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.
According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 100,000 Americans have sickle-cell disease. In this article, Peggy Blue, MPH, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC , breaks down the complexities of the disease and clarifies reporting of the diagnosis. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Just like their inpatient acute care counterparts, inpatient psychiatric facilities use ICD-10-CM codes, but their payment structure, documentation requirements, prevalent clinical conditions, and additional documentation requirements needing capture are vastly different.
Though larger facilities may have had CDI programs for years that work in conjunction with the inpatient coders—some for over a decade—others are only starting now.
Spinal surgery is big business. The global market was expected to reach $9.3 billion by 2017, according to Global Industry Analysts . Coders can certainly attest to the frequency of these procedures.
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.
Nearly one-third of the world’s population is overweight or obese, including an estimated 160 million Americans, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation . These statistics are alarming, especially considering that obesity is linked to many other conditions such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Inpatient coding audits are performed for different purposes by individuals within and outside of the hospital. Coding audits can be categorized in various ways as shown below, but these attributes are not exclusive: Audits will have several characteristics at a time.
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.
A common question that coders often ask is when to report a secondary diagnosis. In part one of this two-part series, Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCDS , looks at the general coding guidelines related to secondary diagnosis coding found in the 2018 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.
Allen Frady, RN-BSN, CCDS, CCS, CRC, reviews various guidance related to clinical validation to help coders and CDI teams better navigate the complex topic.
It is well known that ICD-10-CM/PCS code assignment impacts hospital reimbursement and compliance; however, there is an additional code that often flies under the radar for inpatient coders—the discharge status code. Inaccurate discharge status code assignment for Medicare post-acute care transfers (PACT) can lead to under reimbursement and compliance risks for hospitals.
The thyroid gland, included in the endocrine system, is a small gland located at the base of the neck. Although small when compared to the other components of the endocrine system, the thyroid gland plays a significant role in overall body function, influencing the performance of the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and skin.
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.
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.
