The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) is conducting an ICD-10 readiness survey to find out how ready the healthcare industry is for the October 1, 2015 implementation date. Providers,...
Add another nail in the “delay ICD-10 because the industry isn’t ready” coffin. CMS d eclared its end-to-end testing week from January 26 through February 3 a success . A total of 661 volunteers...
Tobie comes into the Acme ED Tuesday complaining of stomach cramps, nausea (but no vomiting), light-headedness, and chest pain. What in the world could be wrong with Tobie? Dr. H.M. Lock examines...
Quick, what’s the ICD-9-CM code for diabetes? I bet you knew it was 250.00. What’s the ICD-10-CM equivalent? Does ICD-10-CM even have an equivalent, since 250.00 is very vague? Yes, we do have a...
Ah, Fat Tuesday (AKA Mardi Gras), the last big blowout before Lent begins. For those not of a religious bent, it’s still a good reason for an all-day party. Here at the Fix ‘Em Up Clinic, we have...
My true love did his best over the weekend to make up for the 12 days’ worth of bad gift giving at Christmas. Alas, the best(?) laid plans of mice and men often go astray. My true love’s first...
Implementation costs and plans took center stage at The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on health’s ICD-10 Implementation hearing today. Seven witnesses testified before the...
Most coders will spend their time reporting codes from the Medical and Surgical section (first character 0) and the Obstetrics section (1). Each character in those sections has the same meaning:...
“Practice makes perfect” is a well-known adage. How many people can do any new task requiring specific skills successfully without practicing? We can’t consider the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS...
Don’t look now, but Congress is examining ICD-10 implementation again. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on healthcare will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, February 11 ,...
Curious about how CMS’ end-to-end testing for ICD-10 is going? Want to know how you can sign up? CMS is hosting a National Provider Call on ICD-10 implementation and Medicare testing from 1:30-3 p.m...
And a chilly one it is. It’s also the day after the Super Bowl, which means patients with a variety of injuries arrived at the Fix ‘Em Up Clinic today. First is Phil, who is convinced he is a...
We’re into dig out mode here in Anytown and apparently, not everyone got the memo about proper snow shoveling techniques. Richard came into the Fix ‘Em Up Clinic complaining of intense pain in his...
Here in Anytown we are getting blasted by a big winter storm, which means we’re also seeing lots of patients with storm-related injuries at the Fix ‘Em Up Clinic. Doug came into the clinic...
We can choose from 31 root operations in the ICD-10-PCS Medical and Surgical section, but biopsy isn’t one of them. So which root operation do we use when a physician performs a biopsy? The answer is...
Some diseases can cross between species, which can presents a significant problem. Just think back to how quickly avian flu spread starting in 2003. It turns out that diseases have been crossing that...
Every have one of those days when you feel like you’ll never be warm? I’m having one of those. One of the downsides to have a window cube is the cold seeps in with the sunshine. Or with the dreary...
Oh, the joys of being an 8-year-old with a snow day. Joey spent the weekend playing in his newly built snow fort without a hat, scarf, or pair of sunglasses. Now he’s complaining of hot, tender,...
Well, it’s not quite the polar vortex of 2014, but it’s definitely polar bear weather out there. As in, polar bears are the only ones who appreciate this kind of cold. We’re starting to see some...
Ready to test your ICD-10 systems with CMS? The agency is currently accepting applications for its second end-to-end ICD-10 testing week, scheduled for April 26-May 1. Each MAC (and Common Electronic...