Let’s continue our look at some of the 2015 hot topics in medical billing impacting health care providers. While some may be obstacles, others may become opportunities. Staying abreast of changes is now more important than ever- the financial health of your practice depends on it! ICD-10-CM: 6 months and Counting! Are You Ready? 4 Steps to Success Last year at this time, ICD-10 was surprisingly delayed yet again through a tiny language insertion into the SGR Patch Bill. T

New Medicaid Cards: Blue and Yellow! Have you noticed new Medicaid Identification Cards? Last year, Mississippi Medicaid issued either a new blue card or a yellow card. Medicaid beneficiaries were issued new blue ID cards to replace the former green ID cards Family Planning Waiver beneficiaries were issued yellow ID cards to replace their old yellow card So, if a patient presents a yellow card it is for Family Planning Services and NOT regular Medicaid services. Effective 1/

Health care fraud is serious business. The Federal Govenment continues to search for and prosecute those health care providers who attempt to defraud Medicare. Stay clear of the path these providers chose. New Orleans, LA- 03/2015: An owner and operator of a New Orleans-based medical clinic and an accountant plead guilty to a $50 Million Medicare fraud scheme. The clinic employed doctors to certify that Medicare beneficiaries were qualified to receive home health care. Th

Novitas Solutions to Hold Symposium in Biloxi in May Novitas recently announced the Medicare educational symposiums to be held in 2015. Sites include Albuquerque, Biloxi, Denver, Little Rock and Frisco, TX. For more information and to register for the free event see www.novitas-solutions.com. Meaningful Use- Modified Stage 2 (and 1) In April, CMS issued another proposal for “meaningful use” with the goal of aligning Stage 1 and Stage 2 objectives with the long-term proposal