Diagnosis coding for skin ulcers can be particularly confusing as different kinds of ulcers have their own etiology and associated ICD-10-CM code. Review ICD-10-CM coding and reporting for venous, pressure, and diabetic skin ulcers. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
At a Senate Committee on Finance hearing on May 8, physician groups urged Congress to work with CMS to improve the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) by establishing new performance measures and providing greater financial incentives for participating providers.
CMS released the fiscal year 2020 IPPS proposed rule in April, which addressed various requests for MS-DRG designations, and in particular, the request for a new MS-DRG designation for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies that CMS subsequently denied.
Q: Our department has been having trouble reporting comas in ICD-10-CM. Are there any tools we can use to help us report these diagnoses more accurately?
Peggy Blue, MPH, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC , writes that due to the frequency of diagnoses and treatments for breast cancer, it’s more important than ever for inpatient coders to make sure they are reporting these diagnoses and procedures with the utmost accuracy. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Sarah Nehring, CCS, CCDS, says that from the inpatient coding and CDI perspective, sepsis can be one of the trickiest diagnoses. In this article, she reviews 10 things coders wish physicians knew about sepsis documentation and coding.
Adriane Martin, DO, FACOS, CCDS, reviews recent Coding Clinic, First Quarter 2019, advice, which includes guidance on reporting abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs, spinal fusions, Whipple procedures, midline and central venous catheters, and more.
Q: I was recently informed that providers use cellular-based tissue products to treat ulcers when a patient fails to respond to more conservative treatment options. What constitutes a failed response to treatment and how would this be documented?
CMS’ recently released fiscal year (FY) 2020 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule includes 273 proposed ICD-10-CM code additions mainly affecting reporting for legal interventions, orbital roof fractures, and pressure-induced deep tissue damage. The code changes, if finalized, will take effect October 1, 2019.
The role of the coder has transitioned over the past few years to one that is more auditing-heavy. Lori-Lynne A. Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, COBGC , describes how to effectively perform internal audits and educate providers on coding best practices.
