by Gail I. Smith, MA, RHIA, CCS-P I am fan of old movies. Every Christmas, I watch The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) that stars Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell. This little-known movie with a thin plot introduced the classic Christmas song “Silver Bells.” There is another song in the movie that reminds me of CPT. […]
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Hear nationally recognized ICD-10 expert and Libman Education course author Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA, discuss Scoliosis (Issues in Pediatric Procedure Coding) in this free, brief presentation. Need comprehensive and complete pediatrics coding guidance? ICD-10-PCS for Pediatrics: Procedures in the Musculoskeletal Systems provides detailed instruction on coding of procedures performed in the Musculoskeletal Systems. Complete package […]
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by Mary Beth York, CCS, CCS-P, CIC It is helpful sometimes to think of coding as a language. The language consists of the ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and CPT code sets primarily. This language of coding has rules, similar to grammar, that govern how it is used and applied. It also has inconsistencies and internal conflicts, much […]
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by Gail I. Smith, MA, RHIA, CCS-P CPT was first published in 1966. In 1966, healthcare was less complex and so was CPT. Let’s fast forward to 2019, we communicate faster and differently than 50 years ago. We now consume lots of information in short bites. Twitter expanded the limit of a tweet to 280 […]
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by Mary Beth York, CCS, CCS-P, CIC Sitting for a coding credential is exciting! Knowing what to expect before you go in to the test center will help you marshal the butterflies and focus on being successful. If you haven’t already, a great place to start is AHIMA’s Candidate Guide updated for 2019. Since […]
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by David Zielske, MD, CIRCC, COC, CCVTC, CCC, CCS, RCC Question: WavelinQ System We have implanted a WavelinQ device but are not sure how to code this procedure. There is a supply C-code available, but we don’t know which CPT code to use. Answer: The WavelinQ is fairly new technology for creating an AV dialysis […]
read more »by Gail I. Smith, MA, RHIA, CCS-P Like many coding professionals, I work with CPT every day. I have accepted the fact that as a code set it is a bit messy and frustrating at times. The updates are often controlled by the individual medical societies and I am not sure any coding professionals are […]
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by Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA If you are a coder in a pediatric setting, you know that pediatrics is just different from adult medicine. This is especially true in surgical procedures. Adult surgery frequently deals with fixing degeneration or trauma; things that happen to a person. Pediatric surgery often deals with complex reconstructions […]
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The FY 2020 IPPS Proposed Rule, published May 3, 2019, includes significant additions and deletions to the MCC and CC lists. Join Barry Libman, MS, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, a nationally-recognized authority on coding and reimbursement issues, for a brief (!) summary of the IPPS Proposed Rule and a heads-up on coding-related changes that may affect […]
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by Angela Lehoux, CCS
I’ve been a coder for a long time and one thing is for sure: ICD-10’s promise of clarity has not yet been entirely realized. Please do not misunderstand me – there are a lot of good things to love about ICD-10, like laterality, more specificity within the code set for diagnoses, etc. But, there are … Read more
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by Joan L. Usher, BS, RHIA, HCS-D, ACE, AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM Trainer JLU Health Record Systems I recently heard from a client regarding coding of palliative care in the home health setting. He asked: My organization is seeking clarity on the use of Comfort care/Palliative care code Z51.5. I did some research yesterday and found […]
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by Ann Barnaby, CPC, CRC, CASCC, Founder and Managing Director of Project Resume Remote Work Environments. These three words mean many things to many different people. A medical coder may have a completely different vision of remote work than a manager does. Over time, the very definition of a remote work environment has changed. What […]
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by Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE I recently received a question from a coder interested in HCC Coding: “Should a person be proficient in CPT and HCPCS coding in order to be an HCC coder?” The short answer is no: HCC coding is not reliant upon CPT or HCPCS skills. HCCs are based […]
read more »by David Zielske, MD, CIRCC, COC, CCVTC, CCC, CCS, RCC Question: Lower Extremity AV Fistula Peripheral Segments For lower extremity AV fistula peripheral segments – what is the adjacent segment of native artery, peri-anastomotic region/arterial anastomosis? Does this mean only the common femoral artery or also the iliac arteries? Please clarify. Answer: The iliac veins are […]
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It is how you wait that will make the difference between you and competition. Passive waiting takes the form of waiting by the phone wondering why no one is calling. Active waiting takes the form of …
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by Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE and Laurie M. Johnson, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA Join us for a discussion of HCCs by two industry leaders: Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, and Laurie M. Johnson, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA. Rose: So, Laurie, the last time we spoke, […]
read more »by Ann Barnaby, CPC, CRC If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it one thousand times: “I got into medical coding so I could work from home.” These words may represent the honesty of the coding student, but they still make me cringe. Remote work is not a reason to go into a field of […]
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by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA Popular inspirational teachers often remind audiences that when they have the choice to be RIGHT or KIND, they should always choose kindness. This is not new counsel. Wisdom tales across time and cultures have highlighted the importance of kindness. Recently I came across a research study that showed a […]
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by Laurie M. Johnson, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA; Senior Consultant; Revenue Cycle Solutions With three years of ICD-10-CM/PCS coded data, CMS took the opportunity to complete a comprehensive study of the severity status designation with associated charge information. The result: The Inpatient Prospective Payment System FY20 Proposed Rule has many shifts between CC and MCC status. […]
read more »by Angela Lehoux, BS, CCS, CIC
Although we have not stayed in touch, I will never forget my mentor. In fact, writing about her now is the first time in a while I have thought about her. She was contracted to mentor the coders at the small community hospital where I worked twenty-five years ago. There were … Read more
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