In the medical and surgical section of ICD-10-PCS, character 5 refers to the approach or method used to reach or expose a body part during a procedure. As a result, coders will need to look for...
The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates voted to “work vigorously to stop implementation of ICD-10” during the closing session of its semi-annual policy-making meeting November 15...
Coders will use the root operation division when the physician plans to cut into, transect, or otherwise separate all or a portion of a body part. Do not use division if the physician plans to cut or...
Another new term coders will need to know for ICD-10-PCS root operations is fragmentation. Fragmentation is breaking solid matter in the body into pieces. Note that in a fragmentation procedure, the...
When should a coder report multiple procedures performed during a single operative session in ICD-10-PCS? Look to the official guidelines for information. According to the guidelines, coders should...
Some of the removal root operations can easily be confused with other root operations that involve taking out solids, fluids, or gases from a body part (e.g., drainage, extirpation, and fragmentation...
A step-by-step approach to code assignment is helpful when trying to understand the complexity of ICD-10-PCS. Step one: Determine the first character, which denotes the general category of the...
If an excision involves cutting out a portion of a body part, and a resection involves cutting out all of a body part, what then is an extraction? According to the ICD-10-PCS guidelines, an...
With ICD-10-PCS, coders will have 31 root operations to choose from and not all of them are clear cut. Start learning the root operations now to prepare you for the switch to ICD-10-PCS. The ICD-10-...
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...
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...
ICD-10-PCS codes include one digit for the root operation that the provider performs. The root operation is always the third character is the seven-character code. The definitions of these root...
CMS recently posted the 2012 ICD-10-PCS codes and coding guidelines . A summary of the major changes for 2012 states that there are 1,182 new codes, 381 revised titles, and 1,345 deleted codes. In...
You’ve probably heard that it’s too early to start learning ICD-10-CM/PCS codes. After all, the codes are still in draft format. However, it’s not too early to start learning the root operations for...
Coders are discussing whether they need to be trained in ICD-10-CM only or should they also receive training in ICD-10-PCS. Well, the answer may depend on what setting you are currently employed in,...
ICD-10-CM/PCS now has guidelines for reporting conditions that are present on admission (POA). As part of the 2011 guidelines updates, CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics added Appendix...
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) posted the new 2011 guidelines for ICD-10-CM on its website. You won’t find many significant changes to conventions, general coding guidelines, and chapter...
CMS has posted two new frequently asked questions (FAQs) about ICD-10 national provider teleconferences and the partial code freeze. To access these FAQs, please visit the CMS ICD-10 webpage , click...
Physicians who are part of a practice do go to the hospital to deliver babies, provide consults, and perform surgeries. So does that mean coders in a physician’s office will need to learn ICD-10-PCS...
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...
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...
Looking forward to it? Did I really just say that? Yep – I sure did! In July, I attended a preview of HCPro’s ICD-10 Basics Boot Camp ™. I was actually a little surprised that the ICD-10-CM codes,...
CMS posted this week the following ICD-10-PCS files for 2011 to its website: Official ICD-10-PCS Coding Guidelines 2011 Version: What's New Code Tables and Index Code Descriptions ICD-10-PCS...
OK, so maybe your ICD-10-PCS (Draft) Manual doesn't rank up there with your most memorable reads, however, you can't deny that it's a page-turner! Sometimes, it may seem like you can't find the...
ICD-10-PCS is drastically different from the ICD-9-CM Volume 3 procedure codes. Just looking at the physical appearance, you’ll see that the procedure codes in ICD-9-CM have a maximum of four digits...
CMS recently posted updates to both the 2010 ICD-10-CM Guidelines for Coding and Reporting and the ICD-10-PCS mappings , "ICD-10-PCS to ICD-9-CM" and "ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-PCS." Regarding the ICD-10-...
I have always thought that ICD-9 procedure codes were very non-specific and that it is no wonder that inpatient coders don’t like CPT coding. However after looking at what is going to happen with ICD...
