Sarah Hanna is a reimbursement consultant and vice president of ECS Billing & Consulting, Tiffin, Ohio, and specializes in proper billing protocols, Medicare coverage guidelines and billing office procedures. She can be contacted at 419/448-5332 or sarahhanna@bright.net.

In addition to changing rates in non-bid locations, CMS plans to lower certain rates based on regional calculations, all under the guise of streamlining the bid program

Among the top denial reasons for E0100 claims, which have a 16.1% denial rate, are that the patient has "same or similar" equipment, is in a nursing home or on an inpatient hospital stay at the time of