The 2017 updates to ICD-10-CM included many additions to the digestive system diagnoses, especially with codes for pancreatitis and intestinal infections. The codes largely focus on the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, according to an article published in...Read More »
by James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP
Over the years there’s been a tsunami of denials from payers, Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC), and Medicare quality improvement organizations. This is due to the auditors’ removal of ICD-10-CM codes based on provider documentation; auditors can...Read More »
By Sharme Brodie, RN, CCDS
Another issue of AHA’s Coding Clinic is out, and much of the information in the newest release pertains to the coding of interventions or procedures. There are, however, a few questions and answers found in Coding Clinic, Third Quarter 2017,...Read More »
Some eligible professionals (EP) and group practices will get a pass for failing to meet 2016 Physician Quality Reporting requirements (PQRS) due to incomplete updates to ICD-10 code sets, CMS announced January 11.
CMS decided not to apply negative payment adjustments to EPs and group...Read More »
Q: If a complication was unavoidable, and has been documented as such, is that good enough reason to not code it? We wouldn’t mark a code as a patient safety indicator if it was an inherent part of the procedure, so would the same hold true for unavoidable complications?...Read More »
by Sharme Brodie, RN, CCDS
One thing many new CDI specialists hear—and many experienced CDI specialists attest to—is that the CDI profession requires an incredible amount of knowledge in numerous areas, not all of which you may have experience in. One such area may be neurology....Read More »
Q: I encountered clinical validation issues where documentation noted a diagnosis with criteria, but the criteria used didn't meet the definition. For example, noted sepsis with criteria of tachycardia and increased white blood cell (WBC) count. But, the patient’s heart rate (HR...Read More »
