by Mary Bort | May 20, 2021 | Uncategorized
Is coding for shoulder procedures keeping you up at night? Don’t worry, it happens to many of us! Over the years, I have become pretty comfortable with these procedures, so I thought I would share some insights that may be helpful. I am sure you have heard the...
by Jennifer McCann | May 19, 2021 | Uncategorized
Information Blocking has been making headlines for nearly a year now. On April 5th, 2021, the Information Blocking provision of the 21st Century Cures Act went into effect, but you may still be asking yourself “what is information blocking?”. The 21st Century Cures...
by Kristi Pollard | May 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
I remember a time when assigning ICD-9 procedure codes when we always picked up blood transfusions. With the implementation of ICD-10-PCS, this was one of the procedures that most hospitals phased out. The rationale for this decision in most organizations stemmed...
by Mary Bort | Apr 14, 2021 | Uncategorized, Webinar Q&As
Q: Most of the time my provider doesn’t tell me if a fracture is displaced, so based on what you said early in your presentation, the default is displaced. Is that correct? A: Yes, that’s absolutely correct. I would however try to encourage them to document this...
by Mary Bort | Apr 1, 2021 | Uncategorized
I remember back in the day when I first started coding, I had no clue what some of the different fracture types meant or even looked like. (Keep in mind this was a gazillion years ago and we did not use Google or the internet – we didn’t even have them for that...
by Kristi Pollard | Mar 23, 2021 | Webinar Q&As
Please Note: Screen 44 in the live presentation showed code 00NW0ZZ for release of the spinal cord twice. It should only be listed once. Code 01N10ZZ for release of the cervical spinal nerve should also be assigned. Q: If he said he used the mix of bone graft, bone...
by Deanna Upston | Mar 11, 2021 | Uncategorized
Q: Can we code 20930 for iFactor bone graft used with interbody device?A: Yes, it’s appropriate to report any separate grafting material used with an interbody device. Q: Can we code 63042 for revision decompression with no discectomy?A: No, a discectomy is...
by Deanna Upston | Mar 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
Have you ever been presented with a several-page operative report for a spinal fusion surgery and felt overwhelmed? And you don’t know where to start? Then this is the webinar for you! Have you ever heard the question; how do you eat an elephant? The answer one bite...
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 Kristi Pollard | Feb 19, 2021 | Webinar Q&As
Q: You covered all of the devices in the fusion tables except synthetic substitute. When would this device be used?A: Fusion of the spine with a synthetic substitute is extremely rare since some type of bone graft is used to “glue” the joint together. The device...
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 | Feb 15, 2021 | Webinar Q&As
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 Kristi Pollard | Jan 26, 2021 | Webinar Q&As
Q: You mentioned that another physician often does the anterior approach for the surgeon performing fusion. How do you code for that anterior approach for that surgeon? A: CPT: For pro-fee CPT coding, both surgeons should report the correct anterior approach CPT...
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 Shea Lunt | Jan 15, 2021 | Webinar Q&As
Q: Can we count resident’s time?A: No. Teaching physician rules haven’t changed. Resident time is not billable. Q: Do you need to document exactly how you spent your time with the patient, or just the total minutes?A: It is recommended to document total minutes plus...
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...
