I know there are some of you out there who missed the recent CMS national provider call. For anyone looking to catch up on this recent information session, CMS posted to its ICD-10 webpage a...
You can expect ICD-10 updates to follow the same timeline that you are already accustomed to for ICD-9—almost. An ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting was held September 15-16,...
When coders are looking at scenarios in ICD-10-CM/PCS, where the X is located within the code matters. When X is in the fifth and/or sixth character, X is a placeholder. ICD-10-CM codes can be up to...
As many may be aware, laterality has been added in ICD-10-CM to increase specificity. Codes assigned for conditions such as fractures, burns, and pressure ulcers will indicate right side versus left...
On November 23, 2010, the North Carolina Healthcare Information & Communications Alliance (NCHICA) and the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) published what they call an "...
Can’t wait to learn more about ICD-10? Want to get some basic training and experience in using ICD-10? Not enough money in the budget to go get training? Take a look at the World Health Organization’...
CMS will host a national provider teleconference January 12 at 1 p.m. that will focus on ICD-10 implementation in 2011. CMS representatives will discuss implementation strategies for this year...
As the New Year starts, where are you at in terms of your ICD-10 implementation plans? This might be a good time to sit down and identify any gaps in your preparation to ensure a smooth transition to...
Expert predictions for industry costs for the upcoming move to ICD-10-CM/PCS vary from $6 billion to $14 billion (Robert E. Nolan Company), to $1.15 billion (RAND Corporation). Regardless of where...
CMS has released the 2011 versions of the ICD-10-CM/PCS crosswalks, also known as the General Equivalence Mappings (GEM) on its ICD-10 website . In addition, CMS also posted a document titled “ICD-10...
It may come as a surprise, but CMS has an excellent website to help with the transitions to 5010 and ICD-10. This site is actually easy to use and fairly comprehensive compared to some of their...
ICD-10. The biggest change to happen in health information management in more than 20 years is on your doorstep. You’ll need a step-by-step plan to educate and train staff across multiple departments...
At the annual American Health Information Management Association's (AHIMA) convention in September, AHIMA practice resources managers Kathy DeVault, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, and Ann Zeisset, RHIT, CCS, CCS-...
One of the challenges in ICD-9 is teaching the difference between coding for adverse effects and poisonings. You have to understand the difference between the two, and you have to also understand the...
The meanings of the seventh character for ICD-10-CM codes vary across chapters and categories. Fracture codes include additional information that can be provided by the extension. When coding for a...
Neoplasms are a form of new, abnormal growth in organs and tissues. The cells do not develop as an organized part of the site where they form, and they may spread to other parts of the body in a...
The billing department will see plenty of payer ¬policy changes as a result of ICD-10-CM. Billers must know how the new policies affect what can be billed and how they must submit the bills under the...
What does "x" represent in ICD-10? What seemed like a fairly straightforward question and answer in a recent HCPro ICD-10 Basics Boot Camp™ class I was teaching actually evolved into more of a tricky...
The Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) recently announced ICD-10 recertification requirements for individuals certified by the American Health...
While attending an American Health Information Management Association ICD-10 course, I was surprised to learn that there is a huge change to the coding guidelines regarding neoplasms. Currently in...
