Forum

MS-DRG

Medicare Severity DRGs (MS-DRGs) reflect patient severity and take into account inpatients' complications/comorbidities (CC) and major CCs (MCC). Post your questions about MS-DRGcoding and reimbursement here.

APC

The Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) system reimburses most hospital outpatient services based upon APC groups that are similar both clinically and in terms of resources required. Post APC questions, and talk about ways to improve the APC system here.

Compliance

Because it determines reimbursement, coding is at the heart of healthcare compliance. Discuss specific coding compliance issues, settlements, auditing, and monitoring activities here.

ICD-9

ICD-9-CM is currently the "official code set" for diagnostic coding for Medicare and other payers. Discuss specific coding concerns as well as the present-on-admission indicator here.

Credentialing

The government wants all coders of Medicare claims to have appropriate credentials. Use this forum to discuss how a coder achieves certification, how to maintain credentials, and how to retain credentialed staff.

CPT-4

This classification system has been designated as the "official code set" for procedure coding for Medicare Part B and ambulatory claims for all payers. Discuss the challenges of selecting correct codes and post your CPT-4 questions here.

ICD-10

The United States will switch to ICD-10 coding on October 1, 2014. Ask questions about the transition and the new codes here.

Evaluation & Management

Evaluation and Management (E/M) "visit" codes account for almost half of all third-party payments to providers. Talk about how the codes are selected and the many factors that may affect code selection, such as place of service, type of service, and the complexity of the encounter.

Chargemaster

This discussion group is a forum to discuss critical issues relating to charge description master (CDM) file content, organization, and management. Use this forum to discuss dcharemaster maintenance and receive helpful hints on how to resolve common problems.

Documentation Improvement

By improving clinical documentation, you improve the accuracy of coding and DRG assignment and ensure appropriate reimbursement. Share your experiences regarding this challenging endeavor here.

Networking

Connect with other coding professionals! Engage other coders with your coding questions and thoughts here.

HIM Directors

Health information management (HIM) directors plan and coordinate all services provided by the health information department. Share your management challenges and triumphs with your fellow HIM directors here.