ICD-10: Take a Straight BMI Path from ICD-9 to ICD-10
Adult codes still dominate. With all the press on childhood obesity, ICD-10 still provides greater granularity for measures of adult body mass index (BMI). In fact, the Read More...
View ArticleBreaking News: Supreme Court Ruling on ‘ObamaCare’ Got You Wondering About...
Best bet: Keep up your implementation plans. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, you may be wondering how this affects your ICD-10 implementation. Read More...
View ArticleNews You Can Use: Don’t Hold Your Breath For ICD-11 as an ICD-10 Alternative
Here’s why CMS will ignore the AMA’s endorsement. Last month, you checked out the ICD-11 possibility in \”AMA ‘Evaluating ICD-11′ As ICD-9 Alternative\” in the Volume 2, Number 7 Read More...
View ArticleCMS Confirms Oct. 1, 2014 As New ICD-10 Implementation Date
It’s been nearly eight months since HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on Feb. 16 that the government would be delaying the deadline for ICD-10 diagnosis coding, but failed to designate Read...
View ArticleSwitch to K66.0 for Peritoneal Adhesion Diagnoses in 2014
You’ll only need to note small exclusion note changes. While ICD-10 will bring a lot of changes, one thing you won’t have to worry about is making your urologist change his Read More...
View ArticleAdd ‘Excess Calories’ to Obesity Documentation
Don’t confuse ‘other’ with ‘unspecified.’ Although coding morbid obesity won’t tell the whole “medical necessity” story for lap-band procedures, you’ll need to know how to report the condition once...
View ArticleBleed Location Directs Your Hemorrhage Coding In ICD-10
Prepare now for 50+ new codes associated with 998.11. When your anesthesiologist participates in a surgical case because the patient had bleeding (hemorrhage) problems, you typically include 998.11...
View ArticleFill in 2 Blanks to Report This Carotid Bypass Procedure Code
Without key information, you will have too many potential codes. Drastic changes are coming for inpatient coders, and the way providers currently document procedures will become incomplete in 2014....
View ArticleExpert Breaks Down Your ICD-10 Transition Plan into 5 Phases
Don’t forget to include productivity loss in your budget. You need to make a plan for an ICD-10 transition – but do you know how to create one? Before you start panicking, Read More...
View ArticlePrepare For 4 New Otalgia Options in 2014
The fifth digit makes all the difference. Simply put, otalgia refers to an earache. In infants, this is often indicated by children tugging on their ears, and older patients present complaining Read...
View ArticleS21.1_ Adds Detail Beyond 876.0 for Back Wounds
Laceration, puncture, and more expand codes. Coding wound closure requires identifying wound characteristics, and that will become a lot more specific when you change from ICD-9 to ICD-10. Remember:...
View ArticleV84 to Z15: Don’t Expect Big Changes for Genetic Test Results
Follow one-to-one crosswalk. Despite a major CPT® revamping of genetic test codes (see “81200-81479: Get Ready for Molecular Pathology Overhaul” in this issue), you won’t see a similar change for...
View ArticleYour 640.0x Codes Condense Into a Single Option in 2014
Avoid reporting this ICD-10 code with O00-O08. A threatened abortion is a condition suggesting the patient may miscarry before her 20th week of pregnancy. This may be characterized by bleeding, Read...
View ArticleZ15 and V84 Trade Places in 2014 for Coding Neoplasm Genetic Susceptibility
Follow instructions to include code for current neoplasm and family history, too. You can expect a direct crosswalk of a few ICD-9-CM codes to ICD-10-CM for reporting certain genetic susceptibility...
View ArticleExpand Your Undescended, Retractile Testicle Diagnoses in 2014
Make sure your urologist gets specific in his documentation. When your urologist performs an orchiopexy procedure, you’ll most likely use one of the following diagnosis codes along with the procedure...
View ArticleNew ‘J’ Code Will Replace 034.0 for Strep Throat Dx
Fortunately, however, coding choices for this condition won’t expand dramatically. Your otolaryngology practice probably sees patients with symptoms of strep throat every day, and this common illness...
View ArticleKnow the Rhinitis Cause to Report This Dx Under ICD-10
You’ll be checking the ‘J30.x’ section to find the right rhinitis code next year. Although rhinitis cases are probably heating up now as spring approaches, your practice may see this diagnosis Read...
View ArticleICD-10: I82.4 — Names Vessels for Lower Extremity Embolism/Thrombosis
ICD-10: I82.4 — Names Vessels for Lower Extremity Embolism/Thrombosis That’s a change from 453.4x ICD-9 terminology. Right now, knowing whether a lower extremity deep vein embolism or thrombosis is...
View ArticleResearch How to Report Radiation Oncology Procedures in ICD-10-PCS
Highlight this character for the radioactive isotope. When you prepare to report a radiology oncology procedure, you need to pay particular attention to characters 3-6, as these specify the radiation,...
View ArticleNeck Pain Will Have an Easy Code Switch in ICD-10
Descriptor won’t even change from 723.1 to M54.2. Chronic neck pain is one of the most common complaints among patients who see a pain management specialist, and a simple one to Read More...
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