Q2 2024 Newsletter
PMRG Updates from Curt Hill
Change Healthcare Update
As most of you know, and many of you were seriously impacted by, United Healthcare was subject to a cyber-attack. For over 2 months, this shut down both the Change Healthcare and Emdeon clearing houses. Change Healthcare service is now almost entirely restored, and while Emdeon is not, we have strong work arounds in place. I want to take a moment and thank each of you that was impacted by this crisis for your patience as we worked through how to best support you. I also thank and acknowledge the PMRG staff who worked long hours doing tedious manual work to ensure your claims got out the door. It is during times such as these that we discover what we’re made of—the PMRG staff demonstrated real strength and resilience during this crisis.
Certified Ophthalmic Coders
We have been engaged in a learning program to have all our managers and team leaders become certified professional ophthalmic coders through the AAPC—the nation’s largest medical coding training and certification association. At the time of this writing, the following team members have been certified:
Lisa Biasella
Donna Connolly
Cynthia Gilbert
Noemi Guerrero
Corinne Hendershot
Hannah Kaye
Marie Minervini
Megan Maxwell
Michelle Prisco
Amber Rohead
Candace Smith
Mikaela Szekely
We congratulate each of these extraordinary leaders! As managers and team leaders complete their training and pass the certification test, you’ll see the acronym COPC after their name on their auto-signature.
Regular Client Meetings
We highly recommend that each of you has a regularly scheduled meeting with your billing team, and that you make sure you, or someone from your staff, attend the meeting. Our best practice is that this be at least monthly. Why a regular meeting? To continue to create the partnership between your team and our team—the success of the billing happens in collaboration! We find it is valuable to have a regular and periodic “check-in” to review processes and procedures so that we can best serve you. To schedule, please reach out to your biller or the billing team lead on your account.
G2211: Visit Complexity Add-On Code
Effective January 1, 2024
by Jana Holt
Many of you may be aware of the CMS evaluation and management add-on code that was introduced in January of this year. According to CMS, “G2211 captures the inherent complexity of the visit that’s derived from the longitudinal nature of the practitioner and patient relationship”.
PDF: How to Use the Office & Outpatient Evaluation and Management Visit Complexity Add-on Code G2211
To help determine if this new add-on code is appropriate for Ophthalmologists to use, the AAO and ASCRS have both published helpful guidance resources.
PDF: AAO G2211: The New Visit Complexity Add-On Code
PDF: ASCRS G2211 Add-On Code Guidelines
Here are some helpful hints for HCPCS add-on code G2211:
G2211 was created by CMS for the Medicare program.
G2211 is not limited by specialty.
G2211 should be added to outpatient and office visit E/M Codes.
G2211 is not appropriate to be added to Eye examination codes.
G2211 is not payable when the associated E/M visit is reported with modifier 25
Employee Spotlight:
Jeff Schouten
In 2020, Jeff Schouten found himself unemployed due to the pandemic liquidating the newspaper company he had spent nearly a third of his life working for. He applied for a job as a Client Services Representative here at Practice Management Resource Group.
“There must have been something they liked because I’ve been here for three and a half years now,” he said. “I am incredibly thankful PMRG was willing to take a chance on me. It truly is a great company to work for.”
When Jeff isn’t working for PMRG, he spends a couple nights a week as a part-time game show host, running trivia at various bars and restaurants (and occasionally yachts and country clubs) throughout the greater Chicagoland area. He has been playing the bass guitar for over half his life—usually just for fun, although sometimes for pay, too.
If he’s not hosting trivia or playing music, Jeff can be found shopping or hanging out at home with his wife and their five foster kitties Rice Krispy, Missy, other Missy, Kitty (pictured) and Oreo.
