CMS has repeatedly tweaked its logic regarding comprehensive APCs since inception. Dave Fee, MBA, reviews the latest changes regarding complexity adjustments, as well as new and deleted codes.
It's great, identifying opportunities to teach. Whenever I do medical record audits, I always look for chances to educate coders, physicians, and/or CDI specialists about areas of misunderstanding by coding professionals or elements of patient experience that require specific documentation for proper code assignment.
Coders and CDI specialists often rely on the encoder to determine the MS-DRG. Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP, reviews the steps necessary to determine the MS-DRG on your own.
The 2015 CPT ® Manual included big changes to drug test reporting. Denise Williams, RN, CPC-H, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer and AHIMA ICD-10 ambassador, and Steven Espinosa, CCS, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, explain the changes and how they will impact documentation and coding.
ICD-10-PCS root operations Drainage, Extirpation, and Fragmentation involve removing material from the body, but in different ways. A nita Rapier, RHIT, CCS, Kristi Stanton, RHIT, CCS, CPC, and James Fee, MD, CCS, CCDS, offer tips for distinguishing between the root operations.
CMS continues to move toward increased packaging with its policies in the 2016 OPPS proposed rule released July 2, with additional comprehensive APCs (C-APC) and extensive APC reconfigurations.
PSI 12 evaluates the hospital's risk-adjusted rate of perioperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE) in surgical discharges for patients 18 years and older. Performance for PSI 12 contributes 25.8% of the PSI 90 composite score under the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program.
A survey conducted in May and June 2015 found providers have completed many steps toward ICD-10 implementation, but lag behind in testing and expect to continue managing the impact after the deadline.
Coders will find 50 new codes in ICD-10-PCS for 2016, according to the summary of changes posted by CMS . CMS also introduced a new section for ICD-10-PCS, X (new technology). In addition, guidelines B3.11b, B3.4a, B3.2b, and B4.1b were revised in response to public comment.
