Every year there are updates to the ICD-10 codes. These codes take effect 10/1/2021. This year's coding updates that will affect chiropractic claims are listed below:

As previously reported, the NYS WCB continues to develop and refine their CMS-1500 and OnBoard electronic communication initiatives. These initiatives are designed to submit claims and related documentation, enhance communication, and will allow access to information in a transparent, streamlined manner.

As you may have heard, The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board is in the process of developing a new business information system, OnBoard. OnBoard will be a Better System for a Better Board – providing an intuitive, user-friendly system, increased accuracy and quality, and paperless transactions to our system participants.

NYSCA has previously communicated that the revised January 1, 2020 New York Workers' Compensation Fee Schedule included reference to an updated Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Fee Schedule.

For many years, the NYSCA in conjunction with our lobbyist have been working tirelessly to gain Chiropractic parity in reimbursement with other health care providers.

As some of you are aware, the availability of telemedicine services for New York's injured workers was set to expire on July 20th.  The NYSCA workers' compensation committee contacted the WCB to ensure telemedicine would remain available for those injured workers who could not seek chiropractic care as a result of COVID-19.

The NYSCA recently hosted a live webinar with Carisk Clearinghouse on Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 8pm: "Workers' Compensation and Auto/No-Fault Made Easy: How to get paid faster."

Your office may have received a notice from American Specialty Health (ASH) titled REMOVAL FROM PARTICIPATION FOR SPECIFIC CLIENT SOURCES. The letter indicates that your office has been terminated from participation in Medicare specific Client Summaries as allowed in your ASH Practitioner Services Agreement.

As many of you are aware, we will be required to submit our workers' compensation claims and clinical documentation in an electronic format.  Most (if not all) clearinghouses who work with commercial carriers and Medicare do not accept No Fault and Workers' Compensation Claims. 

UnitedHealthcare recently published an update relative to COVID-19.  Noted in the introductory paragraph of this notice:

The NYSCA is pleased to share with you the following educational opportunity from National Government Services.  This platform will allow you to hear about the latest Medicare education from the NGS Provider Outreach and Education team and ask your questions immediately following.

The NYSCA Officers thank the insurance committee for their work in continuing this conversation and assisting in bringing more options to New York's chiropractors and chiropractic patients.  Updates to the United HealthCare policies allowing chiropractors to utilize telemedicine services to care for their patients is below.

During the COVID-19 crisis, telemedicine and telehealth services will allow you to continue to care for your patients from a distance.  The NYSCA Insurance Committee continues to interact with various NYS offices, commercial carriers and TPAs to discuss and seek their guidelines relative to the application and coverage of telemedicine services for doctors of chiropractic.

As we in New York begin to experience the exponential surge of COVID-19, members are questioning how they can care for their patients. Some offices remain open as part of essential services, while others have decided to close because of the risk factors. Geography and patient population seem to be the biggest determinants in this professional choice.

NYSCA members have been asking, "Does the WC amendment allowing temporary performance of telemedicine services during Covid-19 extend to No Fault?"  

Telemedicine and telehealth services are currently being reviewed and discussed by the state board for chiropractic.  However, you may currently perform telemedicine for injured workers in need of timely help.

NYSCA Members have reported that a few workers compensation carriers have failed to properly update their fee schedules based on the January 1, 2020 update.  As you know, these changes for parity were needed and overdue.  The Workers Compensation Committee continues to act on your behalf to make necessary changes. 

UnitedHealthcare will require the use of a 'GP' modifier for all billed physical medicine services effective 04/01/2020. 

In order to increase health care provider participation in the workers' compensation system and improve injured workers' access to timely, quality medical care, the Workers' Compensation Board (Board) is supporting electronic submission of CMS-1500 forms, along with a medical narrative. The CMS-1500 streamlines medical billing and may reduce the paperwork requirements currently in the workers' compensation system.