CHEC Your Practice

Interview with Sarah Carroll, ACOG’s Director of Immunization, where we discuss: 

• ACOG’s official position on vaccinating pregnant and breastfeeding women
• How ACOG developed the recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines
• How this guidance is updated and adjusted
• Clinical trials for vaccines and pregnant women
• Resources for clinicians and patients 

As of March 17th, ACOG’s official position regarding vaccinating pregnant and breastfeeding women against COVID-19: 

ACOG recommends that pregnant women have access to COVID-19 vaccines and that COVID-19 vaccines should not be withheld from pregnant women who choose to be vaccinated 

For lactating and breastfeeding women, ACOG recommends that the vaccine be offered 

Resources: 

https://www.acog.org/programs/immunization-for-women?utm_source=ImmunizationforWomen&utm_medium=Domain&utm_campaign=DomainRedirects&fbclid=IwAR0XIZ-Y47fhaAFJdKaZ7b98xzlX7TnKU3alC5mkBljRn4XpfiqwOQjFHbg

https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2021/01/acog-and-smfm-joint-statement-on-who-recommendations-regarding-covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnant-individuals?fbclid=IwAR27aAJifi8qHWDDJXTC5HpT0VtzcFeeW-nkoJAsETIj-uOAhAOT__DlXz8

https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/files/pdfs/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/covid-19-vaccination-site-recommendations.pdf?la=en&hash=BF78692A5977EF67C2C132F9DBB5C5A3&fbclid=IwAR194Wz6PnJUiF5bWYCED9oyI4WfEtXACPaN2xEMZdqdWCBljSRKRns8j6o

https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2021/02/medical-experts-assert-covid-vaccines-do-not-impact-fertility

https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/articles/2020/12/vaccinating-pregnant-and-lactating-patients-against-covid-19 

https://www.acog.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnancy-conversation-guide-for-clinicians 

https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2021/02/maternal-immunization-task-force-and-partners-urge-that-covid-19-vaccine-be-available-to-pregnant-individuals 

https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/01/obstetrician-gynecologists-role-building-vaccine-confidence 

Support the show (https://www.acog.org/Practice-Management)

Join me in my interview with Rachel Thornton, ACOG’s Health Policy Associate, as we discuss ACOG’s efforts to advance the Non-invasive prenatal testing, or NIPT, initiative. 

The ACOG Committee on Practice Bulletins-Obstetrics, the Committee on Genetics, in coordination with the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine has developed clinical management guidelines for prenatal testing. This Committee came to the recommendation that prenatal genetic screening should be offered to all pregnant people, regardless of maternal age or any other risk assessments. 

ACOG has sent letters to many national payers, including UnitedHealthCare, Aetna, Centene, Cigna and Humana plans, encouraging them to cover NIPT.

Resources mentioned in the episode: 

www.acog.org/policy-priorities 

https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2020/10/screening-for-fetal-chromosomal-abnormalities 

Have feedback or suggestions for future topics? Email us at:
[email protected]

Have a coding or policy question?
Submit a ticket to the ACOG Payment Advocacy and Policy Portal:
www.acogcoding.freshdesk.com 

Additional links to coding resources:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Coding 

 ACOG Legal Disclaimer:
Information contained in this podcast should not be construed as legal advice. As always, practitioners should consult their personal attorney about legal requirements in their jurisdiction and for legal advice on a particular matter. The information presented in this podcast is for guidance purposes only. ACOG makes no representations and/or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast. ACOG assumes no liability for any consequences resulting from or otherwise related to any use of, or reliance on, this podcast. Inclusion of any product, procedure, or method of practice in this presentation does not constitute endorsement by the College.

Music Attribution:
Our intro and outro music is a derivative of “Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)” from the album The Wake by Josh Woodward, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Free Download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/
Album: The Wake
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 

ACOG's Senior Director of Health Economics and Coding, Lisa Satterfield, discusses ACOG's new Private Payer Workgroup. In this episode we talk about how Workgroup members were selected, how the Workgroup negotiates with private payers, how ACOG Members can directly communicate their issues and concerns to the Workgroup, and much more!

Does your Practice have an issue you'd like to inform the Workgroup about?
You can submit your concerns to the ACOG Payment Advocacy and Policy Portal:
acogcoding.freshdesk.com

Additional links to coding resources:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Coding 

ACOG Legal Disclaimer:
Information contained in this podcast should not be construed as legal advice. As always, practitioners should consult their personal attorney about legal requirements in their jurisdiction and for legal advice on a particular matter. The information presented in this podcast is for guidance purposes only. ACOG makes no representations and/or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast. ACOG assumes no liability for any consequences resulting from or otherwise related to any use of, or reliance on, this podcast. Inclusion of any product, procedure, or method of practice in this presentation does not constitute endorsement by the College.

Music Attribution:
Our intro and outro music is a derivative of “Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)” from the album The Wake by Josh Woodward, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Free Download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/
Album: The Wake
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 

A more detailed breakdown of the E/M office visits beginning in January 1, 2021.

Starting January 1, 2021, physicians can expect to see: 

• Separate payment for 4 levels of E/M visit codes for new patients 

• Deletion of Level 1 code for new patients, which is generally not performed by a physician. 

• Separate payment for 5 levels of E/M visit codes for established patients. 

• Adoption of new CPT code descriptors.

• Elimination of the use of history and/or physical exam to select among code levels for payment. Physicians must still document clinically relevant history and physical exams.  

• Physicians can now choose to use either time or Medical Decision Making (MDM) to justify the level of E/M service.
 
 Have feedback or suggestions for future topics? Email us at:
 [email protected]

Additional links:

Holiday Special: Evaluation and Management 2021
Access information about the latest E/M updates going into effect January 01, 2021. FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
https://www.pathlms.com/acogwebinars/courses/26001

2021 E/M Changes Summary Article:

https://acogcoding.freshdesk.com/a/solutions/articles/64000150892 

Revised Medical Decision Making (MDM) Tables:

https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/files/pdfs/brochures-flyers/coding-em-summary.pdf?la=en&hash=F60051645E9CA2B0D0F7EECDF0E94543 
 
 

ACOG 2021 E/M Changes Page:

https://www.acog.org/practice-management/coding/coding-library/evaluation-and-management-changes-for-2021 

 Have a coding question? Submit a ticket into ACOG's FreshDesk Ticket Database:
 https://www.acog.org/practice-management/coding/ask-a-coding-question 

Additional links to coding resources:
 https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Coding 

 ACOG Legal Disclaimer:
Information contained in this podcast should not be construed as legal advice. As always, practitioners should consult their personal attorney about legal requirements in their jurisdiction and for legal advice on a particular matter. The information presented in this podcast is for guidance purposes only. ACOG makes no representations and/or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast. ACOG assumes no liability for any consequences resulting from or otherwise related to any use of, or reliance on, this podcast. Inclusion of any product, procedure, or method of practice in this presentation does not constitute endorsement by the College.

Music Attribution:
Our intro and outro music is a derivative of “Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)” from the album The Wake by Josh Woodward, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Free Download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/
Album: The Wake
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a proposal to streamline documentation requirements and increase payments for E/M office visits beginning in January 1, 2021.

Starting January 1, 2021, physicians can expect to see: 

• Separate payment for 4 levels of E/M visit codes for new patients 

• Deletion of Level 1 code for new patients, which is generally not performed by a physician. 

• Separate payment for 5 levels of E/M visit codes for established patients. 

• Adoption of new CPT code descriptors.

• Elimination of the use of history and/or physical exam to select among code levels for payment. Physicians must still document clinically relevant history and physical exams.  

• Physicians can now choose to use either time or Medical Decision Making (MDM) to justify the level of E/M service.

Have feedback or suggestions for future topics? Email us at:
[email protected]

Additional links:

Have a coding question? Submit a ticket into ACOG's FreshDesk Ticket Database:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Coding/New-Ticket-Database-for-Coding-Questions 

Practice Management Ticket Database:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/ACOG-Practice-Management-Ticket-Database 

Additional links to coding resources:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Coding 

ACOG Legal Disclaimer:
Information contained in this podcast should not be construed as legal advice. As always, practitioners should consult their personal attorney about legal requirements in their jurisdiction and for legal advice on a particular matter. The information presented in this podcast is for guidance purposes only. ACOG makes no representations and/or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast. ACOG assumes no liability for any consequences resulting from or otherwise related to any use of, or reliance on, this podcast. Inclusion of any product, procedure, or method of practice in this presentation does not constitute endorsement by the College.

Music Attribution:
Our intro and outro music is a derivative of “Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)” from the album The Wake by Josh Woodward, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Free Download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/
Album: The Wake
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 

In this bonus episode, Sean Currigan and I discuss the patient-provider interaction from the patient's perspective

Have feedback or suggestions for future topics? Email us at:
[email protected]

Additional links:

Have a coding question? Submit a ticket into ACOG's FreshDesk Ticket Database:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Coding/New-Ticket-Database-for-Coding-Questions 

Practice Management Ticket Database:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/ACOG-Practice-Management-Ticket-Database 

Additional links to coding resources:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Coding 

ACOG Legal Disclaimer:
Information contained in this podcast should not be construed as legal advice. As always, practitioners should consult their personal attorney about legal requirements in their jurisdiction and for legal advice on a particular matter. The information presented in this podcast is for guidance purposes only. ACOG makes no representations and/or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast. ACOG assumes no liability for any consequences resulting from or otherwise related to any use of, or reliance on, this podcast. Inclusion of any product, procedure, or method of practice in this presentation does not constitute endorsement by the College.
 
Music Attribution:
Our intro and outro music is a derivative of “Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)” from the album The Wake by Josh Woodward, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Free Download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/
Album: The Wake
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 

ACOG’s Quality and Safety Officer, Sean Currigan, breaks down the CG-CAPHS® (Clinician & Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) Survey, and explains how providers can use the data during contract negotiations 

Additional Links:

SCOPE Program 
(Safety Certification in Outpatient Practice Excellence for Women’s Health): 

https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/VRQC-and-SCOPE/SCOPE-Program-Overview

https://www.scopeforwomenshealth.org/

Have feedback or suggestions for future topics? Email us at:
[email protected] 

ACOG Legal Disclaimer:
Information contained in this podcast should not be construed as legal advice. As always, practitioners should consult their personal attorney about legal requirements in their jurisdiction and for legal advice on a particular matter. The information presented in this podcast is for guidance purposes only. ACOG makes no representations and/or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast. ACOG assumes no liability for any consequences resulting from or otherwise related to any use of, or reliance on, this podcast. Inclusion of any product, procedure, or method of practice in this presentation does not constitute endorsement by the College.
   
Music Attribution:
Our intro and outro music is a derivative of “Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)” from the album The Wake by Josh Woodward, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Free Download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/
Album: The Wake
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 

In part 3 of the Health IT series, we discuss the ever-expanding world of health IT apps, especially the new iPat Toolkit! 

Have feedback or suggestions for future topics? Email us at:
[email protected]

Additional links:
Health IT and Clinical Informatics Homepage:
https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Health-Information-Technology 

ACOG Legal Disclaimer:
Information contained in this podcast should not be construed as legal advice. As always, practitioners should consult their personal attorney about legal requirements in their jurisdiction and for legal advice on a particular matter. The information presented in this podcast is for guidance purposes only. ACOG makes no representations and/or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast. ACOG assumes no liability for any consequences resulting from or otherwise related to any use of, or reliance on, this podcast. Inclusion of any product, procedure, or method of practice in this presentation does not constitute endorsement by the College.
 
Music Attribution:
Our intro and outro music is a derivative of “Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)” from the album The Wake by Josh Woodward, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Free Download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/
Album: The Wake
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License