CMS recently released the fiscal year (FY) 2020 ICD-10-PCS changes and Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting for the procedural coding system which will affect discharges occurring from October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2020.
Correct documentation and coding are key to accurate reimbursement, but according to the Office of Inspector General, organizations aren’t hitting the mark on either when billing for inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) services.
Treatment options for spinal conditions are varied and may include pain management with medications, injections, or surgical interventions. Adrienne Commeree , CPC, CPMA, CCS, CEMC, CPIP , breaks down spinal anatomy and ICD-10-PCS coding for spinal fusions and laminectomy procedures.
The fiscal year 2020 IPPS proposed rule includes nearly 1,500 CC/MCC designation changes, which impact MS-DRG groupings used to calculate pricing for inpatient hospital claims. Rhonda Butler, CCS, CCS-P , reviews noteworthy proposed changes to MS-DRG assignment for the coming fiscal year. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Q: We have a patient who received a pancreas transplant for the treatment of diabetes. The patient was later admitted to the hospital for treatment of an unrelated kidney stone. Would it be appropriate to assign the ICD-10-CM code for diabetes as a chronic condition based on the patient’s medical history?
The estimated annual cost of sepsis readmissions is more than half the annual cost of all Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program conditions combined, according to a study published in CHEST Journal .
Patients who use oxygen at home for a primary respiratory condition typically present with some degree of respiratory failure. Howard Rodenberg, MD, MPH, CCDS , describes common documentation issues related to oxygen requirements for the diagnosis of acute respiratory failure.
Diagnosis coding for neoplasms can be particularly challenging, as neoplasms are classified by site, behavior, and morphology. Review ICD-10-CM coding and guidelines for reporting solid organ tumors and cancers affecting the bone marrow and lymphatic system. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Q: Our department has been having trouble reporting comas in ICD-10-CM. Are there any tools we can use to help us report these diagnoses more accurately?
CMS released the fiscal year 2020 IPPS proposed rule in April, which addressed various requests for MS-DRG designations, and in particular, the request for a new MS-DRG designation for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies that CMS subsequently denied.
Sarah Nehring, CCS, CCDS, says that from the inpatient coding and CDI perspective, sepsis can be one of the trickiest diagnoses. In this article, she reviews 10 things coders wish physicians knew about sepsis documentation and coding.
Adriane Martin, DO, FACOS, CCDS, reviews recent Coding Clinic, First Quarter 2019, advice, which includes guidance on reporting abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs, spinal fusions, Whipple procedures, midline and central venous catheters, and more.
Peggy Blue, MPH, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC , writes that due to the frequency of diagnoses and treatments for breast cancer, it’s more important than ever for inpatient coders to make sure they are reporting these diagnoses and procedures with the utmost accuracy. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Q: If our physician only documents “uncontrolled diabetes” in an admitted patient’s chart, but I can see from the lab results in the record that the patient’s blood glucose levels are high, can I assign the ICD-10-CM code for diabetes with hyperglycemia?
CMS released the fiscal year (FY) 2020 IPPS proposed rule Tuesday, April 23, which included the annual ICD-10-CM/PCS code update proposals, significant changes to CC/MCC and MS-DRG designations, and a proposed increase to hospital payment rates.
Although computer-assisted coding and natural language processing software has improved many aspects of daily CDI work, the technology requires ongoing oversight to ensure efficacy and accuracy. Therefore, CDI professionals, and even inpatient coders, need to be aware of the software’s potential pitfalls within the CDI department and develop tactics to overcome them.
Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCDS , reviews the background of MS-DRGs, as frequently revising MS-DRG basics will ensure that inpatient coders have a thorough understanding of the MS-DRG intricacies, thus perfecting overall assignment and reimbursement accuracy.
Adriane Martin, DO, FACOS, CCDS, writes that treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is variable and includes both medical and surgical therapy. Given the frequency of this condition, it is imperative that inpatient coding professionals have a clear understanding of the surgical treatment of PAD to avoid costly ICD-10-PCS errors. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
