A retrospective billing study conducted by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, showed that pre-existing psychiatric comorbidities independently predicted elevated healthcare costs for a large population of patients treated with radiation at the institution.
The ICD-10-CM Manual lists hundreds of code options for mental disorders with unique characters to specify symptoms and complications. This article breaks down outpatient coding for commonly reported mental health conditions, psychiatric assessments, and psychotherapy. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
A Medicare billing study recently published in The Journal of Hand Surgery found that provider reimbursement for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans of the upper extremities significantly decreased over the last decade.
Medicare appropriate use criteria (AUC) requirements, currently in a voluntary testing period, will become mandatory starting January 1, 2020. Denise Williams, COC, CHRI , shares insight and analysis on AUC reporting requirements to help facilities prepare for what’s to come.
CMS released the 2020 ICD-10-CM code set in May, adding 273 new codes effective for reporting beginning October 1. Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, CCS-P, COC , reviews new ICD-10-CM Z codes for factors influencing health status and Y codes for legal interventions.
PTSD is marked by persistent mental and emotional stress that occurs as a result of severe psychological shock. Peggy S. Blue, MPH, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC , reviews symptoms of and ICD-10-CM coding for PTSD, as well as barriers to psychosocial treatment for the condition.
Keeping up with commercial payer requirements can stump any revenue integrity department, and commercial payer audits can be an especially tough puzzle to solve. Review advice from experts on improving internal processes for dealing with commercial audits.
CMS announced on June 21 that it updated the national coverage policy for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), requiring covered hospitals and physicians to begin or maintain a TAVR program and adhere to updated volume requirements.
Adriane Martin, DO, FACOS, CCDS , writes about how to accurately capture and report social determinants of health to improve patient outcomes and decrease costs. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
In 2013, “Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice,” a collaboration between AHIMA and ACDIS, was published. It has served as the industry guideline for the establishment of best practices surrounding queries. The 2019 update reinforces the information set forth in the preceding practice briefs while also introducing some newer guidelines reflective of today’s healthcare environment.
Before starting an ambulatory or outpatient CDI program, those tasked with the project must first create some universal definitions so everyone is on the same page and speaking the same language.
CMS recently released two quarterly updates effective July 1: Medicare Claims Processing Transmittal 4313 , which is the July update to the OPPS, and Medicare Claims Processing Transmittal 4314 , which is the related July update to the Integrated Outpatient Code Editor (I/OCE) Specifications, Attachment B.
ED physicians commonly treat fractures. A fracture can be the result of a traumatic injury, such as a fall, or may be pathologic (i.e., due to a disease process). In general, fractures can be classified as open or closed, displaced or nondisplaced.
