VitalKnowledge^® Classic — What's New

Due to the upcoming holidays, some releases for the next three months will be adjusted. Dates in bold font below do not follow the regular two-week release schedule.

The next three Release Dates are:

• November 9, 2023
• December 7, 2023 (no release on November 23, 2023)
• January 4, 2024 (no release on December 21, 2023)

Due to the upcoming holidays, some releases for the next four months will be adjusted. Dates in bold font below do not follow the regular two-week release schedule.

The next four Release Dates are:

• October 26, 2023
• November 9, 2023
• December 7, 2023 (no release on November 23, 2023)
• January 4, 2024 (no release on December 21, 2023)

In the future, automated Vitalware emails for report exports, request exports, import notifications, and request notifications will come from vw-support@healthcatalyst.com, rather than the previous vitalware.com domain. All other automated Vitalware emails will come from vw-no-reply@healthcatalyst.net.

You can now add your preferred name to your profile:

The Medicare Crosswalk tab on the Code Detail pane has been renamed Alt Code Relationships to more accurately reflect its content.

When you are searching in the VitalKnowledge Library module, you can now clear the Search Text drop-down by clicking the X.

Vitalware release dates for November 2022, December 2022, and January 2023 have been adjusted for the holiday season. The next three release dates are:

• November 17, 2022
• December 8, 2022
• January 12, 2023

When you search the Supplies and Devices data set, size information (if it is available) is provided on the Additional Device Properties tab

When you search Code Lookup using the Revenue Codes data set, you can select Rev Req HCPCS in the Field Search section to view revenue codes that do or do not require HCPCS codes.

When you view the Code Detail for a revenue code, the information now includes Rev Req HCPCS, Definition, and Notes.

When you search using the CPT/HCPCS data set, the Rev Codes tab will also display this information.

When you search the CPT/HCPCS data set in Code Lookup, vaccines with a status indicator of F or L will show the National Payment Rate, if that information is available. Note that the APC Adjusted Amount is equal to the National Payment Rate, as vaccines are not subject to wage adjustments.

Our data source for anesthesia base units has changed from the ASA to CMS. On the Anesthesia tab of the Code Detail pane, we have renamed the ASA RVG Units column to CMS Base Units to reflect this change. The Anesthesia Crosswalk information is now the Vitalware proprietary crosswalk, rather than the ASA crosswalk information.

In CodeValidate, the Commercial option for commercial medical necessity has been changed to Commercial Med Nec.

We are now including medical necessity edits for select commercial payers. These payers can be viewed and selected within CodeValidate:

• Aetna
• Anthem
• BCBS Alabama
• BCBS Empire
• BCBS Excellus
• BCBS Illinois
• BCBS Massachusetts
• BCBS Mississippi
• BCBS Montana
• BCBS New Mexico
• BCBS Oklahoma
• BCBS Rhode Island
• BCBS Texas
• BCBS Wyoming
• CA Medi-Cal
• Capital BCBS
• Cigna
• ConnectiCare
• Highmark BC PA
• Highmark BCBS of Delaware
• Humana
• Husky Health
• Independence BCBS
• MassHealth
• NH Healthy Families
• Regence
• UnitedHealthcare

There is also a Commercial tab in the results section.

You can right-click in the Commercial column to view policies to review.

Codes that include MUE information now include Medicaid data.

Codes that include a PC/TC indicator now display the specific definition for that indicator when you hover over it.

You can also click any PC/TC indicator to download a PDF listing the definitions for all PC/TC indicators.

Three new options are available in the Field Search field when you are searching the Supplies and Devices data set: Case GTIN, GTIN, and UDI.

The data source for the base units in the Pro Anes Fee Sched tab has changed from the ASA to CMS.

A new code indicator, Unspecified Code, was added to the ICD-10 CM data set. This now displays as a default column for applicable codes, and it is available as an option when you use the Field Search. The unspecified designation indicates that there is a more specific code available within that code family to identify laterality (left, right, or bilateral).

When searching any data set that has Type of Code as an option, Type of Code now appears below the Search Text field to allow a more fluid workflow.

The Gender option in your Vitalware profile has been updated to Preferred Pronouns, and the available selections now include they/them/theirs.

Three new tabs, Additional Device Properties, Storage Conditions, and FDA Product Information, have been added to the Code Detail pane for Supplies and Devices, when applicable.

When available, the Status Code and Status Code Description now display in the Code Detail pane.

The number of Supplies and Devices items has been increased from approximately 300,000 to 3,000,000. Additional columns have also been added to the Term Results for Supplies and Devices, including Distribution End Date, Sterile Packaging, and more.

You can click the link in the VW ID column for Supplies and Devices to view more information specific to this supply or device.

Note: Export is not available for Supplies and Devices.

When you view an article in VitalKnowledge, the Article Versions, Article Description, Bill Codes, and Revenue Codes sections are collapsed by default. This allows you to view the CPT and ICD-10 codes more quickly.

The CodeValidate CCI (PTP) tab has a new validation for MUE issues. The MUE Issues column displays a message when the number of units for a specific code entered exceeds the MUE.

To assist in MUE validation, you can now specify the number of units associated with each code when entering CPT^® Codes in CodeValidate.

A new Share button has been added to the topic toolbar in the VitalKnowledge Online Help Center to make it quick and easy to share information. Clicking the button opens an outgoing email with the specific topic link included.

The VitalKnowledge User Guide and What's New PDF designs have been updated with new images and colors. The content of the documents is not affected.

The Prior Auth Req column, which identifies CPT and HCPCS codes that require prior authorization, will now be displayed by default.

VitalKnowledge Online Help Center color and image updates have been implemented as part of an organizational design standardization initiative. The help content has not been altered as part of this initiative.

The new Value Code Amount fields in OPPS Calculator allow for device credit processing. OPPS Calculator will display the impact on reimbursement when a facility uses a device received at little or no cost from the manufacturer. OPPS Calculator will now reduce the net payment amount using the entered Value Code Amount when a Value Code of FD (Credit Received From the Manufacturer of a Replaced Medical Device) is selected. The reimbursement reduction will be applied to billed procedures on the claim that have been determined to always have a device component, and will be subject to the maximum values identified on the device offset files published by Medicare.

A new column is available that provides the American Medical Association's consumer-friendly description of each item.

In the list of Data Sets, the Devices option is now Supplies and Devices.

When searching by date, you can now specify a date range with the "To" field.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated the English and Spanish ABN forms. These updated forms are available in VitalABN.

When viewing the Modifiers tab of the Code Detail pane, you will see a column named Overrides PTP Edit. This column was previously named NCCI Flag.

There is a new look to the Vitalware dashboard.

You can sign up for future live training sessions, or you can select Recorded training to view past training sessions.

Click Data Dashboard to view details about Vitalware data, including current versions, when data was updated, and when data is scheduled to be updated.

Click the Help icon to access Help files, User Guides, and What's New documents for the module you are currently using. When you are on the dashboard, you can access the documents for VitalKnowledge.

VitalKnowledge now has an online help center. Select Online Help from the Help icon drop-down list to open the new VitalKnowledge Online Help Center, where you can find answers to your product questions. Additional information and features will be added to the help center in the coming months.

When searching in the Devices data set, you can enter alphanumeric information without dashes, slashes, or other special characters. You can also enter part of a model number. For example, if you enter SPS25150, the results can include SPS-25150-40 and SPS-25150-60.

You can search the Devices data set by GTIN (Global Trade Identification Numbers) and UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Products and Services Code). This information will also display in the results table.

In the Devices data set, you can now type a manufacturer's name in the Field Search to quickly find it. The drop-down selection list will automatically filter to items containing the characters you enter.

In Code Lookup and CodeValidate, a new Prior Auth Req column indicates when prior authorization is required for a CPT/HCPCS code, due to the Medicare authorization process that begins 7/1/2020.

For add-on codes in the CCI (PTP) tab, the Add-on Issues column indicates whether the prerequisites for the add-on code have been satisfied. The messages are as follows:

• Add-on Edit Satisfied: One of the associated primary codes for this add-on exists as a separate line item.
• Primary Codes are Contractor Specific: This add-on is either a Type II code, or it is a Type III code and no associated primary code exists as a separate line item.
• Primary Code Missing: This add-on is a Type I code and no associated primary code exists as a separate line item.

You can click any link in the Add-on Issues column to view more information.

When you print APC Code Details in Code Lookup, the APC Reimbursement information displays the correct amount.

When you are searching only for HCPCS Codes in Code Lookup, Anesthesia codes will not be included in the results.