Joe Rivet, Esq., CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, CHC, CCEP, CHRC, CHPC, CICA, CPMA, CAC, CACO , describes how to use Office of Inspector General audit reports to identify areas at risk for noncompliance and how to organize targeted internal reviews.
CMS recently released three ICD-10-PCS codes, effective April 1, for the administration of fostamatinib (Tavalisse®)—an oral spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat adults with low platelet count due to chronic immune thrombocytopenia.
Mechanical ventilation is a life-saving intervention used for acutely ill patients who cannot breathe on their own. Lori-Lynne A. Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, COBGC , evaluates medical terminology used to describe mechanical ventilation and breaks down ICD-10-PCS coding for this procedure.
It is estimated that as many as 1 in 500 adults may suffer from a cardiomyopathy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Review documentation considerations and ICD-10-CM coding for different types of cardiomyopathies. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Patients are often admitted for acute conditions and experience additional issues affecting their care and treatment plan during the encounter. Ashayla Stephens, MHA, RHIA, CCS , and Audrey Howard, RHIA , describe the process of validating multiple diagnoses documented within the health record. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
A recent audit conducted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that Tufts Health Plan Inc. (Tufts) received at least $3.7 million of net overpayments from 2015 to 2016 for incorrectly submitting selected high-risk diagnosis codes.
Physician documentation of heart failure must specify the type and severity of the illness to apply the most accurate code. Alba Kuqi, MD, MSHIM, CDIP, CCS, CCDS, CRCR, CICA, CSMC, RHIA, CCM , breaks down clinical documentation and ICD-10-CM coding for four types of heart failure.
The primary purpose of CDI work is to review medical records to increase the accuracy and specificity of provider documentation. Review the primary responsibilities of a CDI specialist including documentation review, querying, and physician education.
Due to the complex nature of sepsis, some cases require querying the provider prior to assigning ICD-10-CM/PCS codes. Alba Kuqi, MD, MSHIM, CDIP, CCS, CCDS, CRCR, CICA, CSMC, RHIA, CCM , breaks down inpatient coding and querying for sepsis.
One of the biggest components of a leader’s role is to track, trend, and report on the department’s performance. Learn strategies for balancing priorities and time constraints and presenting key performance indicators to leadership.
Computer-assisted coding (CAC) technology analyzes healthcare documentation and selects codes based on specific phrases and terms. Review the pros and cons of using this software to perform inpatient coding and billing functions. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently announced it will conduct statewide reviews to determine whether hospitals complied with Medicaid billing requirements when assigning severe malnutrition diagnosis codes to inpatient hospital claims.
Q: Our coding team has been having trouble understanding how to correctly report diabetes mellitus (DM) “with” other conditions in ICD-10-CM. Can you provide some guidance on this issue?
Q: I’ve been told that if there are clinical indicators to support that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the etiology of a patient’s hypertension, an ICD-10-CM code from category I15.- (secondary hypertension) would be assigned. Since codes from category I12.- (hypertensive chronic kidney disease) also capture CKD with hypertension, what is the best code category to be reporting from?
Inpatient coders know that clinical indicators for certain conditions frequently require greater completeness or specificity in ICD-10-CM for which a concurrent or retrospective query is often required. This article will review clinical indicators and query opportunities for common respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, and asthma.
Lori-Lynne A. Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, COBGC , writes that it’s not unusual for an outpatient coder to advance their career by diving into inpatient coding. When deciding to learn about ICD-10-PCS, it’s important to first understand the basics and compare and contrast ICD-10-PCS and CPT. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
One of the biggest components of a leader’s role is to track, trend, and report on the department’s performance. Key performance indicators can range in complexity depending on the needs of the organization, but all are imperative for proving the success of a CDI or coding program.
CMS recently released two ICD-10-PCS codes, effective April 1, to describe the introduction or infusion of therapeutics, including vaccines for COVID-19 treatment.
Q: If a physician documents a patient as HIV positive, should the ICD-10-CM code Z21 be reported? What about if they document the patient is HIV positive with an HIV-related illness—would that be reported with ICD-10-CM code B20?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released multiple addenda with new tabular and index instructions and updates to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting to complement the updated ICD-10-CM code set to become effective April 1.
Susan Belley, M.Ed., RHIA, CPHQ, and Audrey Howard, RHIA, write that a majority of inpatients during this omicron surge are admitted for reasons other than COVID-19 and are incidentally found to be COVID-19-positive—making this an opportune time to review ICD-10-CM reporting for COVID-19 as a secondary diagnosis. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Alba Kuqi, MD, MSHIM, CDIP, CCS, CCDS, CRCR, CICA, CSMC, RHIA, CCM, says that when reporting sepsis in ICD-10-CM, it’s important that evidence of sepsis is found throughout the body of a patient’s medical record. A clinical validity query may be necessary if the provider confirms the diagnosis of sepsis, but clinical evidence is lacking in the documentation.
Departmental silos are prevalent in the healthcare world and can lead to unvoiced frustrations and counterproductive work. This article reviews how different organizations have various approaches to breaking down these walls.
Q: We recently had a patient with a history of diabetes admitted with gangrene of the left second toe. Can you review any guidance related to ICD-10-CM coding and documentation for a case like this?
Jillian Harrington, MHA, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-P, CCS, CCS-P, CEMC, MHP, writes that in order to ensure proper coding, documentation, and reimbursement, it’s great practice to have inpatient coding and CDI teams review querying procedures yearly. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
The fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade report has been released, assigning grades to 2,901 hospitals. The grades come from hospitals’ performance on over 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety. For the first time, a new grading factor for post-operative sepsis, blood leakage, and kidney injury were included in those measures.
Anneleah Williams-Bridges, MS, MBCA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CCDS, RH-CBS, LIA, says that until recently, many organizations have solely used their coding and CDI resources to strengthen the capture of CCs/MCCs, severity of illness/risk of mortality scores, and MS-DRG validation; however, facilities that are not leveraging these teams for denials management and tracking denials as a key performance indicator should consider doing so.
Many physicians are not entirely aware of the denials landscape and their involvement in it is often something they never anticipated. Educating physicians on their role in coding denials is important as it will help ensure proper reimbursement. Part two of this two-part series discusses involving physicians in administrative law judge appeals and monitoring success rates.
Q: We recently had a patient admitted after a vertebral body tether procedure for scoliosis. Were there any changes to the fiscal year 2022 ICD-10-PCS codes for procedures related to this?
Most risk adjustment models use ICD-10-CM codes to identify patients who are considered “risky” by healthcare insurance companies. The process of risk adjustment is used to predict costs linked to care delivery and quality reporting, which is why thorough knowledge of risk adjustment is important for hospitals to ensure proper quality reporting.
Many physicians are not entirely aware of the denials landscape and their involvement in it is often something that they never anticipated. Educating physicians on their role in coding denials is important as it will help ensure proper reimbursement. Part one of this two-part series discusses how to make time for proactive education.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released the 2021 version of its annual publication on unimplemented recommendations, which lists overpayments from incorrectly assigned severe malnutrition diagnosis codes as a top concern.
Sarah A. Nehring, RHIT, CCS, CCDS , writes that with new COVID-19 codes coming in April 2022, now is a good time to review these updates as well as an ICD-10-CM code that was previously released in an April update: electronic cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Alba Kuqi, MD, CICA, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, CRCR, CSMC, MSHIM, RHIA , writes that one diagnosis in particular that can take extra effort to understand is acute kidney injury (AKI). Frequently reviewing coding and CDI challenges related to AKI will ensure proper coding and reimbursement.
According to Deanne Wilk, BSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, CCDS-O, CCS, patient safety and quality of care are forerunning concerns for organizations today, and hospitals need to examine how and when they evaluate that quality of care in order to remain ethical and compliant.
CMS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released new ICD-10-CM/PCS codes related to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. These new ICD-10-CM/PCS codes are effective April 1, 2022.
Sarah Nehring, RHIT, CCS, CCDS, says ICD-10-CM reporting for diabetes can be complex, that’s why it’s important for inpatient coders to regularly review reporting requirements for this diagnosis and associated complications. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Due to the drug ivermectin’s uptick in misuse for treating COVID-19, Susan Belley, MEd, RHIA, CPHQ, reviews ICD-10-CM reporting for poisonings, adverse and toxic effects, and underdosing. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Q: Our facility has been seeing more denials lately for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), especially when both respiratory failure and ARDS are documented in the same record. How should ARDS be reported in ICD-10-CM, and which MS-DRG does this diagnosis group to?
In this article, Alba Kuqi, MD, CICA, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, CRCR, CSMC, MSHIM, RHIA , breaks down acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis criteria and reviews documentation and querying for these diagnoses through a case study.
All inpatient coding and CDI professionals, whether new to the field or industry veterans, should be familiar with the American Hospital Association’s Coding Clinic . This article reviews the steps to take and the importance of submitting coding questions.
According to a recent audit performed by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc. received nearly half a million dollars in overpayments from 2014 through 2016 for incorrectly submitting diagnosis codes from high-risk groups.
Trey La Charité, MD, FACP, SFHM, CCS, CCDS, writes that through updated heart failure definitions and clinical criteria, coders and CDI teams now have help to ensure that congestive heart failure is properly documented and denials are avoided.
In this article, Alba Kuqi, MD, CICA, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, CRCR, CSMC, MSHIM, RHIA , breaks down the various definitions and criteria for sepsis and reviews documentation and querying for this diagnosis through a case study.
Sarah Nehring, RHIT, CCS, CCDS , shares insight on the clinical concepts behind new fiscal year 2022 ICD-10-CM code I5A (non-ischemic [non-traumatic] myocardial injury) and Coding Clinic, Third Quarter 2021, advice regarding myocardial infarctions due to in-stent stenosis. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently announced its intention to publish a toolkit for identifying adverse events through medical record reviews for inpatient hospitals. The OIG plans to have the toolkit published in fiscal year 2022.
