Author: Herr, Victoria A.; Stanfill, Mary H

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: February 2005

In fiscal year 2005, new ICD-9-CM codes were created for reporting cervical dysplasias and abnormal Pap smears. From a clinical perspective, the new codes and instructional notes align ICD-9-CM with current terminology used in diagnosing and reporting cellular abnormalities of the cervix. From....

Author: Stanfill, Mary H

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: September 2002

Have you ever had a physician ask if you can put the encounter form on her hand-held computer? Or maybe the physicians in your medical group have been offered free personal digital assistants (PDAs) if they use a certain application and they want you to find out if these devices can expedite c....

Author: Hull, Susan

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: January 2004

Changes for CPT 2004 affect all chapters, and it’s important to stay up to speed. This article presents a summary of CPT changes for 2004. Because a number of the procedures may be unfamiliar to some coding professionals, AHIMA has provided online links to descriptive articles on these s....

Author: Hull, Susan

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2006

Governed by somewhat different rules than other acute care providers, long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals represent a special segment of the provider market. This article reviews the definition of a LTAC hospital and discusses some of the special challenges facing HIM practitioners and codin....

Author: Pilato, Jeff

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: February 2013

While the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS has the potential to put revenue at risk, adding staff to the revenue cycle is rarely an option in today’s cost-cutting environment. There are no extra hands to review charges, double-check bills, or safeguard claims. To mitigate risk, preventive....

Author: Wiley, Sean

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: October 2003

One of the leading causes of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) is carotid artery disease (CAD). With technology changing at such a rapid rate, it is difficult for physicians to decide on the gold standard of care when it comes to visualizing carotid stenosis. This article will explain....

Author: AHIMA Coding Policy and Strategy Committee

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: February 1999

[Please note: the content in this article is out of date. It is being updated by AHIMA's Clinical Terminology and Classification Practice Council]


Clinical data set, vocabulary, terminology, and classification system. We frequently hear, see, and speak these terms, but what....

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: Scichilone, Rita A

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2000

Coding for professional services is complicated enough when coding professionals are charged with assisting the physician to select the best five-digit number for the services rendered. It becomes even more complex when circumstances of the case require the CPT code to be modified. Add....

Author: Johnson, Laurie M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2007

Coding infusions and injections has been a source of confusion and frustration since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced C codes in 2006. However, in calendar year 2007, CMS made an about face and eliminated the C codes, reverting back to the published 2007 CPT....