ICD-10-PCS codes include one digit for the root operation that the provider performs. The root operation is always the third character is the seven-character code. The definitions of these root...
Well, CMS apparently wants to make sure everyone tests the HIPAA Version 5010 transaction sets. CMS previously announced two national testing days, and is adding 5010 testing week. CMS scheduled 5010...
CMS recently posted the 2012 ICD-10-PCS codes and coding guidelines . A summary of the major changes for 2012 states that there are 1,182 new codes, 381 revised titles, and 1,345 deleted codes. In...
You’ve probably heard that it’s too early to start learning ICD-10-CM/PCS codes. After all, the codes are still in draft format. However, it’s not too early to start learning the root operations for...
With 2013 seemingly so far away, many post-acute care organizations, including long-term care facilities, homecare agencies, and hospices, have not started their ICD-10 coding training. Many want to...
The complexity and costs of the switch to IDC-10-CM/PCS will vary by the size of the organization. A large, multi-facility health system needs to review more areas and plan more changes than a five-...
I attended the live portion of the American Health Information Management Association ICD-10-CM training in Baltimore last week. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted! It was a good overview...
As I look at the ICD-10-CM codes and take into consideration some of the possible documentation issues we might face, one of the questions that comes to mind is are we actually taking a step backward...
General Equivalency Mappings (GEMs) are crosswalks between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes. They are a helpful way to start looking for a code when you move from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM. But GEMs are not...
Right now only one in five hospital claims is fully paid without a payer request for more information, according to a RAND Corporation report. With the upcoming transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS, providers...
One of the things that I like about the ICD-10-CM manual is use of the vertical gray bars in the Volume II “Alphabetical Listing for Diseases.” This greatly enhances the ability to see how far the...
Certification in this day and age has become a vital part of obtaining and proving proficiency in coding and other related fields. Many years ago, coders did not have to be certified to secure...
Just when I thought that ICD-10 would resolve those annoying coding guideline and definition inconsistencies, I have discovered that some will still exist in ICD-10, too. Oh no—say it ain’t so! The...
Small rural facilities that haven’t yet started planning for ICD-10-CM/PCS shouldn’t panic yet, but they also shouldn’t delay much longer, says Jeff Wieters, RHIA, senior technical advisory...
I have been doing this workout program called P90X. It’s a challenge, and I’m not nearly as faithful to it as I should be. There is one segment called “Ab Ripper X,” during which our fearless leader...
CMS will host a national provider teleconference, "CMS ICD-10 Conversion Activities," on May 18, 1 - 2:30 p.m. EST. Presenters will discuss the ICD-10 conversion process currently taking place within...
When teaching ICD-9-CM coding, I often use a little ditty, “sprains and strains are the same,” to remind myself that when a physician documents “strain,” I need to start with the main term of “sprain...
Many of the speakers at the AHIMA’s ICD-10 Summit April 11-12 in Baltimore stressed the importance of working together. Physicians, coders, and information technology folks all need to work together...
Getting clinicians onboard and trained for the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS will be one of the biggest challenges for most facilities, according to Patricia A.C. Hildebrand, MSN, RN, AHIMA-approved...
Coding productivity will decrease at least initially with the switch to ICD-10-CM/PCS. But do you know how productive your coders are now? If the answer is no, consider following the example of Mary...
