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Issue 12, December 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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It's time to begin thinking about resolutions for 2013
The new year is right around the corner, and we'll be another year closer to the ICD-10-CM/PCS... -
Powerful antidotes to cure ICD-10-PCS fears
ICD-10-PCS may prove to be far more challenging for inpatient coders than ICD-10-CM. For some, it... -
Major joint replacement and medical necessity
Have you read MLN Matters® article SE1236 lately? -
Are coders receiving questionable advice?
Robert S. Gold, MD, gives coding guidance on primary cardiomyopathy, SIRS, sepsis, acute... -
Test your knowledge with some challenging Q&As
Inpatient wound care coding has always been fraught with documentation challenges.
Issue 11, November 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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ICD-10: Continuing momentum will facilitate transition
The ICD-10-CM/PCS delay may give coders more time to learn the new system, but what does this mean... -
Establish a game plan for ICD-10 queries
ICD-10-CM/PCS incorporates laterality, acuity, anatomical specificity, and a slew of additional... -
Case study: Hospital to use CAC for ICD-10 preparation
The manager of clinical documentation integrity program/HIMS at a 300-bed academic medical center... -
Ethical dilemmas require proactive approach
Ethical dilemma. These two words make coders cringe. -
New information about metastatic neoplasms
Every few years, the AHA publishes guidance in Coding Clinic that can significantly affect...
Issue 10, October 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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How will the changes empower coders to improve compliance?
Coders play a crucial role in ensuring compliance, and the FY 2013 IPPS final rule, released August... -
Accuracy helps avoid denials, ensure compliance
Inpatient-only procedures are those that CMS has determined providers must perform on an inpatient... -
Review new asthma terminology in ICD-10-CM
Intrinsic. Extrinsic. Chronic obstructive. These are just some of the terms that describe asthma in... -
How will this technology affect productivity?
Now that CMS has finalized a 2014 implementation date for ICD-10-CM/PCS, increasingly more... -
Put BMI in context, consider potential risk factors
As you may know, ICD-9-CM V codes have been expanded to include higher body mass indexes (BMI...
Issue 9, September 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Coma, stroke codes require more specific documentation
A quick glance at ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM stroke and coma codes reveals many similarities and some... -
Ask questions before reporting complications
Complications are … well, complicated. There's no other way to say it. Why are they so... -
Some codes evolve more slowly than others
ICD-9-CM codes invariably change over time. Some changes are for the better, and some are for the... -
Consider self-audit before responding to request
Do you audit records before sending them to your Recovery Auditor? If not, your hospital may be one... -
Add PEPPER data to your audit program
Information received by TMF Quality Institute during the past year indicates that 61% of hospitals... -
Help physicians understand what coders need
Coding managers and their team members sometimes must approach physicians in person regarding...
Issue 8, August 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Thorough documentation review helps ensure accurate principal diagnoses
Clear and consistent documentation makes a coder’s job much easier, and it improves data... -
Coders skills are crucial for successful EHR rollout
Should coders or coding managers be involved in an EHR rollout? The answer to this question is... -
Clarify IBS and IBD before you assign codes
Physicians often use the acronyms IBS (which should indicate irritable bowel syndrome) and IBD... -
Start learning new ICD-10-CM fracture codes
The sheer number and detail of new fracture codes in ICD-10-CM is daunting, leaving many coders to...
Issue 7, July 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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What to expect when coding CAD, MI with ICD-10-CM
ICD-10-CM coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction codes will undoubtedly differ from... -
Recovery Auditors focus on three-day rule
Learn why June 25, 2010 is important within the context of three-day payment rule audits. -
New criteria could help ensure consistent coding
New clinical guidelines for malnutrition could help alleviate compliance challenges associated with... -
Pondering causes of mechanical, paralytic ileuses
Robert S. Gold, MD ponders the causes of mechanical and paralytical ileuses. -
Emphasize importance of history of present illness
Inpatient coders don't typically assign E/M codes, but they should be aware of documentation of the...
Issue 6, June 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Continue preparations despite proposed delay
CMS has proposed delaying ICD-10 implementation until October 1, 2014, but coders shouldn't delay... -
MAC prepayment reviews hit hospitals hard
MACs have already begun prepayment reviews at hospitals nationwide, and Medicare Recovery Auditors... -
Seven savvy tips for coding sepsis and SIRS
Many physicians say that SIRS criteria are insufficient and confusing at best, and don't indicate... -
Address medical necessity, coding challenges
Medical necessity denials traditionally focus on high-dollar DRGs, such as those for hip and knee... -
Will acute respiratory failure be CC instead of MCC?
Will acute respiratory failure be demoted from MCC to CC? -
Quality of care emerges as FY 2013 theme
Inpatient hospitals will see CMS payment rates increase 2.3% in FY 2013 if the agency finalizes the...
Issue 5, May 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Delayed implementation and its effect on coders
The wait is over-CMS has announced a proposed rule that would postpone ICD-10 implementation from... -
Are your ICD-10 implementation fears justified?
Does ICD-10 really merit all the worry—particularly for coders? -
Review guidelines for coding pregnancy, its complications
Depending on the demographics of the region a hospital serves, its coders could determine code... -
Take time to learn what motivates your coding staff
When more is expected of coders, more motivation is necessary to help them achieve their full...
Issue 4, April 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Coders need to understand their role in the process
Coding isn't just about reading documentation and selecting codes based on certain words... -
Planning can maximize benefits of internal coding audits
If you're going to spend time and resources to conduct a coding audit, you certainly want to ensure... -
Identify potential Medicaid RAC target areas
The Medicaid RAC program kicked off January 1, and experts say that although the program got off to... -
Consider the big picture before querying physicians
If there's a valid reason to query, get your ducks in a row before doing so. -
Know how to translate physician documentation
Experts say ICD-10-PCS may be more challenging for coders coding procedures than for...
Issue 3, March 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Clinical evidence offers clues
Knowing when and how to query for all conditions is crucial; this couldn't be truer for CCs and... -
Prospective process helps identify PACT underpayments
Learn why a 1% error rate in discharge status code assignment is not as insignificant as it might... -
Don't jump to conclusions about documentation
Learn how coders are led astray by bad data and physician documentation that isn't entirely... -
Strive for specificity now and in preparation for ICD-10
ICD-10 will allow coders to report nonspecific, unspecified, or not otherwise specified (NOS... -
Cross-train coders to prepare for ICD-10 implementation
Cross-training coders has definitive short-term advantages, such as enhancing staff coverage during... -
Providers assess prepayment, rebilling demonstrations
CMS has been busy, particularly with its newly announced Recovery Audit prepayment review and...
Issue 2, February 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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CMS demonstration allows rebilling outpatient services after some inpatient denials
Perhaps you're familiar with the following scenario: A hospital submits a short-stay inpatient... -
CMS announces MS-DRGs set for prepayment review
RACs will soon have authority to review claims before they're paid to ensure that providers... -
Know how inpatient coders can ensure compliance
The three-day payment window requires hospitals to include the following information on inpatient... -
Review ICD-9-CM guidelines for coding pain
Generally speaking, coders are taught not to code signs and symptoms that are integral to a disease... -
Respiratory failure code description limitations
In March 2011, the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee updated the following code... -
Understand new ICD-10-CM coding conventions
ICD-10-CM will bring some new coding conventions.
Issue 1, January 1, 2012 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Bundled payment plan aims to improve care, lower costs
Hospitals have long lamented the difficulty of obtaining physician buy-in for various quality... -
Is computer-assisted coding friend or foe?
Learn what you need to know about computer-assisted coding. -
Scrutinize documentation in 2012 and beyond
Even if you don't make a personal New Year's resolution, you should make a professional one: to be... -
New ingredients in CMS' regulatory alphabet soup
By now, you're probably familiar with Medicare hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) and know that... -
BCCS 2011 index
Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies 2011 Index