Mechanical ventilation plays a critical role in supporting patients who are struggling with respiration due to illness, injury, or complications associated with surgical procedures. By maintaining oxygenation and ventilation while the underlying condition is being treated or resolved, this intervention can dramatically increase the survival rates for critically ill patients. Follow Shelley C. Safian, PhD, RHIA, CCS-P, COC, CPC-I, as she breaks down medical necessity requirements, mechanical ventilation types, and relevant ICD-10-PCS codes.
Even though seborrheic keratoses are benign and not contagious, their appearance can sometimes resemble melanoma, a potentially life-threatening form of skin cancer. Shontia Leon-Guerrero, CPC, CEDC, CEMC, CPC-I Educator, explains why understanding the differences between these conditions is important for recognizing when further medical evaluation may be necessary, as well as for proper coding.
At the public ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting held September 15–16, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discussed 39 proposals involving diagnosis code topics. Discover some of the requests being considered for implementation on April 1, 2027.
CMS issued its 2027 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule last week. The document includes several provisions, including updates to OPPS and ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment rates, the method of controlling unnecessary increases in outpatient services volumes, the inpatient only (IPO) list, and prior authorization for botulinum toxin injection codes. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
For many healthcare organizations, a paid claim feels like a finished claim. The codes were assigned, edits cleared, the claim was submitted successfully, and reimbursement was received. By traditional measures, the process looks successful. But if that claim is audited 18 months later, the question changes from whether it could be billed to whether it can be defended.
A new definition for prescription drug management in the 2027 CPT manual is designed to clear up confusion and set expectations. The 2027 manual adds the definition to the Risk of Complications and/or Morbidity or Mortality of Patient Management (Risk) category for level-based evaluation and management (E/M) codes.
