When I hear "YouTube," I think of video clips of babbling babies, stupid pet tricks, and “don’t try this at home” stunts. But did you know that CMS is now on YouTube? Who’d a thunk it! They even have...
I’m not really crazy about the title of this blog post, but that’s how the adage goes. Once you get used to something, like ICD-9-CM for example, change is met with resistance. I don’t want to think...
When we think of all of the steps we have to take to get ready for ICD-10 implementation, missing one step in the planning process could cause chaos in your facility. Don’t forget about 5010! Your...
Will physician documentation be specific enough so coders can select the most appropriate code in ICD-10-CM/PCS or will coders be defaulting to unspecified codes? For starters, don't dwell on details...
One of the things that has concerned me about ICD-10-CM is the lack of guidance regarding sequencing. Since the American Hospital Association announced that it would not be converting Coding Clinic...
If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to look at your system capabilities and see what you need to update or upgrade before the transitions to HIPAA Version 5010 and ICD-10-CM/PCS. Start...
As a kid, do you remember playing the game where you sat round in a circle and one person whispered a phrase in the ear of the person sitting next to them, and that person passed it along until...
CMS created the following four podcasts based on the January 12 national provider call, “Preparing for ICD-10 Implementation in 2011:” Welcome and ICD-10 Overview Implementation Strategies for 2011...
So the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS is still more than two years away, and it’s too early to start learning actual codes. But you can start reviewing some of the major concepts of ICD-10-CM/PCS with...
Well, CMS apparently wants to make sure everyone tests the HIPAA Version 5010 transaction sets. CMS previously announced two national testing days, and is adding 5010 testing week. CMS scheduled 5010...
With 2013 seemingly so far away, many post-acute care organizations, including long-term care facilities, homecare agencies, and hospices, have not started their ICD-10 coding training. Many want to...
The complexity and costs of the switch to IDC-10-CM/PCS will vary by the size of the organization. A large, multi-facility health system needs to review more areas and plan more changes than a five-...
I attended the live portion of the American Health Information Management Association ICD-10-CM training in Baltimore last week. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted! It was a good overview...
As I look at the ICD-10-CM codes and take into consideration some of the possible documentation issues we might face, one of the questions that comes to mind is are we actually taking a step backward...
General Equivalency Mappings (GEMs) are crosswalks between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes. They are a helpful way to start looking for a code when you move from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM. But GEMs are not...
Right now only one in five hospital claims is fully paid without a payer request for more information, according to a RAND Corporation report. With the upcoming transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS, providers...
One of the things that I like about the ICD-10-CM manual is use of the vertical gray bars in the Volume II “Alphabetical Listing for Diseases.” This greatly enhances the ability to see how far the...
Certification in this day and age has become a vital part of obtaining and proving proficiency in coding and other related fields. Many years ago, coders did not have to be certified to secure...
Just when I thought that ICD-10 would resolve those annoying coding guideline and definition inconsistencies, I have discovered that some will still exist in ICD-10, too. Oh no—say it ain’t so! The...
Small rural facilities that haven’t yet started planning for ICD-10-CM/PCS shouldn’t panic yet, but they also shouldn’t delay much longer, says Jeff Wieters, RHIA, senior technical advisory...
