by Haugen Academy | Feb 26, 2021 | Uncategorized
According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 1.9 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2021. Research shows that up to 50% of cancer cases are preventable with the knowledge we have today. The month of February is National Cancer Prevention Month, dedicated...
by Mary Bort | Feb 15, 2021 | Uncategorized
Q: I have a physician who performed a conversion of a patellofemoral joint to a total knee. He replaced the patellar polyethylene and implanted a total knee replacement. What would be the appropriate code for this? Would this be reported as 27447 or do we need to use...
by Mary Bort | Jan 25, 2021 | Uncategorized
Surgeons often use the terms arthroplasty and replacement interchangeably to describe a procedure they are performing. On occasion, they will also state that they are doing a revision. As a coder, it is essential to understand the procedures surgeons perform and...
by Kristi Pollard | Jan 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
In a discussion about spinal anatomy, one of my coworkers once said, “It’s not so much that the spinal column is three-dimensional, it’s more five-dimensional.” I think that is an apt description of the vertebral segments that stack one on top of the other to compose...
by Kristi Pollard | Oct 27, 2020 | Uncategorized
November is American Diabetes Month and there’s no better time to review one of the most common coding variances we see on coding audits: coding for diabetic complications. Later this month, I will present a webinar on this topic, but for now, let’s get a jump on it...
by Jennifer Cayce | Sep 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
Are you looking for opportunities for focused audit reviews or coder education? At HCG, we track our audit data throughout the year to identify trends in the industry and opportunities to educate coders in specific problem areas. So far, in 2020, we have identified 4...