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Don’t overlook ICD-9 trouble spots

HIM-HIPAA Insider, March 24, 2014

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With the deadline for ICD-10 implementation quickly approaching, ICD-9 problems may not receive the attention they need. Should you fix the problem now or focus on making sure it's fixed in ICD-10?

BCCS recently spoke with Sherine Koshy, MHA, RHIA, CCS, corporate director of HIM coding for University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, about where coders continue to struggle in ICD-9 and how ICD-10 preparation is helping to highlight areas where they need to improve.

Q: What areas of ICD-9-CM coding are coders still struggling with? Why do certain areas continue to be problematic?

A: The area that coders still struggle with in ICD-9-CM is the lack of specificity in the documentation to capture the most appropriate code. I believe certain areas continue to be problematic due to physicians thinking and documenting clinically and coders having to interpret this information into codes that do not translate exactly. There are gaps due to providers not knowing what to write or sometimes not having the time to remember all the requirements as they are caring for their patients.

Continue reading "Don't overlook ICD-9 trouble spots" on the HCPro website. Subscribers to Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies  have free access to this article in the March issue.

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