In ICD-9-CM, you can find the burn codes in the range of codes 940-949. If you were to try to find a code due to a corrosive burn, the Alphabetic index would direct you back to the main term "burn."...
I have noticed an influx of new information on various organizations' websites related to ICD-10. If you're not a regular visitor to these websites, now is a good time to poke around and do some...
This month’s training tool in HCPro's Medical Records Briefing newsletter was a series of quiz questions about surgical root operations to prepare for ICD-10-PCS. Have some fun with your coding peers...
Aside from emphasizing that October 1, 2013, will be the date that everyone will begin to use ICD-10, Pat Brooks, senior technical advisor at CMS, explained the following during the March 23 ICD-10...
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...
Earlier this week, we posted the following ICD-10 pop quiz question submitted by Asad Ali Rizvi of Quadax Inc: Because ICD-10-CM is alphanumeric, what should you keep in mind about the code structure...
In a recent ICD-10 Watch post , we asked blog subscribers to see if they could stump their peers with their own ICD-10 quiz question. See if you can answer this question submitted by Asad Ali Rizvi...
Many ICD-10 authorities agree that there are a number of myths and misconceptions floating around about the transition to this new coding system. So why not get information straight from the horse's...
Still trying to understand how to use CMS' General Equivalancy Mappings (GEMs)? The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) issued a lengthy practice brief titled, "Putting the ICD...
Budgeting for ICD-10 requires much more than just planning for the actual implementation. What happens to your business after the go-live date (October 1, 2013 in case you haven't heard!) once you've...
The message was loud and clear. On April 12, during one of the kick-off sessions at the 2010 American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) ICD-10 Summit in Washington, DC, speakers drove...
Coders who are accustomed to the current ICD-9 Manual know to interpret the Includes and Excludes notes in the different diagnosis categories when they’re looking for the appropriate code. When the...
One major difference between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM is the addition of a seventh character. This seventh digit is used in certain ICD-10 codes to provide additional information about the encounter (e...
As we continue to plan for the transition to ICD-10, have you wondered how you will convert your current ICD-9 data into ICD-10? I was recently thinking about how this whole process might work and...
Hypertension has always been a pet peeve of mine as a coder in ICD-9. We have three different fourth digits to identify the following “types” of hypertension: Malignant (0 ) Benign (1) Unspecified (9...
It’s time for another pop quiz everyone! Let’s use the ICD-10 tools we have at our disposal to try to crosswalk an ICD-9-CM code we use today to ICD-10-CM. ICD-9-CM code 322.2 (Chronic meningitis)...
Currently in ICD-9-CM, there are only a few ways to capture present, past, or exposure to tobacco smoke. In ICD-9-CM, we currently have the following codes: 305.1 (Tobacco use disorder) V15.82 (...
After having to cancel in February, CMS rescheduled its fourth national provider call for March 24 regarding the implementation of HIPAA Version 5010. The transition to this new billing transaction...
While teaching the inpatient and outpatient boot camps, I often receive questions regarding ICD-10. One of them that sticks out in my mind is, “What about E codes? Are they still going to look the...
Don't miss CMS' upcoming national provider conference call on March 23 from 1-2:30 PM EST. This National Provider Conference Call will provide an overview of ICD-10-CM/PCS requirements and a basic...
For several years, our ICD-9 manuals have indicated that the guidelines for Chapter 5 concerning Mental Disorders have been reserved for future expansion. Well, they went from no guidelines in the...
A few blogs ago, I mentioned that I was creating an ICD-10 presentation for a client. During that process, I learned a lot about the huge project that is in front of all of us. I was tired just...
JustCoding.com is looking to share your story! What is your organization doing to plan for ICD-10? What steps have you already taken, and what is included in your action plan over the next six months...
Do you have a burning ICD-10 question that you would like to have answered? Whether it's a coding question, an inquiry about how to manage your HIM/coding staff, or a question about how to navigate...
I was recently researching ICD-10 for an upcoming client presentation. As I was gathering information, I realized that this is the time of the year that I would have been entering into the budget...
Late Wednesday night, CMS announced that due to inclement weather, it was canceling the national provider conference call on HIPAA 5010, New Error Handling Transactions, which was scheduled to take...
Having a complete crosswalk for every ICD-9 code to the new, improved, more specific ICD-10 code is kind of like that desert mirage on the horizon where the inviting little oasis with water and palm...
Some of you are probably familiar with the Medicaid Integrity Contractors (MICs), specifically the audit MICs, which are conducting Medicaid post-payment audits similar to the Recovery Audit...
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 just successfully passed the final exam, so I am now officially an American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) ICD-10 certified trainer! Leave it to me to procrastinate until almost...
CMS will be hosting its fourth national provider call on February 11 regarding the implementation of HIPAA Version 5010. The transition to this new billing transaction is a necessary prelude to the...
Many of the coding rules between ICD-9 and ICD-10 remain the same. When a primary malignancy has been excised, but the patient continues to receive either chemo or radiation therapy, we are to code...
It's time for another pop quiz everyone! Let's use the ICD-10 tools we have at our disposal to try to crosswalk an ICD-9-CM code we use today to ICD-10-CM. ICD-9-CM code 512.0 (Spontaneous tension...
A recent JustCoding.com survey of HIM/coding professionals posed the following question: "How would you describe the HIM Director's role in ICD-10 implementation?" This is the breakdown of the 379...
The following question was submitted to ICD-10 Watch, and so I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the subject. QUESTION: Our billing department often submits claims a week or more after the...
CMS recently posted on its Web site audio and call transcripts for a November provider call focused on the ICD-10-CM/ICD-10-PCS MS-DRG Conversion Project. Speakers discussed the following during the...
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you did not find any coal in your stockings! Maybe Santa left you some tools to begin planning for the implementation of ICD-10. 2010 has arrived,...
CMS recently posted ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS files for 2010 on its Web site . Check out the "What's New" documents for both ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS . Interested in the breakdown of revisions? For...
One of the major reasons cited for moving from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM is that the new coding system is more specific. So I thought I would look at some of the coding challenges we have today with ICD-...
Some things you are accustomed to in ICD-9-CM will remain the same in ICD-10-CM. One rather obscure convention that exists in ICD-9-CM that also carries over to ICD-10-CM is the use of the word “and...
Many experts in the healthcare community have compared the transition to ICD-10 to Y2K. So how do you estimate the costs associated with such an enormous undertaking? There are the obvious costs...
In September 2003, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) issued a report titled, " ICD-10 Field Testing Project ," which summarized findings after 169 participants...
Pop quiz everyone! Let's use the ICD-10 tools we have at our disposal to try to crosswalk an ICD-9-CM code we use today to ICD-10-CM. ICD-9-CM code 084.4 (Other malaria) crosswalks to what ICD-10-CM...
General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs) were the creation of work completed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), CMS, the American Health Information Management Association, the American...
During a November 17 virtual meeting hosted by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), co-presenter Laurine Johnson, MS, RHIA, CPC-H, director of HIM services at Ingenix, gave...
Over the last six months, I have noticed that the FAQ sections for different associations and organizations have increased in size and detail. Are you interested in learning the answers to the...
On November 12, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is hosting a virtual meeting titled, " ICD-10 Implementation for Hospitals ." According to AHIMA Web site, the program...
During this three-day training, we learned as much as possible about this new classification system. I received a letter in the mail right before leaving for the American Health Information...
In a recent post , I talked about my experience attending an American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Academy for ICD-10 trainer session. While I am excited about certain aspects of...
I recently completed the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Academy for ICD-10 trainer session in Grapevine, TX. It was a whirlwind experience. The days were long, but it was...
