Management Center: Coding and Reimbursement Resources
- Digital Derm Coding Consult Pro
- 2019 Coding & Billing for Dermatology Manual
The MIPS results are in: How did participants perform in 2017?
CMS has released 2017 performance results for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) track under the Quality Payment Program. According to CMS, 93% of clinicians eligible for MIPS received a positive payment adjustment and 95% avoided a negative payment adjustment.
According to the Academy’s data registry, DataDerm™, zero DataDerm users incurred a penalty for 2017 MIPS reporting. The majority of users were awarded a small bonus or noted as high performers. Access your 2017 MIPS performance feedback and final score by visiting the Quality Payment Program website and logging in using your Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) credentials.
For a more precise breakdown of how DataDerm participants fared in 2017, check out this month’s issue of Dermatology World.
- Earning a high performance bonus for MIPS: Using DataDerm to report – Dermatology World (November 2018)
- AAD product: 2018 MIPS Reporting Module
- AAD web: MACRA Resource Center
FDA wants to hear from consumers about allergens and cosmetics
The FDA is seeking comments on a proposed web-based consumer survey about allergens in cosmetics. According to the FDA, if the Office of Management and Budget approves implementation of the survey, it will be the first on consumer perceptions of cosmetics that the FDA has conducted since 1975. “The purpose of the survey is to collect information that will improve the FDA’s current understanding of adverse events caused by allergens in cosmetics. In addition, the survey will help the agency better understand consumer perceptions and awareness as well as consumer behavior regarding allergens in cosmetics.”
The FDA has been soliciting information and feedback from physicians, patients, and consumers alike recently. As such, the AADA is conducting a survey of Academy members about the effects of drug shortages on dermatology patients. The AADA plans to share the results with the FDA and other policymakers. Take the survey here.
What’s happening with drug shortages and what’s being done to resolve the issue? Read more in Dermatology World.
Related Links:
- Addressing adversity – Dermatology World (July 2015)
- Safety first – Dermatology World (September 2014)
- AAD public education resource: Why see a board-certified dermatologist?
- CDC Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings
Dermatologist, pediatrician win congressional seats
John Joyce, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist from Altoona, Pennsylvania, has won the congressional seat for the state’s 13th district. Additionally, Kim Schrier, MD, a Washington state pediatrician, was declared the winner of the state’s 8th congressional district race, and will be the first female Democrat physician elected to Congress. There will now be 16 physicians serving in Congress. The American Academy of Dermatology Association’s political action committee, SkinPAC, supported both candidates in their bids for Congress.
How will the results of the election affect health care issues? Read more in Dermatology World.
Related Links:
