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Issue 12, December 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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New ICD-9-CM rules alter sepsis, pain management guidelines, and more
New official ICD-9-CM coding guidelines that took effect November 15 alter the way that hospitals... -
Quality measures affect more than just IPPS reimbursements
IPPS hospitals must report 21 quality measures in 2007, but be aware of significant case mix index... -
OIG to audit inpatient services, specialty hospitals in 2007
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has turned its expansive gaze on a vast number of problematic... -
The RAC project: Its effect on one California hospital system
Editor's note: This article is the second in a two-part series. Last month, Briefings on Coding... -
Heart failure core measures are lacking
Ever since the new code sets for heart failure (and acute myocardial infarction [AMI]) came out in...
Issue 11, November 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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The RAC project: Coming to a state near you?
Recovery program may go national Editor's note: This article is the first in a two-part... -
Are your coders capturing these commonly missed CCs?
Editor's note: This article is the second in a two-part series. Last month, Shannon McCall... -
UB-04: Prepare for increased diagnosis codes, new fields
Coders will play vital role in assigning new present-on-admission indicator Coding professionals... -
Sepsis is not septicemia: ICD-9-CM guidelines only add confusion
We've heard that ICD-10-CM is coming and we've heard that American Health Information Management...
Issue 10, October 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Don't overlook these commonly missed CCs
Editor's note: This article is the first in a two-part series. It's no secret that... -
Don't pass on reporting clinical quality measures
How HIM/coding plays a vital role in data gathering, reimbursement Hospitals are not required to... -
Are published profile data accurate?
Over the past five years, HIM professionals have learned that various organizations are collecting...
Issue 9, September 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Get ready for phase one of sweeping IPPS reform
On August 1, CMS announced plans for sweeping reform to the IPPS, with some changes effective... -
Increase coding staff's productivity with an incentive plan
Before implementing any financially based incentive plan, obtain approval from your organization's... -
ICD-9-CM: Sequence and code your way to accurate claims
Editor's note: This is the third part of a three-part series. This month's article covers anemia... -
Demand ischemia is coming: Be on the lookout
One of the most common problems that coders face is inadequate documentation to justify admissions...
Issue 8, August 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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New ICD-9-CM codes add specificity, pave path to ICD-10, experts say
The new ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes, effective October 1, serve as a reminder that... -
Use PEPPER to spice up undercoding
How one facility used the data to recoup due revenue Editor's note: This month's story, which is... -
ICD-9-CM: Conquer diabetes, fracture, and burn coding
This is the second part in a three-part series and covers diabetes, fractures, and burns. The first... -
Query physicians to improve your data and reimbursement
When an inpatient medical record contains incomplete, inconsistent, unclear, or ambiguous... -
Oops, the NCHS did it again
Our dear friends at the National Centers for Health Statistics (NCHS) embarrassed us all in October...
Issue 7, July 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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ICD-9-CM: Conquer complex cases
This is the first of a three-part series. Part I covers general ICD-9-CM guidelines, signs and... -
Root out home healthcare discharge (06) problems
The expansion of the post-acute care transfer (PACT) policy to 182 DRGs in October 2005 threw a... -
How HIM coding affects little-known payment formulation
The formula by which Medicare pays health maintenance organization (HMO) plans-including... -
Prepare for severity of illness now
As you probably are aware, big changes are coming to hospital reimbursement in the next year or...
Issue 6, June 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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CMS proposes major DRG overhaul
CMS dropped a bombshell with the April 12 release of the 2007 inpatient prospective payment system... -
Don't overlook other important changes in 2007 IPPS proposed rule
In addition to the proposed 2008 switch to consolidated severity-adjusted (CSA) DRGs, be aware of... -
Don't be left behind: Start your case-mix improvements
Hospitals that do nothing to improve their physicians' documentation and their case mix will be... -
Case study: How two hospitals implemented APR-DRGs
When Maryland underwent a mandated statewide conversion to All Patient Refined DRGs (APR-DRGs) in... -
Code RDS properly to ensure accurate data collection, appropriate reimbursement
The International Classification of Disease (ICD) code sets are designed so that hospitals in one...
Issue 5, May 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Part A, B consolidation coming due to nationwide MAC reform
Prepare for anticipated billing changes Hospital coding staff traditionally bill their... -
Coding expert touts benefits of ICD-10
Encourages Washington for 2009 implementation Working with ICD-9-CM every day "reaffirms that it... -
Conduct inpatient coding audits to maintain compliance
One of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks a hospital can undertake is conducting inpatient... -
Why 'MERCI' isn't always French for 'thank you'
The interventional age is proceeding at full blast. More peripheral vascular interventional...
Issue 4, April 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Ensure proper coding of these four thorny inpatient procedures
Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series. Last month's story examined coding problems... -
Comply with physician supervision requirements for diagnostic testing
Hospitals and nonhospital settings, such as independent diagnostic testing facilities (IDTF), have... -
Tackle physician documentation with education, review
One facility uses HIM professionals to drive improvement Documentation improvement programs... -
Turn to AHA/CMS for answers to tough coding questions
New partnership to provide HCPCS help for hospitals If you have an outpatient coding question... -
Lobby the experts to help make a difference
Experience can change your perspective. Some-times you gain new insights and additional knowledge...
Issue 3, March 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Be wary of these miscoded procedures
Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series. Next month’s story will... -
Inpatient psych PPS proposed rule out
Period of transition depends on accurate data Although a quick read of the inpatient... -
Learn the lowdown on incident-to physician billing
Avoid problems by keeping accurate documentation Incident-to physician billing recently landed... -
Look to case management for best discharge assignment
Although case managers are often the best choice for assigning discharge-disposition codes, most... -
When a diagnosis isn’t what it is: Documentation and coding conundrums
One of the marching orders accepted as gospel by HIM professionals is selecting a code as a...
Issue 2, February 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Connect these six dots to achieve coding compliance in your facility
Struggling to find the best method to achieve coding compliance in your HIM department? The six... -
Sort out the differences between screening, diagnostic colonoscopies
Focus on problem scenarios, communication Coders face the recurring problem of coding... -
Sepsis coding guidelines not fully evolved
The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the code system for the International Classification...
Issue 1, January 6, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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OIG Work Plan hammers old coding trouble spots, examines new services
The Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) 2006 Work Plan covers much of the same tried-and-true... -
Conduct audits with a dash of PEPPER
Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series. Last month we described the... -
Understand the parts of replaced major joints to improve your coding as a whole
Until the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the new 2006 ICD-9-CM codes...