Author: Lojewski, Tedi

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: September 2008

Since the implementation of the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has required hospitals to report facility resources for emergency department (ED) visits using CPT evaluation and management (E/M) codes.

However, CMS re....

Author: Schraffenberger, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: September 2008

The new ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes go into effect October 1, 2008, for fiscal year 2009. This article highlights some of the diagnosis code changes. The complete ICD-9-CM tabular and alphabetic index (volumes 1 and 2) can be found on the National Center for Health Statistics Web si....

Author: Bower-Jernigan, Patricia L

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2008

Coding professionals rely on the American Hospital Association’s Coding Clinic to resolve issues and questions they have in their daily coding duties. Accordingly, the editorial advisory board process for resolving coding questions for Coding Clinic advice is extensive.

The pro....

Author: Schraffenberger, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2008

Last October hospitals began reporting secondary diagnoses that were present on admission (POA). These indicators are reported as Y, present on admission; N, not present on admission; U, unknown; or W, clinically undetermined. Beginning October 1 of this year, N and U indicators will affect Me....

Author: Bryant, Gloryanne H.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2008

The patient status code reflects the level of care a patient was discharged or transferred to when leaving an acute care hospital as an inpatient or outpatient (i.e., emergency department or emergency room). A recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services MLN Matters publication provides a....

Author: Schraffenberger, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2008

On October 1, 2007, hospitals began reporting secondary diagnoses that were present on admission (POA). The POA indicator can be reported as Y, present on admission; N, not present on admission; U, unknown; or W, clinically undetermined.

Beginning October 1 of this year, N and U indi....

Author: Barta, Ann; McNeill, Gale C.; Meli, Peggy L.; Wall, Kathleen E.; Zeisset, Ann M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: May 2008

Although the US is still waiting on legislative or regulatory action establishing an ICD-10-CM implemention date, HIM professionals should start familiarizing themselves with the classification system to prepare for its future use.



What Is ICD-10-CM?

Author: Buck, Stacie L

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: May 2008

One year after the introduction of two new HCPCS codes for dialysis declotting procedures, confusion remains as to when to report these codes and how to report them in conjunction with other interventions performed during dialysis access maintenance. This article discusses the many facets of d....

Author: Martin, Ginny

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2008

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) surprised the coding world last year when it changed its 22-year-old reimbursement system to the severity-adjusted MS-DRG system. HIM departments anticipated the system would have a significant impact on operations—increasing demands f....

Author: Bronnert, June

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2008

The term “long-term care hospital” (LTCH) can leave some in a quandary—do these facilities provide acute care or long-term care? Many people associate them with skilled nursing facilities.

However, LTCHs are not synonymous with skilled nursing facilities; each has....