The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released multiple addenda with new tabular and index instructions and updates to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting to complement the updated ICD-10-CM code set to become effective April 1.
Susan Belley, M.Ed., RHIA, CPHQ, and Audrey Howard, RHIA, write that a majority of inpatients during this omicron surge are admitted for reasons other than COVID-19 and are incidentally found to be COVID-19-positive—making this an opportune time to review ICD-10-CM reporting for COVID-19 as a secondary diagnosis. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Medical practices in the U.S. are expanding treatment options for major depressive disorder to include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Laurie Bouzarelos, MHA, CPC, reviews the basics of TMS, types of providers who can deliver TMS, and ICD-10-CM/CPT coding for TMS delivery and management.
The 2022 CPT code set includes 249 new codes that went into effect January 1. Review new CPT codes for spinal decompressions, cataract removals, auditory implantations, and more. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Between 2016 and 2019, Medicare payments to laboratories for genetic tests quadrupled from $351 million to $1.41 billion. This sharp increase in spending on genetic testing is likely linked to excessive and fraudulent billing, according to a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) report.
CMS recently released the 2022 National Correct Coding Initiative Policy Manual for Medicare Services . Julia Kyles, CPC , breaks down procedure-to-procedure and medically unlikely edits for a selection of new provider-based services.
Anneleah Williams-Bridges, MS, MBCA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CCDS, RH-CBS, LIA, says that until recently, many organizations have solely used their coding and CDI resources to strengthen the capture of CCs/MCCs, severity of illness/risk of mortality scores, and MS-DRG validation; however, facilities that are not leveraging these teams for denials management and tracking denials as a key performance indicator should consider doing so.
The fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade report has been released, assigning grades to 2,901 hospitals. The grades come from hospitals’ performance on over 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety. For the first time, a new grading factor for post-operative sepsis, blood leakage, and kidney injury were included in those measures.
Q: We recently had a patient with a history of diabetes admitted with gangrene of the left second toe. Can you review any guidance related to ICD-10-CM coding and documentation for a case like this?
Jillian Harrington, MHA, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-P, CCS, CCS-P, CEMC, MHP, writes that in order to ensure proper coding, documentation, and reimbursement, it’s great practice to have inpatient coding and CDI teams review querying procedures yearly. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Many physicians are not entirely aware of the denials landscape and their involvement in it is often something they never anticipated. Educating physicians on their role in coding denials is important as it will help ensure proper reimbursement. Part two of this two-part series discusses involving physicians in administrative law judge appeals and monitoring success rates.
Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, CCS-P, COC, breaks down CPT coding for hearing assessments and for auditory osseointegrated implants used to treat certain types of hearing loss.
We would fail to see ourselves completely if we didn’t consider external views as well, so for this article, we’ll be looking at CDI-focused works from the medical literature.
The 2022 CPT code set includes 249 new codes that went into effect January 1. Review new CPT codes for spinal decompressions, cataract removals, auditory implantations, and more.
Coding for conditions complicating pregnancy and delivery can be challenging, given the number of factors that influence maternal and fetal health. This article details ICD-10-CM coding for cervical incompetence, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and postpartum care complications.
Coding and CDI programs can take many approaches to manage denials, whether they focus on physician documentation education, have a team member dedicated to writing appeals, or anything in between.
