Reimbursement Readiness

Wound Care Today USA
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Business Tip for all types of wound practices. Hosted by Kathleen D. Schaum and Friends.

  1. 1h ago

    Ep.23 Documenting Correctly

    Documentation errors don't just create compliance headaches—they can lead to denied claims, recoupments, and unwanted audit scrutiny. In this episode of Reimbursement Readiness, Kathleen Schaum welcomes reimbursement consultant Donna Cartwright to discuss Medicare's rules for medical record documentation, late entries, addendums, and corrections. Together, they review what auditors look for, when documentation changes are appropriate, how to properly amend records, and why waiting too long to make corrections can create significant risk. Whether you're a clinician, coder, biller, revenue cycle leader, or compliance professional, this episode offers practical guidance to help ensure your documentation accurately reflects the care provided and stands up to audit review. Topics include: Medicare guidance on late entries, addendums, and correctionsDocumentation expectations during audits and ADRsCommon documentation mistakes that raise red flagsBest practices for paper and electronic medical recordsAudit risks associated with delayed documentation changesWhen—and when not—to amend the medical record This episode also addresses one of the most frequently asked audit questions: Can you go back and change a medical record before submitting it for review? Episode Evaluation link: Click Here

    20 min

  2. Jun 4

    Ep.22 Insurance Benefit Verification

    Episode 22 of Reimbursement Readiness: Business Tips for Wound Practice focuses on one of the most overlooked causes of denied claims and repayment demands in wound care: insurance benefit verification. Kathleen Schaum is joined by Amiee Coriano, who explains why verifying more than just “active insurance” is essential before every patient encounter—especially when advanced wound therapies are involved. In this episode, Amiee walks through the hidden billing risks tied to home health episodes, hospice enrollment, and skilled nursing facility stays, and explains how these care settings can dramatically affect who is financially responsible for wound-related services and supplies. The discussion covers common coordination pitfalls, Medicare consolidated billing concerns, and the critical questions providers and revenue cycle teams should ask before treatment begins. Listeners will also learn best practices for documenting episode dates, confirming payer responsibility, coordinating with outside providers, and building structured verification workflows that protect both patient care and reimbursement.

    11 min

  3. Mar 12

    Ep.21 Consolidated Billing

    Episode 21 of Reimbursement Readiness: Business Tips for Wound Practice addresses one of the most common—and costly—sources of claim denials in wound care: Medicare consolidated billing. Kathleen Schaum is joined by reimbursement expert Yesenia Banks, who explains why many wound care stakeholders only learn about consolidated billing after claims are denied or payments are recouped. In this episode, Yesenia breaks down the fundamentals of home health and skilled nursing facility consolidated billing rules, including how payment responsibility is assigned during a defined episode of care and why verifying a patient’s status is critical before billing Medicare. She also walks through key distinctions that affect wound care services—such as what is bundled within the home health PDGM model, what remains separately payable under Medicare Part B, and how negative pressure wound therapy is handled differently depending on the care setting. The discussion also clarifies how consolidated billing functions within the SNF PDPM payment model, including the four CMS billing files used to determine which services are excluded, separately billable, or the responsibility of the facility. The episode closes with practical guidance and CMS resources to help providers avoid denials, compliance risk, and unexpected recoupments. Feedback Survey ------------------------------------------ Home Health Consolidated Billing list: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/home-health/coding-and-billing-information Skilled Nursing Facility Consolidated Billing Listhttps://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/skilled-nursing-facility-snf/consolidated-billing There are four Skilled Nursing Facility Consolidated billing list files: File #1 - Part A Stay (2026 Physician Services)(Physician Professional Services Other than Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests) These codes are not subject to SNFconsolidated billing.File #2 - Part A Stay (2026 Physician)(Professional Component of Services to be Submitted with a 26Modifier) These odes are not subject to SNF consolidated billing.File #3 Part A Stay (Ambulance) These codes are not subject to SNF consolidated billing.File #4 - Part B Stay Only (Therapy) These therapy codes are subject to SNF consolidated billing and must be billed through the SNF.

    13 min

  4. Feb 26

    Ep.20 WISeR Prior Authorization: First-Month Real Life Experience

    Episode 20 of Reimbursement Readiness: Business Tips for Wound Practice delivers a timely field report on the WISER Prior Authorization Program—based on real, early experiences from stakeholders submitting requests in New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. Even listeners outside the participating states asked for this update, because the “why” behind approvals and denials is helping teams everywhere tighten documentation for reasonable and medically necessary care. Kathleen Schaum shares what she’s hearing from the first month of implementation—what surprised providers, how teams are adapting workflows, and why some are actually finding WISER beneficial (including faster clarity on coverage before purchasing a CTP). Then Kathleen interviews Kati Kauchel, DNP, FNP-C, CWS, founder of Kindling Consulting, who supports mobile wound care organizations and is actively working with groups submitting WISER requests in Texas and Oklahoma. Together, they unpack what “good” looks like under WISER: deliberate care plans, documentation that tells a clear longitudinal story, and escalation that’s clinically driven—not calendar-driven. You’ll also hear the most common patterns behind non-affirmed decisions—often not the product itself, but gaps in the record (standard of care, readiness criteria, sequencing, missing elements like vascular assessment, A1C/compression compliance, etc.). Kati closes with practical guidance to “pressure test” documentation before submission, including a provider self-assessment tool listeners can download. Episode 20 Handout WISeR Professional Self-Assessment.pdf

    19 min

  5. Feb 12

    Ep, 19 Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Other Blood-Derived Products for Diabetic Chronic Wounds/Ulcers

    Episode 19 of Reimbursement Readiness: Business Tips for Wound Practice tackles the surge of reimbursement questions surrounding autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and other blood-derived products for diabetic chronic wounds. After the 2026 OPPS and Physician Fee Schedule changes, many outpatient departments and physician practices are evaluating whether and how to add PRP/blood-derived technologies into their treatment pathways—and Kathleen Schaum breaks down what Medicare actually allows. Kathleen answers the top five PRP reimbursement FAQs, starting with what the NCD 270.3 (effective April 13, 2021) covers—and what it does not—plus the key coding distinction between G0460 vs G0465 and what must be built into your systems (EHR/CDM/coding/billing) to bill correctly. She also clarifies the covered places of service, how multiple-procedure payment reductions can apply when more than one unit is needed, and what to know about the MUE limit of 2 for G0465. Finally, she addresses whether WISER prior authorization applies (it does not for G0465), while emphasizing that advanced therapies still require tight documentation—including medical necessity, plan of care, and a complete procedure note.

    16 min

  6. Jan 29

    Ep.18 Physicians' FAQs about CTP Purchase & Application in 2026

    Send us your feedback: Audience Survey ------ In Episode 18 of Reimbursement Readiness: Business Tips for Wound Practice, Kathleen Schaum welcomes reimbursement expert Donna Cartwright to tackle the flood of physician questions surrounding the 2026 CTP payment changes. With misinformation circulating widely, this episode focuses on what CMS has actually finalized—and what physicians need to operationalize now. Donna walks through the most common FAQs about purchasing and applying CTPs under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including the shift to a uniform per–square centimeter product payment, how geographic adjustment affects rates, and what practices must update in their charge description masters and internal systems. She also clarifies a major compliance pitfall: wastage is no longer payable for non-BLA skin substitutes, and JW/JZ modifiers are not appropriate for CTPs under incident-to supply payment—meaning only the administered portion is billable. The episode closes with practical reminders around system updates, documentation discipline, and when to escalate unresolved contradictions to your MAC. Downloads: MFPS_Rates_2026.pdfGPCI_Rates_by_locality.pdf

    19 min

  7. Jan 22

    Ep.17 2026 OPPS Payment Changes for CTPs Will Not Happen “By Magic”

    As 2026 begins, Kathleen Schaum opens Episode 17 of Reimbursement Readiness: Business Tips for Wound Practice with a candid assessment of the turbulence wound care teams endured in 2025—particularly around cellular and tissue-based products (CTPs). While the 2026 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rule brought meaningful improvements for hospital-owned outpatient provider-based departments (PBDs), Kathleen is still fielding urgent calls from departments that have not yet aligned their systems to capture those payments correctly. In this episode, Kathleen walks PBD leaders step-by-step through the critical operational refinements required to receive appropriate CTP reimbursement in 2026. She explains how unpackaged payment affects application codes, why charges must be adjusted, which legacy codes must be removed, and how flat-rate CTP product payment changes purchasing strategy. Kathleen also highlights the importance of updating formularies, charge description masters, EHR workflows, coding tools, and billing systems—emphasizing that improved reimbursement will not “happen by magic” without deliberate action. This episode serves as a practical readiness checklist for PBDs using CTPs today. If physicians or qualified healthcare professionals are applying CTPs in your department, this conversation helps you confirm what’s complete, identify what’s missing, and act quickly to avoid lost revenue in 2026. Download the Quick Guide

    15 min

  8. Jan 15

    Ep.16 Incident-to-Billing

    In Episode 16 of Reimbursement Readiness: Business Tips for Wound Practice, Kathleen Schaum addresses one of the most frequently misunderstood topics in Medicare reimbursement: Incident-to billing. Drawing from common questions submitted by Wound Care Today USA subscribers—and recurring errors seen in real-world consulting—this episode is designed to clarify what Incident-to billing truly is, when it applies, and when it does not. Kathleen is joined by reimbursement expert Amiee Coriano, who provides a clear, practical breakdown of the CMS rules governing Incident-to services. Together, they walk listeners through who may provide Incident-to services, the strict supervision and documentation requirements, eligible places of service, and the critical distinction between new versus established patients. The episode also explains how Incident-to billing impacts Medicare payment rates, including when practices may bill at 100% of the Physician Fee Schedule versus 85%. This episode is essential listening for wound care practices that rely on physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician associates working together in office-based settings. Whether your goal is compliance, revenue optimization, or audit readiness, this conversation helps ensure your team applies Incident-to billing correctly—and avoids costly missteps.

    8 min
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Business Tip for all types of wound practices. Hosted by Kathleen D. Schaum and Friends.

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