Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said the only constant is change. With the release of the fiscal year (FY) 2019 IPPS proposed rule , and all of the changes it contains, CMS has certainly proven Heraclitus correct. The rule applies to 3,257 acute care hospitals, and once finalized, will affect discharges on or after October 1.
Erica E. Remer, MD, FACEP, CCDS, reviews recent Coding Clinic guidance surrounding the code assignment of a Salter-Harris type I physeal fracture of the third metatarsal bone of the left foot.
In inpatient coding, all diagnoses that affect the current hospital stay must be reported. In addition, the Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set is commonly followed for reporting secondary diagnoses; it says that other (or additional) diagnoses are defined as "all conditions that coexist at the time of admission, that develop subsequently, or that affect the treatment received and/or length of stay."
Coding for pain management requires a detailed understanding of medical anatomy and terminology as well as the guidelines for reporting complex surgical procedures. Review ICD-10-CM coding for chronic and acute pain diagnoses and CPT coding for trigger point, joint, and epidural steroid injections. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Coding professionals will need to familiarize themselves with 2019 updates to the ICD-10-CM Manual , including significant changes to chapter two for neoplasms and chapter 5 for mental disorders. Shannon McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, CRC, CCDS , summarizes important 2019 ICD-10-CM updates , which will impact payment for claims submitted on or after October 1.
The fiscal year (FY) 2019 ICD-10-CM code update, released on June 11, includes 279 code additions, 143 revisions, and 51 invalidations. The number of changes is significantly less than the past two years, which makes me think we are getting back to the “norm” of expected yearly changes.
James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, CCDS , writes that ICD-10-CM/PCS documentation and coding rules surrounding patient safety indicators (PSI) must be honored in order to ensure proper compliance and reimbursement.
Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a genetic disease that could be misdiagnosed due to its rarity. Yvette DeVay, MHA, CPC, CPMA, CIC, CPC-I , reviews symptoms, procedural treatments, and ICD-10-CM coding for the condition.
Understanding when and how to report hospital modifiers is critical to ensuring compliant billing. Review CPT guidelines for modifiers -25, -50, and -59, as well as case studies and denial numbers by specialty, to reduce your risk from audits. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
A common question that coders often ask is when to report a secondary diagnosis. In part two of this two-part series, Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCDS , looks at the chapter-specific coding guidelines related to secondary diagnosis coding found in the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.
Allen Frady, RN-BSN, CCDS, CCS, CRC, reviews proposed changes applicable to coding and CDI teams within the fiscal year (FY) 2019 IPPS proposed rule including HIV disease, ARDS, and CC/MCC changes.
Adrienne Commeree, CPC, CPMA, CCS, CEMC, CPIP, writes that when reporting Alzheimer’s, understanding the disease and its symptoms is important for coders, as entries in the ICD-10-CM alphabetic index can be confusing. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Cognitive impairment ranges from mild to severe and can impact a person’s ability to perform everyday functions such as talking, remembering, and comprehending information. Debbie Jones, CPC, CCA , reviews CPT and ICD-10-CM coding, and care planning for patients living with cognitive impairment.
Cancer is the second most common form of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. To accurately report CPT and ICD-10-CM codes for skin and breast cancer, coders need a thorough understanding of symptoms of malignancies and treatments used to prevent them from spreading. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Pelvic congestion syndrome is a chronic medical condition affecting millions of women between the ages of 20 and 45. Lori-Lynne Webb CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, COBGC, ICD-10-CM/PCS , reviews symptoms of the condition and reporting using CPT and ICD-10-CM codes.
Shannon McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, CRD, CCDS, writes that while the fiscal year (FY) 2019 IPPS proposed rule is considering the downgrade of ICD-10-CM code B20 (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease) from an MCC to a CC, it does not mean that diagnosing and coding for HIV has lessened in complexity.
Allen Frady, RN-BSN, CCDS, CCS, CRC, writes about guidance related to documenting acute respiratory insufficiency and gives tips to coders and CDI teams on what to do when the conditions are over-documented postoperatively.
James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, writes that the various approaches hospital systems use to optimize their DRG-based case-mix index or HCC-based risk adjustment factor scores will likely conflict with how an accountability agent will see those measurements.
A diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) now includes several conditions that used to be diagnosed separately: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, and Asperger’s syndrome. Peggy Blue, MPH, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC , reviews these terms to aid accurate coding. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
I was recently reviewing Coding Clinic , First Quarter 2018, and felt that the question regarding physeal fractures needed more clarification and explanation than was provided in the official answer.
