Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition that affects nearly 1.7 million adults in America each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 270,000 Americans die each year from sepsis-related complications.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) and acute tubular necrosis (ATN) remain targets for both coding and clinical validation. Over the years, we’ve gleaned valuable insights from appealing hundreds of coding and clinical validation denials for AKI and ATN.
This summary, organized by major diagnostic category (MDC), highlights some of the changes to the IPPS proposed rule affecting MS-DRG and ICD-10-CM/PCS code assignment.
Keeping up with coding changes in the circulatory system chapter in the ICD-10-CM manual is an ongoing process. Almost every fiscal year coders are met with new codes for myocardial infarctions (MI), changes to congestive heart failure codes, and updates to the guidelines for reporting cerebrovascular diseases.
Valerie Rinkle, MPA, CHRI, covers important proposals found in the fiscal year (FY) 2020 IPPS proposed rule, including coding updates, new technology payment changes, and increases to low wage index hospitals.
Adrienne Commeree, CPC, CPMA, CCS, CEMC, CPIP, writes that accurate ICD-10-CM/PCS coding for the heart improves data quality, which in turn is used for statistics and tracking trends, so it is imperative to ensure the disease process is captured correctly.
Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCDS, presents a review of MS-DRG basics to ensure that inpatient coders have a thorough understanding of MS-DRGs’ intricacies, thus perfecting assignment and reimbursement accuracy.
At the beginnings of inpatient coding and CDI, we had books like DRG Expert and Excel-based programs for MS-DRG selections. More than 10 years later, vendors are offering web-based technologies that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to make us even more productive in both coding and CDI. The real question, however, is how we can best leverage those technologies.
