Coding Tip of the Month – June 2019
Cologuard® was approved by the FDA in August 2014 and is an easy to use, noninvasive colon cancer screening test that identifies altered DNA and/or blood in stool, which are associated with the possibility of colon cancer or precancer. DNA is continuously shed from cells in the intestinal lining and passed into the stool. Both…
Coding Tip of the Month – May 2019
The Proposed Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Rule was established on April 23, 2019. The ICD-10-CM code changes contained in the FY 2020 Proposed Rule Tables revealed 273 new codes, 21 deleted and 30 code title revisions. Just under 60% (162) of the new codes are proposed for chapters 19 Injury, poisoning and certain other…
Coding Tip of the Month – April 2019
Infections Due to Vascular Catheters: The First Quarter 2019 Coding Clinic addressed several questions regarding infections due to vascular catheters. In summary the complication code should be assigned based on the location of the catheter tip rather than the function. ICD-10-CM classifies infections from a midline catheter (T82.7-) and a central venous catheter (T80.2) differently….
Coding Tip of the Month – March 2019
The First Quarter 2019 Coding Clinic responded to several questions in regard to which codes to report for when you have codes from both categories J43 Emphysema and J44 Other Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The table below summarizes the clinical scenarios submitted, code recommendations and rationale. Presenting Problem Medical History Coding Clinic Response Rationale COPD…
Coding Tip of the Month – February 2019
Surgical Site Infections The October 2018 updates included expansion of Subcategory T81.4, Infection following a procedure, and new codes were created to identify surgical site infections according to depth. Six codes were created to describe infections following a procedure: Code Description T81.40 Infection following a procedure, unspecified T81.41 Infection following a procedure, superficial incisional surgical…
Coding Tip of the Month – January 2019
Partial Knee Joint Replacements The knee has three compartments — the medial compartment (inside aspect of the knee), the lateral compartment (outside of the knee) and the patellofemoral compartment (in front of the knee). In some knee osteoarthritis patients, only one compartment of the knee is affected. It is usually the medial compartment that is…
Concurrent Coding – Exploring the Concept
In today’s healthcare industry, the standard, simple coding process is a thing of the past. Coding patient records has become quite complex; it is imperative that coding professionals not only work to capture the correct DRG (diagnosis-related group) assignment, but also accurate illness severity and mortality risk, as these factors directly impact organizations’ quality-based initiatives….
Coding Tip of the Month – November 2018
The coding guidelines for BMI have been revised in two areas and extensive coding advice for BMI appeared in the Fourth Quarter 2018 Coding Clinic: The revised guidelines are: B.14 Documentation by Clinicians Other than the Patient’s Provider Code assignment is based on the documentation by patient’s provider (i.e., physician or other qualified healthcare practitioner…
Coding Tip of the Month – October 2018
The Third Q 2018 Coding Clinic (page 13) provided coding advice regarding a bilateral deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction. The patient was status post a right mastectomy with tissue expander in place and during this procedure the patient undergoes a prophylactic left mastectomy with the bilateral DIEP. Clarification was requested on whether:…
UASI Training for FY2019 MS-DRG Updates
The annual updates to the ICD-10 and MS-DRG systems have been finalized, effective October 1. The ICD-10 and MS-DRG updates reflect the final Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule for the fiscal year 2019, published by CMS on August 6. You can see the details on IPPS here. Other highlights of the MS-DRG changes include: Grouper…
Coding Tip of the Month – September 2018
New ECMO Procedural Codes Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), also known as extracorporeal life support (ECLS), is an extracorporeal technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of gas exchange or perfusion to sustain life. The technology for ECMO is largely derived from…
UASI Training for FY2019 ICD-10-PCS Updates
The annual updates to the ICD-10 and MS-DRG systems have been finalized and will be effective October 1. The ICD-10 and MS-DRG updates reflect the final Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule for the fiscal year 2019, published by CMS on August 6. You can see the details on IPPS here. Other highlights of…