The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) is conducting an ICD-10 readiness survey to find out how ready the healthcare industry is for the October 1, 2015 implementation date. Providers,...
When teaching ICD-9-CM coding, I often use a little ditty, “sprains and strains are the same,” to remind myself that when a physician documents “strain,” I need to start with the main term of “sprain...
Dodge ball is not a game for wimps or the uncoordinated. Even master ball dodgers can end up in the Fix ‘Em Up Clinic. Steve engaged in a spirited game of dodge ball over the weekend, which resulted...
The ICD-10-CM makes a distinction between burns and corrosions. The burn codes are for thermal burns, except sunburns, that come from a heat source, such as a fire or hot appliance. You also report e...
Editor’s note: For purposes of today’s example, we are ignoring medical necessity. We’re going to say Sidney is an inpatient. In the real world, he would need to meet the criteria for an inpatient...
As if you don’t have enough to worry about between staying on top of CMS guidelines and different reporting rules for various payers, now you face the challenge of learning and assigning ICD-10 codes...
The endless last-minute patches for the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) are almost history. Late last night, the Senate overwhelmingly passed H.R. 2, which repeals the SGR. The House overwhelmingly...
While teaching the inpatient and outpatient boot camps, I often receive questions regarding ICD-10. One of them that sticks out in my mind is, “What about E codes? Are they still going to look the...
ICD-10-PCS is drastically different from the ICD-9-CM Volume 3 procedure codes. Just looking at the physical appearance, you’ll see that the procedure codes in ICD-9-CM have a maximum of four digits...
We’ve all heard of deranged killers, but have you ever heard of a deranged knee? Better yet, can you code for it? Coding for a derangement isn’t new. We have derangement codes in ICD-9-CM. For...
