InSights for Podiatry

More Late Breaking News on HCPCS

Starting on April 1 (no fooling), code descriptors for some commonly used DME-related HCPCS codes will change. The need to use HCPCS L2999 (lower extremity orthoses not otherwise specific) will be eliminated when these items are dispensed:

• The HCPCS L1932 code descriptor will change for “off the shelf” to: "Ankle foot orthosis, rigid anterior tibial section, total carbon fiber or equal material, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise.”

• HCPCS L1933 will be added as a new code: “Ankle foot orthosis, rigid anterior tibial section, total carbon fiber or equal material, prefabricated, off-the-shelf.”

So, if they’re dispensed off-the-shelf, L1933 should be submitted. If this item is dispensed as custom fitted, L1932 should be submitted.

• The HCPCS L1951 code descriptor will change to: "Ankle foot orthosis, spiral, (institute of rehabilitative medicine type), plastic or other material, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise.”

• HCPCS L1952 will be added as a new code: "Ankle foot orthosis, spiral, (institute of rehabilitative medicine type), plastic or other material, prefabricated, off-the-shelf”

So, if dispensed “off-the-shelf,” L1952 should be submitted. If “custom fitted,” L1951 should be submitted. 

Click here for CMS details on G211. Click here for CMS details on the L codes. You’ll see all of the minutiae involved in both, and then consider letting ADSRCM remove them, and so much more, from your plate of things to remember and worry about!

The Hottest Feature for Podiatry EHR: Completing Encounters Ambiently by Conversing with Patients!

You no doubt enter the exam room and have some off-the-bat, non-clinical conversation with the patient. “How’s the family?” “Are you going away this summer?” “Did you see the XYZ movie?” There’s usually some back-and-forth before the exam begins.

Then, the conversation turns to the patient’s plantar fasciitis. The EHR, which has been disregarding everything until now, suddenly comes to life and begins to capture that conversation using real language understanding. Not only that, it inserts relevant information into the patient's record to help complete the encounter, essentially simply as part of speaking with the patient!

This type of AI-driven technology makes encounters more personal without locking your eyes on your computer screen. It’s also hands-free since data flows in automatically. Of course, this all works to make encounters more efficient as well.

Real language ambient data capture is ideal for a report-oriented specialty such as podiatry, a content-heavy specialty. It enables the EHR to work for you, not vice versa!

(ADSRCM clients can access the ONC-certified MedicsCloud EHR for Podiatry with its built-in MedicsScribeAI platform for natural language data capture as described. ADS clients can do the same with the MedicsCloud Suite if in-office automation is preferred.)

Generating Revenue: Purchasable Products and Non-Medical Services

Podiatry and purchasable products go together like a foot in a sock. (Sorry, “like a hand in glove” doesn’t do it here.)

With orthotics, special hose (the aforementioned socks), wraps, shoes, foot creams, canes, supplements, and an array of anything else specialty-related, a podiatry practice or group can generate significant additional revenue by selling products.

The same is true for services such as pedicures and foot massages that aren’t considered medically necessary.

You may be generating that revenue right now. The question is, are your products/non-medical services being managed correctly? You need inventory management, sales tax calculations based on location, payments separately from payments for podiatric visits and procedures (a “check out window”), payments by gift cards and coupons if applicable, walk-out receipts, and reports and analytics relative to products purchased or services provided.

An appointment scheduler to handle your patients' non-medical services in conjunction with or separately from their regular podiatry visits may be needed. This helps ensure that the correct staff is available.

Any number of stand-alone systems for products/services can be used, possibly interfaced with your billing/analytics/scheduling system. But ideally, it’s an embedded, inherent, no-cost feature within your system or RCM company’s platform without requiring yet another software vendor.

In podiatry, products and services can generate substantial additional revenue. They just need to be managed correctly.

(The MedicsPremier platform used by ADSRCM - and by ADS if you prefer in-house automation - supports a comprehensive, built-in/no-cost feature for managing podiatry products and services as described!)