Blog & Publications
Find the latest news from the Haugen Consulting Group. Check back frequently for updates!
The coding information and guidance in these posts 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: 2023 ICD-10-CM Updates
Q: Does acute/chronic respiratory acidosis really code as acute/chronic respiratory failure? Can a code for respiratory acidosis be reported with the respiratory failure codes?A: Yes, that is how it is indexed in ICD-10-CM. There is an Exclude2 note for code E87.29,...
Tips & Expertise: 2023 ICD-10-PCS Updates
Q: When should the new qualifier M for Monoclonal Antibody in the 3E0 table be used? Can it be used to report cancer or COVID MAB therapy?A: The qualifier M for Monoclonal Antibody is only available when the 6th character substance value C, Other Therapeutic...
Get Ready to Reprogram Your Z79.899 Coding Brain
We all have those codes that we’ve memorized – the ones that we assign on autopilot when we read certain documentation. For many coders, that code is Z79.899, Other long term (current) drug therapy. It is the catchall code when the patient is or has taken a medication...
Tips & Expertise: CPT Coding for Wound Repair
Q: How do you code for a through and through lip laceration when the mucosa, subcutaneous tissue, and skin are all repaired? Can you report code 40650 with a code for the skin repair?A: Assign only code 40650 for repair of a through and through lip laceration. This...
Haugen Academy’s Guide to the 2023 E/M Changes
Shea is a consultant for The Haugen Consulting Group with 11 years of health care industry experience. Shea has experience working on the professional fee side of coding, auditing, education and compliance serving coders and...
The Wonders of Wound Care Coding
Last year’s wound care webinars dove into the proper coding of wound care and offered several resources. We received so many fantastic follow-up questions that we felt it would be best to share and elaborate on them in another webinar. Questions surrounding...
Tips & Expertise: Clinical Meets Codes: ICD-10-CM Coding for Sepsis Q&A
Q: When a patient has sepsis due to COVID-19, is the sepsis code always sequenced first?A: No. Sequencing depends on whether the sepsis was present on admission and meets the definition of principal diagnosis. If a patient presented with a COVID-19 infection and...
Tips & Expertise: The Doors of the Heart: ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding for Heart Valve Procedures Q&A
Q: Can you code “mild” valve conditions from an echocardiogram report? A: Before assigning a code for a valvular condition, regardless of the documented severity, the coder should determine if the condition meets the definition of an additional diagnosis as outlined...
Using Default Codes: You’re Not Diagnosing the Patient
Have you ever wondered about the default codes guideline for ICD-10-CM? Guideline I.A.18. states: A code listed next to a main term in the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index is referred to as a default code. The default code represents that condition that is most commonly...
Tips & Expertise: All About Fractures and Dislocations: ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding for Orthopedics Webinar Q&A
Q: What is the difference between the proximal humerus and proximal shaft of humerus? Which part of the humerus should be coded? A: Proximal shaft means the upper end of the shaft, but not quite to the proximal end of the bone. A fracture of the proximal shaft is...