A new list of “other” HCPCS Level II codes and modifiers to be added or removed for the second quarter of 2012 is now posted on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website.
CMS is deleting two modifiers added just two years ago, adding five temporary (non-Medicare) “S” codes that describe a mixed bag of services, and deleting 20 “S” codes that describe mainly genetic testing.
Modifiers to remove as of March 31:
V8 Infection present
V9 No infection present
Codes to add as of April 1:
| S0353 |
Treatment planning and care coordination management for cancer initial treatment |
| S0354 |
Treatment planning and care coordination management for cancer established patient with a change of regimen |
| S0596 |
Phakic intraocular lens for correction of refractive error |
| S3721 |
Prostate cancer antigen 3 (pca3) testing |
| S8930 |
Electrical stimulation of auricular acupuncture points; each 15 minutes of personal one-on-one contact with the patient |
Codes to remove as of March 31:
| S3711 |
Circulating tumor cell test |
| S3713 |
Kras mutation analysis testing |
| S3818 |
Complete gene sequence analysis; brca1 gene |
| S3819 |
Complete gene sequence analysis; brca2 gene |
| S3820 |
Complete BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene sequence analysis for susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer |
| S3822 |
Single mutation analysis (in individual with a known brca1 or BRCA2 mutation in the family) for susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer |
| S3823 |
Three-mutation brca1 and BRCA2 analysis for susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer in ashkenazi individuals |
| S3828 |
Complete gene sequence analysis; MLH1 gene |
| S3829 |
Complete gene sequence analysis; MLH2 gene |
| S3830 |
Complete mlh1 and MSH2 gene sequence analysis for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) genetic testing |
| S3831 |
Single-mutation analysis (in individual with a known mlh1 and msh2 mutation in the family) for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) genetic testing |
| S3835 |
Complete gene sequence analysis for cystic fibrosis genetic testing |
| S3837 |
Complete gene sequence analysis for hemochromatosis genetic testing |
| S3843 |
DNA analysis of the f5 gene for susceptibility to factor v leiden thrombophilia |
| S3847 |
Genetic testing for Tay-Sachs disease |
| S3848 |
Genetic testing for Gaucher disease |
| S3851 |
Genetic testing for Canavan disease |
| S3860 |
Genetic testing, comprehensive cardiac ion channel analysis, for variants in 5 major cardiac ion channel genes for individuals with high index of suspicion for familial long qt syndrome (LQTS) or related syndromes |
January 27th, 2012
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued on July 13 an infection prevention guide and checklist for outpatient care settings. Based on existing CDC infection prevention guidance, the “Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care” and its companion “Infection Prevention Checklist for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care” are intended to help outpatient care providers assess their adherence to recommended infection prevention practices. A free online course (registration required) for clinicians on unsafe infection practices is also available, courtesy of Medscape.
July 29th, 2011
Does your practice reuse single-dose medication vials? You may be surprised to learn that more than three-fourths (77 percent) of the facility managers who responded to an Outpatient Surgery Magazine online poll answered “Yes.”
The results of the August poll are alarming, but may explain the findings of a recent pilot study of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) infection control audit tool. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), showed infection control lapses at two-thirds of the 68 participating ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in three states. More than half of the participating facilities were cited for infection control deficiencies related to medication administration. Common lapses included using single-dose medication vials for more than one patient (28 percent).
The CDC advises on its One & Only Campaign website for all health care providers to carefully review their infection control practices and the practices of all staff under their supervision. In particular, providers should ensure that staff:
- Never administer medications from the same syringe to more than one patient, even if the needle is changed; and
- Do not enter a vial with a used syringe or needle.
It also is important, the CDC says, that:
- Medications packaged as single-use vials never be used for more than one patient; and
- Medications packaged as multi-use vials be assigned to a single patient whenever possible.
The One & Only Campaign is a public health campaign, led by the CDC and the Safe Injection Practices Coalition (SIPC), to raise awareness among patients and health care providers about safe injection practices. It is being piloted in Nevada and New York before expanding to additional states and eventually nationwide.
Learn more infection control guidelines by reading the One & Only Campaign’s healthcare provider brochure.
September 10th, 2010
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) updated July 7 HealthCare.gov’s Hospital Compare website with quality data on the rates of outpatient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for low back pain, outpatient re-tests after a screening mammogram, and two ratios that explain how frequently outpatient departments gave patients “double” computed tomography (CT) scans “when a single scan may be all that is needed.”
“This new update to CMS’ Hospital Compare feature will help patients and their families better compare quality at America ’s hospitals. And thanks to this new update this year, for the first time, Medicare patients can see how efficiently facilities use certain types of imaging equipment and keep them safe from exposure to potentially harmful radiation that may not be necessary,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. (more…)
July 16th, 2010
The first rapid blood test for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) for individuals 15 years and older was approved June 25 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test is used to test individuals who are at risk for infection with HCV and people with signs or symptoms of hepatitis—it is not approved for HCV screening of the general population.
OraQuick, manufactured by Bethlehem, Pa.-based OraSure Technologies Inc., is a test strip and does not require an instrument for diagnosis. It takes about 20 minutes to obtain test results.
“Approval of OraQuick means that more patients can be notified of their HCV infection faster so that they can consult with their physicians for appropriate health measures,” said Jeffrey Shuren, MD, JD, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Getting faster treatment is an important public health step to control this dangerous disease.”
Source: FDA news release
July 2nd, 2010