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Issue 12, December 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Prepare for ICD-10-PCS' surgical coding challenges
ICD-10-PCS is a whole new ball game for inpatient coders. Everything will change. Coders have been... -
Changes continue for Recovery Auditors
The audit landscape continues to change as Recovery Auditors (RA) expand prepayment reviews and CMS... -
Check in on coding, MS-DRG updates
The Cooperating Parties made the last regular update to the ICD-9-CM codes October 1, 2011, but... -
Documentation improvement not just about ICD-10
Physicians are never going to like receiving queries from coders and CDI specialists. They really... -
Don't get caught up in coding by memory
Yeah, ICD-10 is all different, isn't it? Well, the appearance of the codes may change, but the...
Issue 11, November 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Specificity key to simplifying sepsis coding in ICD-10-CM
Coders may find assigning codes for sepsis somewhat easier in ICD-10-CM, but they will still face... -
Wound care goes beyond pressure ulcers
All pressure ulcers are wounds, but not all wounds are pressure ulcers. A wound is an injury to... -
Discover and correct common documentation insufficiencies before ICD-10 implementation
How well could you code in ICD-10 using your current physician documentation? Do your physicians... -
Use PEPPER to understand coded data
If you're not already actively using your hospital's PEPPER (Program for Evaluating Payment... -
Dear SIRS, let me introduce you
Over and over, one gets frustrated that professional coders are told that they are smart and...
Issue 10, October 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Review changes in the FY 2014 IPPS final rule
CMS released its FY 2014 IPPS final rule in August, and with it comes a whole slew of changes for... -
Brush up on sepsis coding to avoid Recovery Auditor takebacks
Does the patient really have sepsis? Experts say coders often struggle with this question... -
CDI ethics: Play by the rules
CDI specialists shouldn't focus on reimbursement, yet the reality is that improved documentation... -
Specificity now = specificity in ICD-10-CM/PCS: Ensure your documentation is up to par
Despite a coder's best efforts to learn ICD-10-CM/PCS, there is one variable that could pose a... -
BCCS advisors encourage coders to embrace their strengths
The countdown clock to ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation is ticking. One year from now-in October... -
Use your brain when coding strokes in ICD-10-CM
Each physician may have his or her own way of describing a stroke. However, consistent...
Issue 9, September 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Know when and how to query for AKI
Patients may present with a whole host of acute renal impairments (i.e., functional or... -
Big data: The next 'big' thing in coding
Most coders have heard the buzz phrase "big data," but what does it mean exactly? And... -
ICD-10-CM/PCS: Managing the change for coders
When it comes to ICD-10-CM/PCS, coders may be the hardest and most directly hit employees. Yet some... -
Avoid common coding traps, look for opportunities
As meticulous as a coder may be, he or she is bound to make a mistake at some point in his or her... -
It takes guts-and specificity-to code intestinal diagnoses in ICD-10-CM
ICD-10-CM includes some new concepts regarding the intestinal tract that are worthy of closer...
Issue 8, August 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Four nifty tips to ensure principal diagnosis accuracy
Does the DRG accurately depict the patient's story? Does the length of stay and severity of illness... -
How a culture of compliance can help coders
When Paul Belton, RHIA, MBA, JD, LLM, speaks about the culture at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego... -
Coder/CDI case study: A little respect goes a long way
It took some time to break down the wall between coders and CDI specialists at New Hanover Regional... -
Q&A: State HIM associations' role in ICD-10-CM/PCS coder education
BCCS recently spoke with advisory board member Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, about the... -
Make coding hip and knee replacements in ICD-10-PCS a walk in the park
Joint replacement surgery is nothing short of a miracle for those experiencing pain due to an... -
Respiratory insufficiency still insufficient in ICD-10-CM
Although ICD-10-CM resolves some problematic areas of coding, it isn't a panacea. Respiratory...
Issue 7, July 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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CMS, ONC tackle the topic of EHRs and coding
Do EHRs enable fraud and abuse by encouraging upcoding? What other factors could have led to higher... -
Inpatient charging: Consistency is paramount
Charging for inpatient ancillary procedures and supplies has always been confusing. "CMS... -
ICD-10-PCS: Put your heart into coding pacemakers
Upon quick glance, codes for insertion, removal, and revision of pacemakers look quite different in... -
Create a coding roundtable to ensure data integrity
When coding guidelines are murky and open for interpretation, coders can sometimes feel as though... -
Value-based purchasing: What to expect in FY 2014 and beyond
Hospital value-based purchasing (HVBP). It's the latest buzz phrase in the healthcare industry...
Issue 6, June 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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E codes: Rounding out the patient's story
Auto manufacturers rely on them to make decisions about improving passenger restraints in vehicles... -
Stopping diabetes in its tracks: How ICD-10-CM can help
More than 8% of the population in the United States (i.e., 25.8 million children and adults) has... -
Documentation of medical necessity drives successful RA appeals
Most hospitals have been overwhelmed by Recovery Auditor (RA) requests for documentation. So it's... -
CMS releases FY 2014 IPPS proposed rule
Consider the following: A beneficiary is admitted to a hospital pursuant to a physician order and... -
Don your thinking cap before querying for acute cor pulmonale
by Robert S. Gold, MD
Issue 5, May 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Physician engagement is key to coding accuracy
William E. Haik, MD, FCCP, CDIP, a practicing pulmonologist and director of DRG Review, Inc... -
Don't let underpayments fly under the radar
Nearly 75% of participating hospitals nationwide with RA activity reported receiving at least... -
Keep current on changes to the three-day payment rule
The three-day payment window has been wrought with compliance challenges since its inception. In... -
Comply with new ACDIS/AHIMA query practice brief
In February, AHIMA published an update to its 2010 query practice brief. The updated brief... -
Why coders should be aware of advice for coding ESRD, excisional debridement, and more
Coders should question the validity of coding advice and work collaboratively with physicians...
Issue 4, April 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Use caution when reporting unrelated DRGs
DRGs for procedures unrelated to the principal diagnosis shouldn't occur frequently. If they do... -
Get to know the ICD-10-PCS root operations
Editor's note: This is the second article in a two-part series about ICD-10-PCS root operations. -
Condition code 44: How coders and billers can help ensure compliance
Although coders and billers don't play a role in determining whether condition code 44 is... -
Plan for the worst, hope for the best
When Lori Belanger, RN, BSN, RHIT, inpatient coder and CDI specialist at Northern Maine Medical... -
ICD-9-CM codes for PEGJ and cardiorenal syndrome require physician input
by Robert S. Gold, MD
Issue 3, March 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Look for clinical clues when querying for CCs and MCCs
Everyone knows that CCs and MCCs are under scrutiny these days. However, that doesn't mean... -
Coded data drives so much more than reimbursement
Researcher Bill Rudman, PhD, RHIA, says he didn't fully understand the implications of codes that... -
Get to know the ICD-10-PCS root operations
Editor's note: This is the first article in a two-part series about ICD-10-PCS root operations. -
Create a coding/CDI e-blast for physicians
The advent of electronic media is slowly but surely changing the way we access information... -
Face-to-face talks are crucial for CDI
by Robert S. Gold, MD
Issue 2, February 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Copy and paste documentation poses challenges for coders
As Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., implemented its EHR, the dreaded... -
Do both conditions truly meet the definition of principal diagnosis?
The ICD-9-CM guidelines state that it's unusual for two or more diagnoses to meet the definition of... -
POA indicator accuracy remains high
In times of increased auditor scrutiny, it's important for coders to remind themselves of their... -
Coding productivity losses: Four lessons learned from the Canadian ICD-10 experience
Will ICD-10-CM/PCS wreak havoc on coding productivity? -
Why ICD-10-CM falls short for some diagnoses
by Robert S. Gold, MD
Issue 1, January 1, 2013 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Are you ready for Recovery Auditor prepayment reviews?
After a six-month delay, the Recovery Auditor prepayment review demonstration program began in... -
Think before you query for causes of pneumonia
Clinically Speaking column: Drew Siegel, MC, CPC, and Robert S. Gold, MD, review... -
Cozy up with the FY 2013 ICD-10-CM guidelines
Upon quick glance, the FY 2013 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting probably look... -
Highlights from the FY 2013 OIG Work Plan
The FY 2013 OIG Work Plan includes plenty of new additions in which inpatient hospitals might be... -
Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies 2012 index
Looking for a past BCCS article? Find what you need with the 2012 article index.