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“I have a very specific question about a new patient visit. Here is what my billing company said in a recent email about that for 2026: ‘You can bill a new patient visit with the procedure if you are noting that something completely different than the procedure was discussed. They are just saying that they will no longer pay an E/M code with a procedure if you just spent extra time with the patient on the procedure or if you are going over patient history. They no longer feel that is payable. Which is unfair due to the time each provider spends with a new patient. But that is our reality. They are saying that if you are seeing a new patient and doing a procedure you cannot just bill for a new patient visit just because they are new. You can bill an E/M code if you feel it’s warranted. Many carriers will likely deny, and we will then appeal it for you. If you are not discussing anything with that patient other than the procedure or history, then it’s up to you if you bill for the new patient visit alone or the procedure alone. Completely up to you.’ Please help us sort this out as I cannot find specific information on this. Do we bill a new patient visit with procedures as always with detailed documentation, or must we pick one or the other?”

FDA Recalls July 07 - July 21, 2026

Routine Foot Care, which includes trimming or debridement of the asymptomatic dystrophic, mycotic, or normal toenails is covered by Medicare only when the patient has one of the Medicare-specified systemic diseases with a clinically significant peripheral complication placing the patient “at risk” for infection and/or injury if a non-professional attempts to trim or debride the nail. However, when the nail becomes ingrown, and the surrounding soft tissue is complicated by pain or inflammation, then its care is no longer “routine” but involves a pathological state. This state is characterized by one or more of the following: pain, inflammation of the nail bed, inflammation of the surrounding soft tissue, infection and/or abscess.

In 2024, after a decade of assisting athletes, industrial workers, and fitness enthusiasts rehabilitate from injuries in a cramped leased space or onsite, Danielle York used an SBA loan to increase the scope of her services, to upscale her square footage, and to expand her impact in Modesto, CA. Danielle used the funds to make the space flow and feel the way she wanted. Large machines such as an infrared sauna and a cryotherapy chamber were purchased to improve patient outcomes. Working capital funded a marketing campaign to spread the word about her new location.

“I know United Healthcare changed the processing of claims for podiatrists this year when an office visit is billed with an x-ray. However, now I am seeing the same issue with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. New patient office visits are even being denied when billed with an x-ray. We have an x-ray unit on site, take our own x-rays, and our podiatrists read the x-rays. Do you have any advice for how to dispute some of these new patient office visits that are being denied as being included in the payment for the Xray?”

Keeping Your Software Up to Date Is a HIPAA Security Requirement One of the most overlooked aspects of HIPAA compliance is ensuring that the software and programs used throughout your practice are kept up to date. Cybercriminals are constantly searching for vulnerabilities in commonly used applications, and software vendors regularly release security patches to fix these weaknesses. Failing to install these updates can leave your practice exposed to cyberattacks, data breaches, and potential HIPAA violations.