Tips & Expertise: Malnutrition

Q:  Can facilities create a policy that allows coders to pull documentation from a dietician’s note if it is co-signed by the provider?A:  Based on Coding Clinic’s answer in 1Q 2020, page 4, yes. However, Haugen recommends facilities not consider this best practice...

Manage Your Malnutrition Coding

Not long ago, a coder’s job just required them to translate a physician’s diagnosis into an ICD-10 code. The codes were then submitted for reimbursement and statistical purposes.  Over the past few years coding has evolved into so much more.  Now coders are required...

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: 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...