Diseases of the ear and mastoid process are moving up in the ICD-10-CM world. They’re getting their own chapter. In ICD-9-CM, eyes and ears shared a section. You’ll find diseases of the ear in...
Discussions are starting regarding ICD-10, and there are many rumblings in the coding community. Just like anything else, something new and different can bring on feelings of being overwhelmed. Yes,...
I grew up in Western Pennsylvania coal country, where coal mines at one time were prevalent and back in the day, you could smell the hydrogen sulphide (at least according to my mother). A lot of the...
Before you can think about implementing ICD-10, you need to be sure your numerous Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and Practice Management Systems (PMS) are upgraded for the change. It can be a...
At the American Academy of Professional Coders national conference in Las Vegas, the ICD-10 sessions were buzzing as the HIM/coding community sounded out about the impact ICD-10 will have on...
One of the big changes to coding glaucoma in ICD-10-CM is the addition of laterality to the codes. ICD-10-CM includes options for right, left, bilateral, and unspecified. ICD-10-CM also includes...
It’s Groundhog Day…over and over in the comedy Groundhog Day. Poor Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) does his best to escape the never-ending cycle by killing himself in some creative ways. It’s...
Coding productivity will decrease at least initially with the switch to ICD-10-CM/PCS. But do you know how productive your coders are now? If the answer is no, consider following the example of Mary...
Welcome to the Middle Ages, when your chance of dying from the plague is around 50-50. The bubonic plague likely wiped out 75-200 million people in Europe in the 14 th century alone. For the...
We’ve hit the middle of August and Anytown’s summer adult baseball league is winding down its season. Just like the pros, though, our players haven’t escaped injury free. Randy, the league’s top...
