** The coding information and guidance are valid at the time of publishing. Learners are encouraged to research subsequent official guidance in the areas associated with the topic as they can change rapidly.
Tips & Expertise: Hand Surgery Coding in PCS
Q: How do you code a “completion amputation”, where a traumatic amputation of the finger is cut back further and then closed up?A: It depends on how much tissue was removed, at what level, and how it’s documented. If a rongeur was used to just smooth off the bone...
Coding Hand Surgeries in ICD-10-PCS
Additional Tips & Expertise - Free Haugen Academy MicroLearning Our hands are incredibly intricate. Hand surgeries can be complex and coding these in ICD-10-PCS can be challenging. This brief presentation contains a few tips for coding these complex cases. This is...
Coding Hand Surgeries in CPT
Digging Into HIM & Coding Blog Our hands may the the body part we most take for granted relative to their importance to our existence and our day-to-day activities. They are amazingly intricate and comprised of many different body systems and incur injuries and...
AMA announces expedited updates to CPT for COVID-19 antibody tests
Publication: AMA
CHICAGO – The American Medical Association (AMA) announced updates to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) that include two code additions intended to report when patients receive blood tests that detect COVID-19 antibodies. The updates were approved this evening during a special meeting of the CPT Editorial Panel, the independent body convened by the AMA with sole authority to expedite the review of proposed changes and additions to the CPT code set. | Read More.
Hand Surgery Coding in CPT
Blog Post: Digging into HIM & Coding
Our hands may the the body part we most take for granted relative to their importance to our existence and our day-to-day activities. They are amazingly intricate and comprised of many different body systems and incur injuries and conditions that often demand the expertise from a number of surgical specialties including Plastic surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Vascular Surgery, Rheumatology, and of course Hand surgery. This assures that hand surgery is a constant challenge for coders. | Read More.
COVID-19: Expanded Use of Ambulance Origin/Destination Modifiers
Publication: CMS
During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, Medicare will cover a medically necessary emergency and non-emergency ground ambulance transportation from any point of origin to a destination that is equipped to treat the condition of the patient consistent with state and local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) protocols where the services will be furnished. On an interim basis, CMS is expanding the list of destinations that may include but are not limited to the following. | Read More.
COVID-19 Query Templates
Publication: CDC
Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) professionals have identified the need for the following query templates when reviewing COVID-19 health records. They are available for download on the AHIMA website using the URL in this post. | Read More.
ICD-10-CM Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries
Publication: CDC
ICD-10-CM Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries April 1, 2020 Addenda | Read More.
ICD-10-CM Official Coding and Reporting Guidelines
Publication: CDC
The official guidelines for COVID-19 have been released. Effective from April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020. | Read More.
Billing for Professional Telehealth Services During the Public Health Emergency
Publication: CMS
Just released March 31, 2020 CMS is no longer requiring POS 02 for telehealth services during this Public Health Emergency, however report the place of service consistent with what would have been reported. Each claim should include reporting of the 95 modifier. Additionally, CMS has released new specimen collection codes for COVID-19 testing. | Read More.