Providers need to keep more in mind than just diagnosis and procedure coding when performing sterilizations for men and women. Lori-Lynne A. Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, COBGC, CDIP, reviews the requirements for sterilizations and the part coders can play in avoiding denials.
ICD-10 implementation represented an unprecedented challenge for the U.S. healthcare system. Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA, writes about the impact of the change by looking at survey results that compare ICD-10 productivity benchmarks to ICD-9-CM.
Respondents to HCPro’s 2016 ICD-10 survey share their challenges and successes since implementation, while Monica Pappas, RHIA, and Darice M. Grzybowski, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, offer their thoughts on the impact of ICD-10.
The Zika virus has become a major concern over the last couple months and new information about treatment and symptoms seems to emerge daily. Lori-Lynne A. Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, COBGC, CDIP, writes about the latest information regarding the Zika virus and how coders can report it.
Reporting modifier –PO (services, procedures, and/or surgeries furnished at off-campus provider-based outpatient departments) only recently became mandatory, but new rules and regulations could change the requirements in certain settings. Kimberly Anderwood Hoy Baker, JD, CPC, reviews recent legislation that could have an impact on modifier –PO and looks ahead to when CMS intends to offer more guidance.
Drug administration services follow a hierarchy for reporting, but coding can become complex when providers administer multiple drugs. Review these tips to help tackle tough injection and infusion scenarios.
CPT codes for drug administration follow a hierarchy that is unique to those procedures. Review the hierarchy in order to understand how to apply codes for any type of scenario.
Accurate coding and billing data is important for both providers and CMS. Jugna Shah, MPH, writes about challenges providers have faced with providing that data to CMS and what the agency can do to ease provider burden.
Specialty groups are often able to move faster on creating guidelines for new procedures and codes than other ruling bodies. But sometimes this guidance can create conflicts between physician and facility coders. Lori-Lynne A. Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, COBGC, CDIP, writes about how to avoid these scenarios and come to the best resolution for providers, payers, and patients.
The AMA introduced new CPT codes for 2016 to report intracranial therapeutic interventions. Stacie L. Buck, RHIA, CCS-P, CIRCC, RCC, reviews the changes and provides examples on how to use them in a variety of procedures.
Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, and Peggy Blue, MPH, CPC, CEMC, CCS-P, explain when to report the new codes introduced in the 2016 CPT Manual for genitourinary procedures.
Post-traumatic stress disorder isn’t only reported for military personnel. Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, CCS-P, COC, CPC-I, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, writes about when PTSD may be reported and which diagnosis and procedures codes should be included.
The government recently approved changes for physician payment systems. Is your clinical documentation improvement (CDI) team ready to tackle these challenges? More importantly, are your physicians ready?
CMS audits for meaningful use could mean collecting information across the coding and HIM departments. David Holtzman, JD, CIPP, and Darice Grzybowski, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, review what auditors could request and how to prepare your facility.
Hospital coders can choose multiple modifiers to apply to a procedure code if the service was discontinued. Susan E. Garrison, CHCA, CHCAS, CCS-P, CHC, PCS, FCS, CPAR, CPC, CPC-H, provides an overview of these codes and in which instances to use them.
Perhaps recognizing the massive undertaking for coding and HIM departments in 2015 with the implementation of ICD-10, the latest CPT® update includes a relatively small 367 changes for 2016. Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, and Peggy Blue, MPH, CPC, CEMC, CCS-P, review updates to the digestive system and E/M codes.
Modifier -52 is used to report procedures that are partially reduced or eliminated at the provider’s discretion. Susan E. Garrison, CHCA, CHCAS, CCS-P, CHC, PCS, FCS, CPAR, CPC, CPC-H, looks at how the modifier should be applied in hospitals and tips for compliance.
Jennifer Avery, CCS, COC, CPC, CPC-I, writes about how the increased specificity in ICD-10-CM changes pregnancy coding and how to use gestational weeks in physician documentation to report trimesters.
Providers will only have to report one data collection modifier related to a C-APC in 2016. Jugna Shah, MPH, and Valerie A. Rinkle MPA, examine the requirements behind the modifier and how APCs will also be restructured next year.
