I have always thought that ICD-9 procedure codes were very non-specific and that it is no wonder that inpatient coders don’t like CPT coding. However after looking at what is going to happen with ICD...
Looking forward to it? Did I really just say that? Yep – I sure did! In July, I attended a preview of HCPro’s ICD-10 Basics Boot Camp ™. I was actually a little surprised that the ICD-10-CM codes,...
When a physician moves a body part to a new place without disrupting its vascular and nervous supply, coders will code to root operation Transfer in ICD-10-PCS. The root operation is indicated by the...
Betsy comes in to Stitch ‘Em Up Hospital suffering from a cerebral aneurysm. Dr. Jannettta performs a vessel embolization procedure to treat Betsy. [caption id="attachment_3480" align="alignright"...
CMS reversed course earlier this week and announced it will conduct end-to-end ICD-10 training with a sample of providers. Previously, CMS had stated it would not conduct any end-to-end testing...
We hear about physician engagement across and throughout all healthcare settings almost daily, so it’s nothing new. But it's important for the upcoming transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS. Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCDS, offers suggestions for how to get your physicians engaged in the change.
Some facilities plan to use both CPT ® and ICD-10-PCS to code procedures after implementation. Kristi Stanton, RHIT, CCS, CPC, CIRCC, and Angie Comfort, RHIT, CDIP, CCS, discuss the advantages and challenges of this strategy, and how to implement it.
When it comes to ICD-10-CM/PCS, coders may be the hardest and most directly hit employees. Laura A. Shaffer, PhD, and Monica Lenahan, CCS, explain how hospitals may be lagging behind in terms of actually managing the change for these individuals.
Cross-training coders has definitive short-term advantages, such as enhancing staff coverage during holidays and vacations and increasing the department's ability to handle periods of fluctuation in certain bill types. But coding managers might not realize that these benefits can also help hospitals with long-term preparation for ICD-10. Angie Comfort, RHIT, CCS, and Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, explain the benefits of cross training coders as ICD-10 approaches.