Breast cancer continues to be the most common cancer found among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death. To educate the public about cancer and the best ways to fight it, October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Read the rest of this entry »
One in six men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime. While only one in 35 will die of the disease, prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the United States. To bring attention to this disease and ways to prevent it, September is recognized as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Read the rest of this entry »
Elevated cholesterol levels increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States. To raise awareness for regular health screenings, September is recognized as National Cholesterol Education Month. Read the rest of this entry »
On August 25, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a guide to assists stakeholders with better understanding the processes used to determine coverage, coding and payment for new technologies under the Medicare program. Read the rest of this entry »
In the August 22, 2008 Federal Register, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule that would replace ICD-9 code sets with ICD-10 code sets effective October 1, 2011. Developed 30 years ago, ICD-9 has just 17,000 codes and is expected to run out of space as early as 2009. The ICD-10 sets contain more than 155,000 codes, which can accommodate a variety of new diagnoses and procedures. Read the rest of this entry »
On July 31, 2008, the “Clinical Laboratory Diagnostic Fee Schedule Modernization Act of 2008” (HR 6761) was introduced in an effort to modernize the clinical diagnostic laboratory fee schedule. Read the rest of this entry »
The original September 1, 2008 deadline for required usage of the new ABN was extended by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). According to the CMS website, providers (including independent laboratories), physicians, practitioners, and suppliers will not be required to use the new form until March 1, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »