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Issue 12, December 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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New E codes require detailed documentation
We’ve all read or seen news reports about horrific accidents that occur when people send... -
OIG focuses on hot-button issues in 2010 Work Plan
Readmissions, the POA indicator, and adverse events are just some of the issues that top the 2010... -
Identify and audit top MIC targets
Contractor combat. These are the two words that many compliance experts use to describe... -
Think twice before querying for clarification
Physicians sometimes lose faith in coders and clinical documentation improvement (CDI) specialists...
Issue 11, November 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Prepare for ICD-10 with anatomy/physiology education
As part of your preparation work for ICD-10, consider ways to offer coders more education on... -
Determine effect of MS-DRG changes in 2010 IPPS final rule
The 2010 IPPS final rule included several changes related to MS-DRGs, complications and... -
Update your ICD-9 knowledge
Some of the major code groupings undergoing change this year include more specificity to the... -
Complications of surgery, uncertain diagnoses, and more highlight important updates for coders
The American Hospital Association’s Coding Clinic for ICD-9-CM is one of the most important... -
Revisit these common coding issues
Each time I do an audit of medical records, I find documentation or coding issues that demonstrate...
Issue 10, October 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Use productivity benchmarks to set coding standards
With audit contractors scrutinizing coding accuracy and an upcoming transition to the ICD-10 coding... -
Roller-coaster fall results in complex injuries
Editor’s note: Test your coding skills with this case study from DeAnne W. Bloomquist, RHIT... -
Know how code assignment affects data quality and risk adjustment
Coding has continually evolved over the past 10 years, and it will continue to change with the... -
Pay attention to the details to avoid upcoding
Although undercoding is always a concern for facilities, potential upcoding is just as serious a... -
Update: Know the changes for coding anemia due to chemotherapy
In the September BCCS, we published an article with Coding Clinic advice on coding anemia secondary... -
2010 ICD-9-CM updates: Dealing with some of the code changes
Venous disease changes Let’s start with the concept of “acute” and...
Issue 9, September 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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CMS delays documentation and coding adjustment, reduces payment for common MS-DRGs
CMS delayed a payment reduction, but changed MS-DRG weights. -
NCDs clarify how to identify and report never events
Our experts help interpret CMS’ national coverage determinations, which include... -
Expect CMS outreach in preparation for Medicaid audits
CMS officials talk about where the MIC program is heading and how they will educate providers. -
Coders need specific details before coding anemia secondary to chemotherapy
Our coding experts provide three questions to ask before reporting anemia secondary to chemotherapy. -
Decode the language of physicians
Robert S. Gold, M.D., helps coders decipher physician language in order to code hypertension and...
Issue 8, August 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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What would you do? Know your ethical obligations
In late June, Johns Hopkins’ Bayview Medical Cen¬ter in Baltimore agreed to pay nearly $3... -
Improve documentation with strong CDI specialist, program
More hospitals will likely develop clinical documentation improvement (CDI) programs as ICD-10... -
Dissect documentation for psychiatric inpatients
Unlike acute care inpatients, hospitals get paid for psych inpatients based on per diem rates set... -
Quick list: Eight tips to better understand CMS’ GEMs
To help facilities prepare for ICD-10, CMS has pub¬lished two fact sheets that provide general... -
Know the adverse effects of atrial fibrillation
A few months ago, I wrote a description of how atrial fibrillation (AF) with rapid ventricular...
Issue 7, July 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Uncover this helpful GEM to assist with ICD-10 transition
Despite the fact that ICD-10 implementation is nearly three years away, CMS is ramping up its... -
The quick list: Eight recovery audit contractor refreshers
In August, the recovery audit contractor (RAC) program will extend to all states nationwide. In... -
Is your hospital owed money for PACTs?
The job of the recovery audit contractors (RAC) is twofold: Identify overpayments to recoup excess... -
Clinically Speaking: Demand a code for demand myocardial infarction
Each year, the Cooperating Parties make changes to various ICD-9 code sets. Most recent changes...
Issue 6, June 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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2010 IPPS proposed rule brings historic payment lows, few coding changes
When CMS released its May 1 proposal, hospitals received a mixed bag of news: There are minimal... -
CMS discusses RACs, ICD-10, and wage indexes
During its most recent Open Door Forum, held May 6, CMS discussed several inpatient-related topics... -
Perspectives on chronic left ventricular heart failure: A coder and a physician team up to offer guidance
Selecting a code for a patient with heart failure used to be fairly straightforward; fewer codes... -
Sequence properly for appropriate DRG assignment
Every so often, I’m reminded of how important it is to code accurately and in the proper...
Issue 5, May 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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OIG Work Plan: Still time to prepare
Four aspects of the 2009 OIG Work Plan apply to inpatient hospitals and coders. Find out how you... -
California's hospital quality-data reporting success
With the increased focus on quality of care, it comes as little surprise that California, one of... -
Understand inpatient wound care coding for RAC audits
Two ICD-9 codes denote debridement in relation to wound care: 86.22, excisional debridement of... -
The quick list: Eight sepsis coding tips
Sepsis, septicemia, bacteremia and Systemic Inflamma¬tory Response Syndrome (SIRS) are... -
Coding advice about a couple colonitises
A variety of codes apply to certain dis¬eases of the large bowel, so it?s important to understand...
Issue 4, April 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Understand how never events, HACs differ
Three new national coverage determinations are the latest steps in CMS’ initiative to... -
Championing the compliance cause: A coder's perspective on avoiding seven potential coding traps
Coders have a moral and ethical responsibility to judiciously avoid reimbursement fraud and abuse... -
CMS discusses RACs, MACs, and AHRQ measures
During its most recent Open Door Forum (ODF) on February 25, CMS discussed several... -
Straight talk about uncontrolled diabetes
We’ve been in the medical record documentation business a long time, and we’ve heard...
Issue 3, March 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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ICD-10 at long last: Prepare for implementation by 2013
On January 15, CMS released two final rules: one mandating a switch from ICD-9-CM to the more... -
New guidance for coding BMI and pressure ulcers
Hospitals around the country face a new challenge: teaching coders that they can, in certain... -
The coder’s new role in the revenue cycle
Without complete and ac¬curate code assignment in conjunction with timely cod¬ing and... -
’Injury’ hurts data integrity streams
Physicians use the word “injury” because they read it in the current literature or...
Issue 2, February 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Don't leave money on the table: Report eligible procedures under OPPS
Effective January 1, coders can report HCPCS code C9899 when providers implant a prosthetic device... -
Callers comment on HACs during special CMS session
For more than a year, coders have reported the present-on-admission (POA) indicator for most... -
Take another look at observation
Revisit definitions, condition code 44, and the connection to inpatient status -
Falls, spills, and other uncodable events
Seek clarification regarding etiology by Robert S. Gold, MD Patient falls account for...
Issue 1, January 1, 2009 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Update physician query policy in light of new AHIMA practice brief
Editor’s note: Last month in BCCS, we offered an overview of AHIMA’s new query brief... -
Guidelines for reporting CRT-D pacemaker implantation
Be aware of new Coding Clinic advice Cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D... -
Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies 2008 index
AHIMA’s draft query practice brief leaves many questions unanswered. July, p. 1. Alleviate... -
Accurately document hemorrhage severity
Get to know your bleeds to ensure proper coding by Robert S. Gold, MD Consider the following...