Today’s rehearsal for the children’s Christmas play at Anytown Middle School was unforgettable for all of the wrong reasons. Just look at the waiting room at the Fix ‘Em Up Clinic. First in to see Dr...
Information that is not important for ICD-9-CM will take on new significance in ICD-10-CM. Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, CGSC, COBGC, CPEDC, CENTC, and Melanie Endicott, MBA/HCM, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, review areas when specificity comes into play in ICD-10-CM.
Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen And what a festive occasion it was! Participants are suffering from: Functional dyspepsia (K30) Nausea (R11.0) Projectile vomiting (R11.12)...
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh … oh, wait, maybe that’s not such a good idea. Little Bobby came down with chilblains, while Suzie developed frostbite. ICD-10-CM only gives us...
Worried that your vendors won't be ready for ICD-10? CMS has a tip sheet for talking with your vendors on its website. In addition, CMS recently added five new resources: Introduction to ICD-10...
Why in the world is Mr. Grinch so mean? Maybe the problem is his health. Let’s see if we can diagnose the Grinch’s health woes. First, he is as cuddly as a cactus. What does that mean? He’s covered...
Everybody likes a shortcut. We want to get things done faster, arrive home sooner, finish tasks more quickly. Generally shortcuts are good. Unless you’re talking about physician documentation. Then...
Physicians are never going to like receiving queries from coders and CDI specialists. They really won't like all the queries they will receive after the transition to ICD-10.
Editor's note: With the increased specificity required for ICD-10-CM coding, coders need a solid foundation in anatomy and physiology. To help coders prepare for the upcoming transition, we will provide an occasional article about specific anatomical locations and body parts as part of a larger series for ICD-10-CM preparation.
Ah, Black Friday, when shoppers go doorbusting for deals and then head to the Fix ‘Em Up Clinic for repairs. Today’s first wounded bargain hunter, Stephanie, comes in complaining of pain in her left...
Farmer Brown came in today to see Dr. Gobbler for some injuries sustained when he tried to prepare his Thanksgiving main course. It seems Farmer Brown’s turkey wasn’t interested in joining him as...
Coding for acute and chronic pain will not change greatly in ICD-10-CM, though coders will have some new options at their disposal. Shelley C. Safian, PhD, CCS-P, CPC-H, CPC-I , discusses some common pain diagnoses and how they will translate from ICD-9-CM.
ICD-10-CM codes may look unfamiliar, but many concepts are the same as those in ICD-9-CM, with a few notable changes. Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, and Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, CGSC, COBGC, CPEDC, CENTC , look at some of the new conventions and guidelines for ICD-10-CM.
You may remember that the American Medical Association (AMA) has been pushing for an end to ICD-10 since 2012. During its recent House of Delegates meeting, the AMA reinforced its position that ICD-...
Conquest, War, Famine, and Death have nothing on the Four Horsemen of the ICD-10 Apocalypse: Accuracy Documentation Productivity Reimbursement How do you tame these terrors? With planning and...
A feral flock of wild turkeys has invaded New York City. Seriously. And with them, they bring all sorts ofcode-ready diseases and mishaps. First, turkeys can transmit fun infections such as...
CMS created a mini tempest in June when announced it would not conduct end-to-end testing for ICD-10. CMS has not reversed that decision, but will require MAC to conduct front-end testing in March...
Coders may find assigning codes for sepsis somewhat easier in ICD-10-CM, but they will still face some challenges. Ann Barta, MSA, RHIA, CDIP , and Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CCDS, detail how to report sepsis in ICD-10-CM.
The majority of respondents in our recent (unscientific) JustCoding poll identified physician documentation as their biggest concern heading into the ICD-10 transition. No one should be surprised by...
ICD-10-CM codes may look completely different, but many of the coding steps remain the same. Betty Hovey, CPC, CPC-H, CPB, CPMA, CPC-I, CPCD; Julia Palmer, MBA, RHIA, CCS ; and Melanie Endicott, MBA/HCM, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, FAHIMA, CDIP, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer explain how to code for neoplasms in ICD-10 and which changes to note.