Any healthcare organizations are considering computer-assisted coding (CAC) to help minimize the expected coder productivity decline in ICD-10. Lisa Knowles-Ward, RHIT, coding and reimbursement for...
ICD-10 implementation is only 18 months away. Sounds like a long time, doesn't it? It's really not, Kathleen Frawley, JD, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA, told attendees at the 2013 AHIMA ICD-10 and CAC Summit in...
By now you have probably heard that you need to train more than just your coders on ICD-10. Shelley Weems, RHIA, CCS, implementation lead for the Health Information Management Program Office for the...
How often do you default to an unlisted code or a non-specific code in ICD-9 because the physician just didn’t document enough information? For example, how many times do you see documentation...
Here’s a stat that will come as no surprise to most coders: approximately 50% of physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners have no clue about ICD-10. Of the remaining 50%, only a very...
Editor’s note: For purposes of today’s example, we are ignoring medical necessity. We’re going to say Sidney is an inpatient. In the real world, he would need to meet the criteria for an inpatient...
Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow. Maybe that worked for Aaron Burr, but it doesn’t really work for the ICD-10 transition. I’ve seen some disturbing numbers about ICD-10 preparation...
Anytown’s baseball team just completed its home opener and while the team came away with a win, not all of the players made it through the game. Eddie the outfielder suffered a painful run-in with...
Will you be ready for ICD-10? The ICD-10 implementation date draws closer by the day and CMS wants to help you make sure you’re ready. CMS is hosting a national provider call to discuss ICD-10...
CMS Transmittal 1199 updates the national coverage determination (NCD) hard-coded shared system edits to include ICD-10-CM codes. CMS included 30 spreadsheets with the transmittal. The spreadsheets...
When last we left our intrepid hero, Luke Skywalker, he was well on the road to recovery after being bashed by a wampa and spending the night in the belly of a Tauntaun. Now he’s off to the Dagobah...
We all know that procedure coding will change considerably on October 1, 2014 with the implementation of ICD-10-PCS. But what about change as an ICD-10-PCS root operation? In ICD-10-PCS, you will use...
The first series of codes in both the ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM manuals are infectious and parasitic diseases. What a fun (cough, cough) place to start. The very first disease listed in the ICD-9-CM...
Based on the prevalence of commercials for acid reflux remedies, you’d think the entire country suffered from some sort of digestive disease. Maybe some of it comes from coders who are sick to their...
There’s a bigger picture to the preparation for ICD-10 than just coding productivity. The bigger picture includes doing the process improvement now that is needed to break down all barriers to...
Many musculoskeletal conditions are a result of previous injury or trauma to a site, or are recurrent conditions. If a patient presents with a bone, joint or muscle conditions that are the result of...
Last week in my blog I referred to the Gustilo-Anderson open fracture classification. Since that time I have had several readers asking for more information. With the ICD-10-CM coding of fractures...
CMS recently announced it will rename the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee the ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee effective with the March 2014 committee meeting. This...
Documentation opportunities abound in ICD-10-CM Chapter 13 (musculoskeletal system). The official ICD-10-CM Coding Guidelines provide us with plenty of instructions. The guidelines include...
ICD-10-PCS includes specific guidelines for coding spinal fusion procedures, including guidelines for selecting the body part value. The body part for a spinal vertebral joint(s) rendered immobile by...
