In this article, Alba Kuqi, MD, CICA, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, CRCR, CSMC, RHIA, says inpatient coding professionals need to look for signs and symptoms supportive of sepsis in order to report the most accurate codes, which is why staying up to date on the ever-changing clinical criteria for sepsis is so important.
CMS is modifying its approach for presenting new technology add-on-payment-related ICD-10-PCS code requests that involve the administration of therapeutic agents for its March 9-10, 2021 ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting.
Q: We are confused about which body part value in ICD-10-PCS should be captured for an incision and drainage (I&D) of a perianal abscess of the left buttocks because the physician documented both “perianal” and “left buttocks.”
Sarah Nehring, RHIT, CCS, CCDS, writes that ICD-10-CM reporting of sequelae generally requires two codes, but the codes assigned and the sequencing depend on whether the sequela is from a cerebrovascular accident, a traumatic injury, or an infection such as COVID-19. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Howard Rodenberg, MD, MPH, CCDS , writes that ensuring the social determinants of health are appropriately documented within the medical record allows CDI and coding teams to capture the hard data needed to demonstrate the interactions among race, gender, ethnicity, and other key socioeconomic indicators with healthcare costs, utilization, and outcomes.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released an audit report for Providence Medical Center that says some of the hospital’s inpatient records did not support the medical necessity for inpatient hospital services.
Inpatient coding professionals must have a clinical understanding of COVID-19 and the disease process in order to accurately sequence diagnoses, code etiology and manifestations, and assign present on admission (POA) indicators. In this article, Audrey Howard, RHIA , and Susan Belley, RHIA, CPHQ, focus on coding issues related to POA indicators for the hospitalized, inpatient COVID-19 population.
Q: When two conditions are both present on admission, both meet definition to be the principal diagnosis (PDX), and are “equally treated,” my understanding is that the condition does not have to be "equally treated" in the sense of duration/frequency. Can you provide the actual verbiage of the coding rule and explain?
Review clinical indicators and query opportunities for acute respiratory failure, respiratory failure due to surgical procedures, and ventilator MS-DRGs. Frequently reviewing clinical indicators for these complicated diagnoses will ensure both proper coding and reimbursement. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
In a year of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty, coding productivity managed to hold steady, according to the results of HCPro’s 2020 Coding Productivity Survey. Review the survey results, which provide data on facility coding productivity, accuracy benchmarks, and more.
Both sepsis and malnutrition remain top denied diagnoses, and there is little sign of those denial rates slowing. This article is part two of a two-part series that zeros in on clinical validation and denial prevention for these two diagnoses.
Sarah Nehring, RHIT, CCS, CCDS, writes that the ICD-10-PCS code set update for fiscal year 2021 included the creation of five new Fragmentation tables. For this article, Nehring will take a look at two vascular Fragmentation procedures: ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis (EKOS) and intravascular shockwave lithotripsy (IVL). Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Those afflicted with sickle-cell disease or sickle cell traits were more likely to experience severe COVID-19 illness and hospitalization, according to a recent study presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition.
Q: Was there an Excludes note change for subcategory G93.4- (other and unspecified encephalopathy) for fiscal year 2021? If so, how will it change any ICD-10-CM reporting and reimbursement for toxic encephalopathy and metabolic encephalopathy going forward?
Q: Are there any newly implemented fiscal year 2021 ICD-10-CM codes for spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks (CSF)? Can you review any background and possible new codes for this disorder?
Both sepsis and malnutrition remain top denied diagnoses, and there is little sign of those denial rates slowing. Part one of this two-part series will take a closer look at malnutrition and sepsis criteria challenges, while part two will zero in on clinical validation and denial prevention for these two diagnoses.
Almost half of hospitals in the U.S will be getting lower payments for Medicare patients due to their readmissions history, according to a recent analysis reported in Kaiser Health News.
Joe Rivet, Esq, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, CHC, CCEP, CHRC, CHPC, CICA, CPMA, CAC, CACO, looks at some of the new fiscal year (FY) 2021 ICD-10-CM codes and guidelines pertaining to COVID-19 and Chapter 1 of the ICD-10-CM manual: Certain infectious and parasitic diseases. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Review clinical indicators for various types of encephalopathies including toxic or metabolic encephalopathy, hypertensive encephalopathy, and hepatic encephalopathy. Frequently reviewing clinical indicators for these complicated diagnoses will ensure both proper coding and reimbursement.
