What’s New!

By Gail I. Smith, MA, RHIA, CCS-P In 2021, Evaluation and Management (E/M) office-visit codes changed significantly. The American Medical Association (AMA) listened to physicians’ concerns about the administrative burden associated with documentation requirements for the E/M codes and made changes to the methodology for code selection. The 2021 changes allowed the E/M services to […]

by Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA In the television series, The Crown, King George VI tells the Princess Elizabeth his approach to reviewing the documents received in the red box, that daily package of papers sent from the government to the sovereign. It could be an overwhelming task. His solution: he would flip the […]

By Cari A. Greenwood, RHIA, CCS, CPC, CICA The CCS certification is a mastery level medical coding credential that tells employers, right off the bat, that you have the knowledge and skill to tackle complex coding scenarios. AHIMA’s description of the CCS says: “Coding specialists are skilled in classifying medical data from patient records, often […]

Developing the Coders You Need – Part 3 of 4 By Lisa A. Eramo, MA Let’s face it. Change is hard. Really hard. This is true in our personal lives, and it’s also true for coders transitioning from outpatient to inpatient roles out of a desire to earn more money and promote professional growth. It’s […]

By Angela Lima BS, CCS, CDIP, CIC, COC, AAPC-Approved Instructor If you oversee the coding process or directly manage coders, you know how important accurate, defensible coding is. Inaccurate coding leads to claim denials. An increase in claim denials may lead to aggressive audits which may point to problems in your team’s coding quality. So, […]

by David Zielske, MD, CIRCC, COC, CCVTC, CCC, CCS, RCC Question: “After cardiac ablation procedure had been completed, attention was then turned access closure. Given large size of the transhepatic sheath required for ablation, with direct communication with the systemic vasculature, access site embolization was necessary to prevent hemorrhage on sheath withdrawal. Then after diagnostic […]

By Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA One of the challenges of ICD-10-PCS coding is making sense of the documentation as it appears in the record in order to support accurate code assignment. When learning to code a procedure, wouldn’t it be nice if someone would just point out the important parts? It would be […]

By Justin Bariso, Principal, EQ Applied Reprinted with Permission One day, when the clock hit 9:45, I started screaming inside… Because I actually wanted to start work at 8:30. But I had to help get the kids set up for homeschool. And answer their million questions. And clean up the kitchen because my wife and […]

by Ann Barnaby, CPC, CRC, CASCC This is it; you’re ready to apply to some jobs! The excitement of finding an interesting job prospect, and your drive to get out there and show everyone what you have to offer, may tempt you to jump right in and send emails and applications immediately. Your determination and […]

Developing the Coders You Need – Part 2 of 4 By Lisa A. Eramo, MA As a coding manager, you continue to face staff shortages, and you know you want to move several outpatient coders into inpatient roles. The question is, how? Cynthia Greathouse, MHA, RHIA, manager of inpatient clinical coding at MaineHealth, found herself […]

By Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA A reader asked “Do you need to be a coder to be a coding auditor, and if so, what is the best path to take to achieve the goal of becoming an auditor?” My earlier article focused on whether one needs to be a coder to […]

Hematoma vs. Hemoperitoneum? Coding Clinic for Q1 2022 provides guidance on ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding of postsurgical hematoma of gallbladder fossa. Join Libman Education’s Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS for this brief presentation.   Coding Clinic Commentary What changed, what it means, and how to apply advice with confidence! Coding Clinic Commentary provides in-depth commentary on selected […]

By Cari A. Greenwood, RHIA, CCS, CPC, CICA, Education Specialist When you manage a team of coders, maintaining coding accuracy is one of your responsibilities.  Coding audits come with the job. Regular quarterly or targeted internal audits can give you a realistic picture of your staff’s skill levels and competence and are a valuable tool […]

Coding Clinic for Q1 2022 provides guidance on ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding of septic arthritis/osteomyletis of pubic symphysis and ICD-10-PCS procedure coding of a diagnostic aspiration biopsy of the pubic symphysis joint. Join Libman Education’s Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS for this brief presentation.   Coding Clinic Commentary What changed, what it means, and how to apply […]

Developing the Coders You Need – Part 1 of 4 By Lisa A. Eramo, MA MaineHealth was facing a shortage of coders. By combining a hands-on apprenticeship program with online learning, the multi-level, multi-hospital organization is now filling those positions with coders both sufficiently skilled to do the work and appreciative of the opportunity. This […]

By Nirmala Sivakumar, CCS, CDIP The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year (FY) 2023, which begins Oct. 1, 2022. Similar to the FY 2022 rule, CMS is proposing minimal changes. 1. […]

By Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA A reader asked “Do you need to be a coder to be a coding auditor, and if so, what is the best path to take to achieve the goal of becoming an auditor?” I will break my response into two segments. Do you need to be […]

Coding Clinic for Q1 2022 provides guidance on ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding of alcohol abuse in remission and alcoholic dementia. Join Libman Education’s Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS for this brief presentation.   Coding Clinic Commentary What changed, what it means, and how to apply advice with confidence! Coding Clinic Commentary provides in-depth commentary on selected coding […]