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JustCoding News: Outpatient

JustCoding News: Outpatient is a free companion e-newsletter to JustCoding.com, the Web site that provides thorough explanations and in-depth analysis of medical conditions, diseases, treatments, and procedures.

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009

JustCoding News: Outpatient

Issue 20, May 15, 2013

• New e-learning library coming June 5

  A new and improved e-learning library for JustCoding Platinum subscribers will launch June 5. The...

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New on JustCoding Platinum!

• GEMs a useful addition to ICD-10-CM transition tool kit

  General equivalence mapping (GEM) is a good tool to use to convert ICD-9-CM codes to ICD-10-CM, but...

• Is computer-assisted coding the answer to projected coder productivity declines in ICD-10?

  Coder productivity is expected to decline by as much as 50% immediately after the transition to...

• Check out the view from the industry as ICD-10 implementation draws closer

  Everyone in healthcare—providers and payers alike—faces the same problems when...

• Healthcare News: CMS nears completion of NCD translation to ICD-10-CM

  CMS is translating only 27% of its current National Coverage Determinations (NCD) from ICD-9-CM to...

• Q&A: Coding for cerebral hemorrhage sequela in ICD-10-CM

  Q: A patient suffered a nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage six months ago and is now being seen...

• Continuing education credits

  Continuing education credits

• Product of the week: ICD-10 Coding Boot Camp

  The biggest change to the coding industry is just around the corner. It's time to start ICD-10...

• Trivia answer

  Trivia answer

• Coder chat

  Coder chat

• Mini-poll

  Has anyone in your organization started working with physicians to improve documentation...

• Free quiz

  Test your knowledge with this week’s free quiz, which features questions about ICD-10-CM...

• ICD-10 Trainer blog

  ICD-10 Trainer blog

Issue 18, May 1, 2013

• New e-learning library coming June 5

  A new and improved e-learning library for JustCoding Platinum subscribers will launch June 5. The...

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New on JustCoding Platinum!

• Understand anatomy to transition reporting hypertension from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31% of all American adults have high...

• Ten steps to code for anesthesia services

  Anesthesia coding in some ways is similar to evaluation and management coding—only easier...

• CMS corrects edit 84, deletes modifiers

  CMS corrected edit 84, added five APCs, deleted two APCs, and changed the description of another as...

• Healthcare News: CMS releases Quarterly Provider Compliance Newsletter

  The April 2013 issue of CMS’ Medicare Quarterly Provider Compliance Newsletter highlights two...

• Q&A: Performing multiple fusions at same spinal level

  Q: If a patient has a spinal deformity on L5-S1 and we use the appropriate codes from 2280X and...

• Continuing education credits

  To receive AAPC and/or AHIMA credits, take the quiz after reading the following articles

• Product of the week: Injections and Infusions Follow Up live audio conference June 4

  Coding for injections and infusions continues to confuse and frustrate coders. Although many of the...

• Trivia question

  What is the correct CPT® code for arthroplasty of a metacarpophalangeal joint with a prostheric...

• Coder chat

  What is the correct coding when a doctor documented screening for a person who already has a...

• Mini-poll

  What are you planning to do on your summer vacation?

• Free quiz

  Test your knowledge with this week’s free quiz, which features questions about CPT® codes...

• ICD-10 Trainer blog

  ICD-10 Trainer blog

Issue 14, April 3, 2013

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New on JustCoding Platinum!

• Scrutinize documentation for clues to code breast biopsies

  Breast biopsies should be easy to code because coders have so few codes to assign, but it is one...

• Use case studies to determine ED E/M level

  With no national guidelines in place for facilities to use to determine evaluation and management...

• CMS changes Medically Unlikely Edits

  CMS is making a significant change to the Medically Unlikely Edits (MUE) by changing some of them...

• Healthcare News: CMS revises device/procedure edits

  CMS added numerous device/procedure edits as part of the April update to the Integrated Outpatient...

• Q&A: ICD-9 codes for lumbrosacral radiology

  Q: We received an outpatient radiology report (exam performed 7/11/12) where the radiologist...

• Continuing education credit

  Continuing education credit  

• Product of the week: Outpatient Coding Edits: Learn the Logic Behind the Edits live webcast May 15

  Product of the week: Outpatient Coding Edits: Learn the Logic Behind the Edits live webcast...

• Trivia question

  What is the correct CPT® code for a cystotomy for repair of the ureterocele?

• Coder chat

  Coder chat

• Mini-poll

  Do you plan to attend either the AAPC National Conference in Orlando or the AHIMA ICD-10 and...

• Free quiz

  Test your knowledge with this week’s free quiz, which features questions about CPT® knee...

• ICD-10 Trainer blog

  Access the latest blog posts on ICD–10 Trainer.

Issue 12, March 20, 2013

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New on JustCoding Platinum!

• Differentiate between physician and facility billing

  In the coding world, it’s a never-ending clash that can cause compliance...

• Avoid common pitfalls with E/M levels and EMRs

  Evaluation and management (E/M) coding is incredibly subjective. Two coders can look at the same...

• CMS adds significant number of new codes to I/OCE

  CMS added 410 new codes and seven new therapy and patient condition modifiers to the Integrated...

• Healthcare News: CMS issues proposed changes to Part B inpatient billing in hospitals

  On March 13, CMS issued a notice of ruling that establishes a policy that revises the current...

• Q&A: Charging for hydration

  Q: A patient received Toradol 30 mg IV and Zofran 4 mg IV at 14:38. He also had normal saline...

• Continuing education credit

  Continuing education credit

• Editor’s note

  JustCoding will unveil a new and improved e-learning library for Platinum subscribers May 29. If...

• Product of the week: Outpatient Coding Edits: Learn the Logic Behind the Edits live webcast May 15

  Product of the week:  Outpatient Coding Edits: Learn the Logic Behind the Edits live webcast...

• Trivia answer

  Trivia answer

• Coder chat

  Coder chat

• Mini poll

  Does your employer pay for either your JustCoding basic or Platinum membership?

• Free quiz

  Free quiz

• ICD-10 Trainer blog

  ICD-10 Trainer blog

Issue 10, March 6, 2013

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New on JustCoding Platinum!

• Don't underestimate ICD-10-CM training time

   If you think you’ve estimated the right amount of training time for ICD-10-CM, you...

• Why ICD-10-CM falls short for some diagnoses

  The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) was originally referred to as the Uniform...

• Understanding anatomy simplifies transition to reporting respiratory conditions in ICD-10-CM

  Anatomy hasn’t changed in hundreds of years, but with the additional specificity required in...

• Healthcare News: CMS updates implementation guides

  CMS is currently updating its ICD-10 implementation guides for practices, small hospitals, and...

• Continuing education credit

  Continuing education credit

• Product of the week: Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10 Coding E-learning Library

  Product of the week:  Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10 Coding E-learning Library

• Trivia question

  Trivia question

• Coder chat

  Coder chat

• Mini-poll

  Mini-poll

• Free quiz

  Free quiz

• Blogs

  Blogs

Issue 8, February 20, 2013

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New on JustCoding Platinum!

• Build a foundation for coding genetic testing and screening in obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine

  Genetic screening is often used to detect abnormal genes or possible fetal anomalies during...

• Determine whether drug is integral to procedure before billing

  CMS defines self-administered drugs as drugs patients would normally take on their own. In general...

• Unravel complexities of billing self-administered drugs

  As more patients are being impacted by noncoverage of self-administered drugs, coders and billers...

• Healthcare News: CMS announces change to Medicare claims editing

  CMS is making a significant change to the Medically Unlikely Edits by changing the edits from line...

• Q/A: Reporting a HCPCS code for medications without an LCD

  Q: The rule our institution has followed with respect to HCPCS coded medications without a local...

• Continuing education credit

  Continuing education credit

• Product of the week: Physician Queries: Comply with new ACDIS/AHIMA guidance live webcast March 4

  Asking physicians for health record clarification can be tricky. A lack of accurate or complete...

• Trivia answer

  Trivia answer

• Coder chat

  Coder chat

• Mini-poll

  Mini-poll

• Free quiz

  Free quiz

• Blogs

  Blogs

Issue 6, February 6, 2013

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New in our Quizzes section: 2013 CPC Practice Exam Also on JustCoding Platinum: Did you...

• Simplify coding for nonvascular interventional radiology procedures

  Interventional radiology cases are often complex with confusing coding rules, especially for...

• AMA introduces neutrality for provider types

  One of the major changes to the 2013 CPT® Manual is the replacement of the term...

• CMS finalizes changes to drug payments, relative weight calculations

  As part of the 2013 OPPS Final Rule, CMS made major changes to how it will reimburse facilities for...

• Healthcare News: CMS adds base codes for interactive complexity add-on code

  CMS rescinded Transmittal 2607 and replaced it with Transmittal 2636 to update the add-on code edit...

• Q/A: Reporting discontinued procedure after anesthesia administered

  Q: A patient went to the operating room under anesthesia for cataract extraction and repair of...

• Continuing education credits

  Continuing education credits

• Product of the week: 2013 Facility ED Coding Checkup live audio conference February 21

  Product of the week:  2013 Facility ED Coding Checkup live audio conference February 21

• Trivia question

  Trivia question

• Coder chat

  Coder chat

• Mini-poll

  Mini-poll

• Free quiz

  Free quiz

• Blogs

  Blogs

Issue 4, January 23, 2013

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New in our Webcast library: The Integumentary System Also on JustCoding Platinum: Did...

• Compare coding for eyes and ears in ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM

  ICD-10-CM includes separate chapters for diseases of the eye and diseases of the ear, a change from...

• Consider dual coding to prepare for ICD-10 transition

  The use of dual coding is frequently discussed and debated as a way to prepare for the transition...

• Eight action steps for ICD-10 implementation

  Deborah Grider, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPMA, CEMC, COBGC, CPCD, CCS-P, CDIP, senior manager at...

• Healthcare News: AMA releases CPT errata

  On January 9, the American Medical Association sent out a notification of errata in the 2014...

• Q&A: Coding spinal stenosis in ICD-10-CM

  Q: How will coding for spinal stenosis change in ICD-10-CM?

• Continuing education credits

  Continuing education credits

• Product of the week: Injections and Infusions for Hospitals live audio conference January 30

  Product of the week: Injections and Infusions for Hospitals live audio conference January 30

• Trivia answer

  Congratulations to this week’s winner, MaryAnn Williams, CCS.

• Coder chat

  Coder chat

• Mini-poll

  When was the last time you brushed up on your knowledge of human anatomy and pathophysiology?

• Free quiz

  Test your knowledge with this week’s free quiz, which features questions about ICD-10-CM...

• Blogs

  Blogs

Issue 2, January 9, 2013

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New on JustCoding Platinum!

• CPT 2013: AMA overhauls psychiatry codes

  The American Medical Association completely overhauled the CPT® Manual’s psychiatry...

• 2013 CPT updates: Review changes in the surgery section

  Coders will find plenty of changes throughout the musculoskeletal, respiratory, and cardiac...

• Hospitals see therapy, molecular pathology changes

  CMS announced changes to reporting therapy services—the biggest operational change for...

• Healthcare News: AMA, CMS changes intracoronary stent placement procedures codes

  Coding for stent placement procedures will look very different in 2013. The American Medical...

• Q&A: Physician billing for dialysis for ESRD patient in ED

  Q: How should we bill for the physician in the following situation? A patient who has end-stage...

• Continuing education credits

  Continuing education credits

• Product of the week: Injections and Infusions for Hospitals live audio conference January 30

  Product of the week: Injections and Infusions for Hospitals live audio conference January 30

• Trivia question

  Trivia question

• Coder chat

  I have read that code 99024 is used for post-operative care and for internal purposes. We currently...

• Mini-poll

  Mini-poll

• Free quiz

  Free quiz

• Blogs

  Blogs

Issue 16, April 17, 2013

• Editor's Note

  A new and improved e-learning library for JustCoding Platinum subscribers will launch May 29. The...

• New on JustCoding Platinum!

  New on JustCoding Platinum!

• Local Coverage Determinations provide the missing link to complement coding guidelines

  The missing link to correct coding is coder knowledge and practical application of Local Coverage...

• New molecular pathology coding still complex

  At first glance, the new CPT® codes for reporting molecular pathology services might seem...

• Audits help lock down processes, clarify coding

  More and more entities are auditing healthcare claims-Recovery Auditors, Medicare Integrity...

• Healthcare News: CMS adds codes to conditionally bilateral list

  CMS added seven CPT® codes to the conditionally bilateral list as part of the April update to...

• Q&A: ICD-9 coding for screening pap

  Q: A physician's office collects a pap specimen and sends the specimen to the hospital lab for...

• Continuing education credit

  To receive AAPC and/or AHIMA credits, take the quiz after reading the following articles...

• Product of the week: Injections and Infusions Follow Up live audio conference June 4Product of the week: Injections and Infusions Follow Up live audio conference June 4

  Product of the week:  Injections and Infusions Follow Up live audio conference June 4

• Trivia question

  Trivia question

• Coder chat

  Coder chat

• Mini-poll

  Mini-poll

• Free quiz

  Free quiz

• ICD-10 Trainer blog

  ICD-10 Trainer blog

Issue 15, March 6, 2013

• Q/A: How do Excludes notes differ in ICD-10-CM?

  Q: In ICD-9-CM we only have one type of Excludes note. ICD-10-CM uses Excludes1 and Excludes2. What...