Coders will need to master root operations in order to be successful in ICD-10-PCS. Cindy Basham, MHA, MSCCS, BSN, CCS, CPC, writes about which root operations will be most frequently used for cardiovascular procedures and how to interpret the guidelines related to them.
Queries will no doubt increase due to the increased specificity in ICD-10-PCS. John C. Alexander Jr., MD, MBA, James Fee, MD, CCS, CCDS, and George W. Wood II, MD, offer insight into which specialties will be most impacted and how coders can talk to surgeons about the query process.
Q: How can our team prepare for potential productivity losses post-ICD-10 implementation, specifically regarding procedure codes? Should we consider hiring additional staff or staff with a surgical background?
Providers need to report all services from October 1 forward with ICD-10 codes, but many will likely face scenarios with patients whose dates of service begin prior to October 1 and end after implementation. CMS has released special guidance to clarify how those instances would be billed with each bill type in MLN Matters ® SE1325 .
ICD-10-CM seventh characters can be used to report more than just the episode of care. Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, CCS-P, COC, CPC-I, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, explains different seventh character uses and when to report them.
Six ICD-10-PCS root operations require a device, including Revision, Replacement, and Removal. Gretchen Young-Charles, RHIA, and Anita Rapier, RHIT, CCS, review how to differentiate these root operations and report associated devices.
Q: In my facility, we are supposed to send an email to our physician advisor (PA) and to administration if a query is not answered within a week. However, this policy doesn’t work well because administration does not do anything with that information, and the PA doesn’t have time to review unanswered queries. Do you have any suggestions concerning when to let a query go unanswered?
The 2016 IPPS final rule continues CMS’ plan to shift Medicare payments from volume to quality. Shannon Newell, RHIA, CCS, and James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, analyze the rule and the impact it could have on providers.
CMS has released a transcript and recording of its August 27 MLN Connects Call featuring ICD-10 coding guidance and the results of CMS’ final round of end-to-end testing.
ICD-10-PCS will completely change the way coders report inpatient procedures. Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, and Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA, reveal potential trouble spots for the new coding system.
In ICD-10-CM, to tell the patient’s whole story, coders need to report external cause codes. Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, CCS-P, COC, CPC-I, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, explains the benefits of these codes and how to report them.
The only difference between ICD-10-PCS root operations Excision and Resection is the amount of the body part removed. Jennifer Avery, CCS, COC, CPC, CPC-I, Anita Rapier, RHIT, CCS, and Cheree Lueck, BSN, RN, provide tips for determining the correct root operation.
Drainage procedures can be therapeutic in nature or diagnostic, such as when a physician removes a fluid or gas for biopsy. A nita Rapier, RHIT, CCS, Nelly Leon-Chisen, RHIA, and Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS , highlight the differences in coding diagnostic and therapeutic thoracocentesis and lumbar tap procedures in ICD-10-PCS.
Medical record audits provide opportunities to educate coders, physicians, and/or clinical documentation improvement specialists. Robert S. Gold, MD, offers tidbits about volume overload and heart failure from recent reviews he’s done.
With Recovery Auditor audits on hold, hospitals may have experienced a decrease in the number of audits that must be addressed. Cathie Wilde, RHIA, CCS, and Kim Carr, RHIT, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, explain why organizations still need to be able to justify code assignment.
Q: If the physician documents “concerning for,” “considering,” “cannot be ruled out,” or “cannot be excluded” for a diagnosis, is that considered an uncertain diagnosis? Can those terms be coded if the patient is being worked up? Are the terms “concerning for” and “considering” equal to the uncertain diagnosis terms “yet to be ruled out”?
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an abrupt decrease in kidney function that is reversible within three months of loss of function. Garry L. Huff, MD, CCS, CCDS, and Kim Yelton, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, review the clinical definition of AKI and coding for both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM.
A recent salary survey conducted by our sister publication Medical Records Briefing found the same trends prevail year after year: the 145 HIM professionals who responded feel they are overworked and underpaid.
Q: I have been asked to build a query for a diagnosis of SIRS and/or sepsis for the following scenario: The patient was admitted for an infection urinary tract infection (UTI), pyelonephritis (PNA) and meets two SIRS criteria. The patient may be treated with oral or intravenous antibiotics, and may be on a general medical floor (not intensive care). The physician did not document SIRS or sepsis. I am having a hard time with this query because I am not sure if this would be considered adding new information to the chart or leading the physician by introducing a new diagnosis. Do you have any suggestions?
The Cooperating Parties added a 17th section to the ICD-10-PCS Manual for 2016: Section X (New Technology). Pat Brooks, RHIA, and Rhonda Butler, CCS, CCS-P, highlight how and when to use codes in this new section.
Coders and CDI specialists often rely on the encoder to determine the MS-DRG. Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP, reviews the steps necessary to determine the MS-DRG on your own.
The AHA’s Coding Clinic for ICD-10 continues to provide updates and guidance for a variety of inpatient procedures, both routine and not so routine. J ames S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, Anita Rapier, RHIT, CCS, and Sharme Brodie, RN, CCDS, highlight some important advice from Coding Clinic.
ICD-10-PCS root operations Drainage, Extirpation, and Fragmentation involve removing material from the body, but in different ways. A nita Rapier, RHIT, CCS, Kristi Stanton, RHIT, CCS, CPC, and James Fee, MD, CCS, CCDS, offer tips for distinguishing between the root operations.
CMS announced a new incentive program designed to reduce complications from joint replacement surgery. The new proposed Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement will require bundling of reimbursement for hip and knee surgeries, with profits tied closely to costs and quality metrics.
Q: Can “in the setting of”' be interpreted as “due to” in ICD-10-CM? For example, the physician documented that the patient has a urinary tract infection in the setting of a urinary catheter.
The optical system is the most complex organ system of the human body and is subject to specific disease processes. Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, CCS-P, COC, CPC-I, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer explains how to code some common eye diseases and treatments in ICD-10.
Coding Clinic serves as the Supreme Court in interpreting ICD?9?CM or ICD?10?CM/PCS and their guidelines. James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, Kyra Brown, RHIA, CCS, and Nelly Leon-Chisen, RHIA, discuss the best ways to use this additional guidance.
Coders will find 50 new codes in ICD-10-PCS for 2016, according to the summary of changes posted by CMS . CMS also introduced a new section for ICD-10-PCS, X (new technology). In addition, guidelines B3.11b, B3.4a, B3.2b, and B4.1b were revised in response to public comment.
Sharme Brodie, RN, CCDS , highlights guidance on ICD-10-PCS root operations and seventh characters for ICD-10-CM from the latest issue of Coding Clinic .
Q: In ICD-9-CM, sprains and strains fall under the same codes. Will that also be the case in ICD-10-CM or are we going to report these injuries separately?
ICD-10-PCS does not include unspecified options so coders will need information for each of the seventh characters in the code. Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP, and Lynn Salois, RHIT, CCS, CDIP, review some of the areas where a surgical query might be needed.
CMS provided plenty of proposed refinements to quality measures in the 2016 IPPS proposed rule, but did not suggest any changes to the 2-midnight rule. Kimberly A.H. Baker, JD, CPC, James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, and Shannon Newell, RHIA, CCS, highlight the most significant proposed changes.
Shannon Newell, RHIA, CCS, Steve Weichhand, and Sean Johnson conclude their four-part series on PSI 90 with an in-depth look at PSI 12, which evaluates a hospital’s risk adjusted rate of perioperative deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism in surgical discharges for patients 18 years and older.
Coding, documentation, and diagnoses aren’t always clear-cut, which can challenge even experienced codes. Review the coding and documentation requirements for encephalopathy, stroke, and anemia.
Q: When I started as a coder, I learned that the complication code, such as from ICD-9-CM series 998 or 999, takes precedence as the reason of admission when present with another contributing condition. Is this correct, and is there any written guidance from AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM/PCS that discusses this?
Patient Safety Indicator 15 tracks events during surgical procedures that can hurt patients, but not whether the patient actually suffers harm from the event. Robert S. Gold, MD, identifies some of the challenges involved with this quality measure.
Q: Should “diabetes with gastroparesis” be coded as 536.3, diabetes with a complication code? I understood that the term ‘"with’" can link two diagnoses, but that it does not represent a cause-and-effect relationship. Can you please clarify this, and why a cause-and-effect relationship can be assumed in the term “diabetes with gastroparesis”?
Coders tell a patient’s story with a principal diagnosis and additional diagnoses, some of which are CCs or MCCs. William E. Haik, MD, FCCP, CDIP, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, James Fee, MD, CCS, CCDS, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, and Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP, explain the value of educating physicians and coders about CCs and MCCs.
Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, and Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP, compare and contrast coding for poisonings and adverse effects in ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM and explain the new concept of underdosing.
PSI 7 evaluates the hospital’s risk-adjusted rate of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections. Shannon Newell, RHIA, CCS, Steve Weichhand , and Sean Johnson explain inclusions, exclusions, and risk adjustment factors for this measure.
Coders and clinical documentation improvement specialists need to pay attention to what conditions are considered CCs and MCCs, as well as sequencing rules which could affect MS-DRGs. Laurie L. Prescott, MSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, and William E. Haik, MD, FCCP, CDIP, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, discuss some common CCs and MCCs.
An automated Recovery Auditor review of discharge status codes identified improper payments, according to the Medicare Quarterly Compliance Newsletter . However, CMS did not report the prevalence of the errors.
As coders have prepared for ICD-10-CM, they have raised questions about how to select the correct seventh character. Nelly Leon-Chisen, RHIA, and Jennifer E. Avery, CCS, CPC-H, CPC, CPC-I, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, offer tips for determining the correct seventh character.
Heart failure is the intrinsic inability of the heart to supply target organs with sufficient nutrient flow to function normally. Robert S. Gold, MD, and Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, review the clinical and coding guidelines for heart failure.
PSI 15 measures the hospital’s risk-adjusted rate of accidental punctures and lacerations. Shannon Newell, RHIA, CCS, Steve Weichhand , and Sean Johnson explain inclusions, exclusions, and risk adjustment factors for this measure.
When providers use different definitions for the same disease, confusion and chaos result. Trey La Charité, MD , discusses how coding and clinical documentation improvement specialists can clear up the situation.
Q: A patient came to the ED with shortness of breath (SOB). The admitting diagnosis was possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to SOB and elevated troponin levels. The ACS was ruled out. Elevated troponin levels were assumed to be due to chronic renal failure (CRF), and no reason was given for SOB. Before discharge, the patient was noted with an elevated temperature and found to have a urinary tract infection (UTI). All treatment was directed at the UTI, and the doctor noted the discharge diagnosis as the UTI. What would be the principal diagnosis in this case?
In ICD-10-CM, coders will use a seventh character, not an aftercare code, to identify follow-up treatment for an injury. Glenn Krauss, BBA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPUR, FCS, PCS, CCDS, C-CDI, C-DAM, Kristi Pollard, RHIT, CCS, CPC, CIRCC, and Anita Rapier, RHIT, CCS, explain how aftercare coding will change in ICD-10-CM.
The seventh character in an ICD-10-CM code represents either the fetus (for pregnancy codes), or the encounter (for injuries and burns). Jennifer E. Avery, CCS, CPC-H, CPC, CPC-I, Gretchen Young-Charles, RHIA, and Nelly Leon-Chisen, RHIA, review guidelines for correct seventh character selection.
The 2014 ICD-10 implementation delay negatively impacted ICD-10 preparations, according to the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) February 2015 readiness survey .
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a minimally invasive procedure to open up blocked coronary arteries. Laura Legg, RHIT, CCS, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, Mary H. Stanfill, MBI, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, FAHIMA, and Sara Clark, RHIA, MLS, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, explain how coders will report PTCA in ICD-10-PCS.
CMS Transmittal 3217 , effective April 1, will allow inpatient-only procedures to be included on inpatient claims, similar to other outpatient services included in the three-day window.
The physician documented “encephalopathy” in the progress note of a patient who was admitted with a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and/or possible seizures. James S. Kennedy , MD, CCS, CDIP, discusses what to consider when determining whether to code the encephalopathy.
A complication basically refers to an unexpected result, outcome, or event. Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP, and Trey La Charité, MD , detail when to report a complication and highlight the differences in complication coding between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM.
Three university hospitals saw a doubling of Recovery Auditor audit activity from 2010–2011 to 2012–2013, and a nearly three-fold increase in overpayment determinations, according to a new study in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM differentiate between acute and chronic meniscus tears. Kristi Pollard, RHIT, CCS, CPC, CIRCC , and Gretchen Young-Charles, RHIA, review how to code these injuries in both systems.
Clinical documentation improvement (CDI) specialists must understand CMS pay-for-performance measures in order to improve data quality . Shannon Newell, RHIA, CCC, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, Steve Weichhand, and Sean Johnson explain how Patient Safety Indicator 90 is measured and what role CDI specialists play in capturing data for this measure.
Myths and misinformation about query practices still remain. Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, William E. Haik, MD, FCCP, CDIP, CDIP, and Nelly Leon-Chisen, RHIA, provide a refresher on how and when to query physicians.
Q: How should the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) and encephalopathy be sequenced, specifically which diagnosis should be the principal? If physician documentation indicates that the patient came in with confusion, can encephalopathy be assigned as the principal diagnosis if it is due to the UTI and no other contributing issues are present?
Coders and clinical documentation improvement specialists often focus on different information when reviewing documentation for heart disease. Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, and Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP, highlight the different perspectives.
Coders and clinical documentation specialists can use queries to improve physician documentation of a patient’s severity of illness and risk of mortality. Rhonda Peppers, RN, BS, CCDS, and Sara Baine, MSN-Ed, CCDS, walk through a case study to highlight query opportunities.
Q: Can CDI programs use the information on ambulance forms or trip tickets to abstract from if the information is pulled into or reiterated in the ED or history and physical (H&P) documentation? Our staff doesn’t want to miss criteria that would diminish our ability to substantiate the true severity of illness of some patients, but I have been informed that coders are not allowed to code from ambulance papers or information.
CMS is adequately preparing to implement ICD-10 October 1, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report detailing CMS’ transition efforts.
The ICD-10-PCS Manual includes 17 different sections, including Administration. Learn how to assign codes from this section to prepare for ICD-10-PCS implementation.
Q: A patient comes in with a malunion of a fracture. A different physician treated the patient initially for the fracture, but the patient came to see our physician for surgery to repair the malunion. Which seventh character should we use: A for initial encounter or P for subsequent encounter for fracture with malunion?
Coronary artery bypass graft procedures are not the only ones coders will report using the root operation Bypass in ICD-10-PCS. Jennifer E. Avery, CCS, CPC-H, CPC, CPC-I, and Lisa Crow, MBA, RHIA, explain how to code for other bypass procedures in ICD-10-PCS.
A hiatus from Recovery Auditor scrutiny may have allowed HIM professionals to focus on other issues, but Laura Legg, RHIT, CCS, explores why HIM departments need to gear up for Recovery Auditors’ return.
Physician documentation for the use of osteogenic stimulators for nonunion of fractures is often insufficient for Medicare coverage, according to Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) results .
In order to identify patients with a CC or MCC, coders need to know when to report additional diagnoses. William E. Haik, MD, FCCP, CDIP, and Jennifer E. Avery, CCS, CPC-H, CPC, CPC-I, discuss when to report a secondary diagnosis.
Q: When atelectasis is noted on an ancillary test such as a CT scan of the abdomen or chest x-ray, can nursing documentation of turning, coughing, and deep breathing be considered an intervention that qualifies as one of the criteria to meet a secondary diagnosis?
Accurately painting a picture of the patient's severity of illness (SOI) and risk of mortality (ROM) is essential for good patient care, and it is becoming increasingly important for quality measures and reimbursement. Sara Baine, MSN-Ed, CCDS, and Rhonda Peppers, RN, BS, CCDS , explain the importance of accurately reporting conditions that affect SOI and ROM.
The reason a patient comes in is to a facility not always the same as the reason the physician admitted the patient. Brush up on the guidelines for principal diagnosis selection.
In some cases, coding professionals can—and should—report ancillary services provided to inpatients. Denise Williams, RN, CPC-H, and Valerie A. Rinkle, MPA, explain when and how to bill for ancillary bedside services.
Auditors continue to scrutinize inpatient wound care services. Glenn Krauss,BBA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPUR, FCS, PCS, CCDS, C-CDI, reviews the importance of documenting medical necessity for these services.
The District of Columbia federal district court dismissed a lawsuit December 18, 2014, filed by the American Hospital Association (AHA) against HHS for excessive and inappropriate Recovery Auditor denials, according to AHA News. The AHA announced that it may appeal the court’s decision.
CMS Transmittal 547 changes the audit timeframe for complex reviews from 60 to 30 days for some MAC and Recovery Auditor reviews. The change could significantly affect the volume and timeliness of complex reviews for providers. The transmittal becomes effective February 24, 2015.
In the first part of a two-part series, Shelley C. Safian, PhD, CCS-P, CPC-H, CPC-I, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, discusses the use of Z codes in ICD-10-CM.
Q: If the physician writes septic shock instead of sepsis, do I need to query for sepsis? Is this an integral part of the diagnosis and sepsis would be the principal diagnosis, with septic shock a secondary diagnosis, making it an MCC?
The anatomical definition of a body part may not be the same as the ICD-10-PCS identification of a body part. Jennifer Avery, CCS, CPC-H, CPC, CPC-I, Nena Scott, MSEd, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, and Gretchen Young-Charles, RHIA, explain the guidelines for selecting the appropriate body part and how body parts can affect root operation selection.
ICD-10-PCS will change the way coders count sites for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures. Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, and Nena Scott, MS, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, explain how coders will report CABG in ICD-10-PCS.
ICD-10-CM introduces new requirements for coding skull fractures and brain injuries. Kim Carr, RHIT, CCS, CDIP, CCDS , and Kristi Stanton, RHIT, CCS, CPC, CIRCC, explore how coding for these conditions changes in ICD-10-CM.
Q: We’ve heard that ICD-10-CM does not include a diagnosis code to show that a laparoscopic procedure was converted to an open procedure. How will we report this in ICD-10?
