Upon quick glance, codes for insertion, removal, and revision of pacemakers look quite different in ICD-10-PCS. The good news is that much of the logic that coders use to assign these codes in ICD-9-CM won't change. The silver lining? The procedure itself doesn't change, nor does anatomy.
Most hospitals have been overwhelmed by Recovery Auditor (RA) requests for documentation. So it's no surprise that the RAs themselves seem to be equally as burdened with the task of processing those records.
The three-day payment window has been wrought with compliance challenges since its inception. In January, CMS updated the policy to provide additional clarification.
Although coders and billers don't play a role in determining whether condition code 44 is appropriate, they most certainly ensure correct billing of the code.
In times of increased auditor scrutiny, it's important for coders to remind themselves of their strengths. Assigning the POA indicator is one of them, according to an OIG report released in November 2012.
Upon quick glance, the FY 2013 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting probably look very familiar to coders. They're comparable in length to the ICD-9-CM guidelines. They also follow the same format.
The manager of clinical documentation integrity program/HIMS at a 300-bed academic medical center and pediatric specialty hospital has high hopes for computer-assisted coding (CAC). In particular, she anticipates that it will increase productivity and ease the transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM/PCS.
