Blog & Publications
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Tips for Coding Hand Surgeries in CPT – Free Haugen Academy MicroLearning
Free Haugen Academy MicroLearning
Our hands are incredibly intricate. Hand surgeries can be complex and coding these in CPT can be challenging. This brief presentation contains a few tips for coding these complex cases. | Read More.
Telehealth Billing During the COVID-19 National Emergency
Publication: MGMA
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released numerous waivers along with new rules for billing professional telehealth services during the public health emergency (PHE) of COVID-19. These changes, currently in place for the duration of the PHE, aim to ensure that patients have access to physicians and other qualified healthcare providers while remaining at home. Continue reading to learn about the types of services available to all Medicare beneficiaries, including telehealth, virtual check-ins and telephone visits, e-visits and remote patient monitoring. | Read More.
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...
Facility E/M Levels
Digging Into HIM & Coding Blog For many, the ins and outs of facility evaluation and management (E/M) coding for emergency department (ED) services are shrouded in mystery. In an industry where everything seems to be regulated, there appears to be a lack of...
Defining an Organization’s Legal Health Record
Blog Post: Digging into HIM & Coding
As a health information professional with years of experience, I’ve seen the definition of the Legal Health Record (LHR) change with the emergence of the electronic health record (EHR). As a custodian of medical records, a designated position at most hospitals, maintaining and producing a complete, standardized LHR upon request is an essential part of the job. Some specific items that should be considered for inclusion (or exclusion) when defining an organization’s evolving LHR for business and litigation purposes are outlined here. | Read More.
ICD-10 Remix: What the Heck is a DRG and Why Should I Care About Case Mix?
Blog Post: Digging into HIM & Coding
So you want to be a coder. And not just that, you want to be a hospital coder because, on average, they make more money than physician coders. And you don’t just want to be a hospital coder, you want to be an inpatient hospital coder because then you get to look at the whole chart and piece together the patient’s clinical picture. If this is your goal, then everything you need to know you will not learn in school. And that’s mainly because there is so much to learn and practical experience is key.
If you want to be an inpatient coder, you need to know diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) because in hospitals, it’s all about DRGs and case mix – and compliance. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, fear not – here’s a primer on DRGs! I wish I could say I cover it all here, but this is just a beginning! | Read More.
Top 10 Things to Know About 2021 E/M Changes
Blog Post: Digging into HIM & Coding
E/M changes are coming. Lucky for us, we have almost a whole year to figure them out! They are set to take effect on January 1, 2021. The American Medical Association (AMA) has published the changes, as well as numerous tools to assist us. Let’s take a closer look at our Top 10 List of Things you need to know about these new changes! | Read More.
Diagnostic Coronary Imaging vs. Guiding Shots
Blog Post: Digging into HIM & Coding
One of the most complex areas of coding for cardiac catheterization procedures is determining when to code a diagnostic heart angiogram (imaging) separate from a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The guidelines for reporting separate diagnostic imaging are found under the heading Therapeutic Cardiovascular Services and Procedures on the Coronary Vessels (92920-92979) in the CPT book. The National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) manual gives guidance that has left many scratching their heads wondering what is medically necessary. Continue reading to learn what the NCCI has to say as well as a couple of hard and fast rules to guide you. | Read More.
Your Ultimate Guide for CPT Coding Resources
Blog Post: Digging into HIM & Coding
When coding CPT, have you ever wondered where to look for official coding guidance, or whose rules you should be following? Back in 1992, when I first started coding, the 1995 and 1997 guidelines didn’t even exist! We didn’t have any rules back then, or at least none that I can remember.
Today, lots of entities have their own sets of rules, and each set is different. Then, to add another layer, different payers have their own opinions and rules which adds stickiness to the situation. Boy have times changed! | Read More.
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