Below is a complete listing of all Management articles that have appeared in JustCoding News.
July 19, 2011
Those looking for more information about recovery audit contractor (RAC) findings may be happy to know that CMS has published the top overpayment issues for each RAC. Lori Brocato, Glenn Krauss, BBA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPUR, C-CDI, CCDS, and Alice Zentner, RHIA, discuss the findings, which identify overpayments due to incorrect coding for ventilation support and operating room procedures unrelated to the principal diagnosis.
July 5, 2011
Not sure where to focus your recovery audit contractor (RAC) preparations these days? Look no further than the Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) to add a little spice to your compliance efforts. Kimberly Hrehor, MHA, RHIA, CHC, Norma Knipp, MSA, RHIA, and Glenn Krauss, BBA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPUR, C-CDI, CCDS, share tips for how hospitals can use PEPPER to improve compliance, analyze potential trends, and identify possible areas of undercoding.
June 7, 2011
Mary Rita Hyland, RN, BS, MBA, emphasizes that with the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS, providers have a significant task ahead of them and a small window within which to accomplish it. She highlights five assessments that are critical to a successful implementation.
May 23, 2011
Jean Stone, RHIT, CCS, has never met some of the coders who report directly to her. That's right—she has never met them in person. In today's tough economy, remote coding may be a solution that addresses increasing demands, staffing shortages, and other concerns. Stone and Jason Lawrence, CCS, a contract coder, share insight into the benefits of the remote coding program at their facility.
May 10, 2011
Inpatient coders may lack familiarity with the inpatient-only procedure list because CMS publishes it annually in the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) final rule. Nonetheless, Deborah K. Hale, CCS, CCDS, and Karen Bowden, RHIA, discuss why it’s important for inpatient coders to review this list of CPT® codes and know its implications.
April 26, 2011
Coders have a huge responsibility. They must ensure accurate coding and compliance. Otherwise, hospitals, offices, and clinics don't receive money. Coders also control assignment of hospital-acquired conditions, the present-on-admission indicator, complications, and more. Robert S. Gold, MD, discusses the critical role coders play and explains why facilities should recognize their valuable contribution and provide needed support.
April 26, 2011
Even with today's tight budgets, there are still ways you can brighten the faces of your staff members. Chris Simons, RHIA, Jean S. Clark, RHIA, CSHA, Monica Pappas, RHIA, Elaine Lips, RHIA, and Darice M. Grzybowski, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, share their best ideas and tried-and-true tactics.
March 29, 2011
Somewhere between the third urgent item on your to-do list, getting your budgets prepared, and responding to the latest auditor's requests is the omnipresent responsibility of nurturing the validity of the medical record. Darice Grzybowski, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, explains the importance of examining data integrity issues affecting work flow and emphasizes the integrity of data as records become automated and more intensely complex and interoperable through sharing of data.
March 15, 2011
Clinical coding in today’s environment of heightened regulatory risk and financial recoupments through recovery audit contractors, comprehensive error rates testing, Medicare administrative contractors, and other third-party initiatives requires a greater degree of awareness and incorporation of integral elements of coding. Glenn Krauss, BBA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPUR, PCS, FCS, C-CDIS, CCDS, discusses why it’s important for coders to reference additional published resources and reports to ensure compliant coding.
February 27, 2011
As time continues to slip through the hourglass counting down to ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation in 2013, facilities need to take a good hard look at education needs for coders as well as other stakeholders in their organization. Rose T. Dunn, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, MBA, and Deborah C. Beezley, RHIT, share tips for planning education for various groups in the organization, including access and scheduling staff, patient care, medical staff, and compliance staff members.