10 Ways to Improve Medical Coding and Billing Accuracy
Make your New Year’s resolution to reduce your error rate. Medical coding and billing errors can cause a host of
Read moreAuthor: manojvarkala
HIM’s Role in Evaluating and Securing Telehealth Solutions
By Gerry Blass and Paul Garrin The adoption of virtual patient care services, including remote patient monitoring, video conferencing, and
Read moreThe Need for Clinical Documentation Integrity in Critical Access Hospitals
By Kelly Bucci, Jennifer Wexler, and Melissa Koehler, RHIA, CHDA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, CCDS Critical-access hospitals (CAHs) provide healthcare to
Read moreEvaluation and Management in 2021: What every HIM Professional Needs to Know (Part 1)
By Elizbeth Wilson, MA, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, CPC, CRC, CEMC, CPMA, CPCO, CHC Our current calendar year has been a
Read moreMedicare Finalizes COVID-19 Vaccine Payment Amounts
Just in time for new COVID-19 vaccine, administration, and treatment codes. The government is working at warp speed to make
Read moreRemote Compliance Audits: Adjusting to the ‘New Normal’ of Remote Work
By Elizabeth Delahoussaye, RHIA, CHPS, and Rohini Shankar It’s now more than eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and everyone
Read moreCures Act Interim Final Rule Compliance Timelines
On October 29, 2020, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued an Interim Final Rule
Read moreNovember 2020
November 2020 Fail-Safe: HIM Experts are Essential Early in the IT Adoption Cycle In the Issue Cover Story “Fail-Safe: HIM
Read moreBarbara Ann Siegel, Former AHIMA President, Dies at 71
Barbara Ann Siegel, ART, RHIT Barbara Ann Siegel, ART, RHIT, who served as the president of AHIMA and the organization’s
Read more2020 House of Delegates Recap: Transformation Continues Despite Challenges
Christine A. Williams, RHIA By Christine Williams, RHIA It has been an honor to lead the 2020 AHIMA House of
Read moreOur Future is Bright
Ginna Evans, MBA, RHIA, CPC, CRC, FAHIMA By Ginna Evans, MBA, RHIA, CPC, CRC, FAHIMA When I concluded my incoming
Read moreFour Factors Affecting the Post-COVID Cancer Care Landscape
By Lijo Simpson, MD Like many healthcare providers, my practice at Atlanta Cancer Care has seen significant changes in most
Read moreMPFSDB October Update Clarifies Code Payment
Revised instructions indicate payment status for new CPT codes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued changes
Read morePhysician Burnout to Business Traction
By Dale Kivi, MBA The COVID-19 crisis has put a spotlight on the mental and physical stresses that frontline healthcare
Read moreFail-Safe: HIM Experts are Essential Early in the IT Adoption Cycle
By Mary Butler The COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders that swept the country this spring compelled many healthcare organizations—some, for the first
Read moreLiving with EHR Errors: MPI Deep Cleaning and Modern Search
By James Hoover Two pressing problems have emerged from using electronic health records (EHR) over the past decade: the accumulation
Read moreCABG: Bypass Problematic Coding Scenarios
Proper claims payment is certain when you map out the best route. Coding coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is
Read moreFactor in Uncommon Diabetes Complications for Risk Adjustment
Make sure you’re not missing any diagnoses that will better portray patient risk to your payer. Diabetes causes elevated blood
Read moreDon’t Be Derailed by Discontinued Procedures
Ensure compliance and proper reimbursement using this guide to coding discontinued inpatient procedures. In the inpatient coding world, a great
Read moreUse Gastro E/M Scenarios to Ease 2021 Anxiety
Stomach the coming coding changes to evaluation and management services with this primer. By now, everyone knows of the seismic
Read moreTest Your Understanding of Modifier 57
Become a modifier expert by looking at the numbers. Pop quiz: A patient is admitted to the hospital. The provider
Read moreHIM’s How to Thrive Guide: COVID-19 Challenges Met, Lessons Learned and Advice to Forge Ahead
Sponsored content from: KIWI-TEK hosted a roundtable with HIM and revenue cycle leaders who shared their experiences amid the COVID-19
Read moreCOVID Tests Worth Less in 2021
Labs soon will have to work harder to merit the maximum allowed Medicare payment for high-throughput tests used to detect
Read moreONC: Information Blocking Compliance Extended to April 2021
By Matt Schlossberg Just days before its original compliance date of Monday, November 2, the Office of the National Coordinator
Read moreA Conversation with President/Chair-Elect Katherine Lusk
Access AHIMA20 News in One Place This content originally published as part the AHIMA20 Show Daily. Whether you are an
Read moreAHIMA 2020 Triumph Awards Honor Resilience and Determination
Access AHIMA20 News in One Place This content originally published as part the AHIMA20 Show Daily. Whether you are an
Read moreAHIMA Presents Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with 2020 Grace Award
Access AHIMA20 News in One Place This content originally published as part the AHIMA20 Show Daily. Whether you are an
Read moreONC Chief Medical Officer Discusses Integrating Clinical and Administrative Data
By Mary Butler At AHIMA20, Tom Mason, MD, chief medical officer at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health
Read moreAHIMA20 Opens New Horizons for a First-Time Attendee
Access AHIMA20 News in One Place This content originally published as part the AHIMA20 Show Daily. Check out the full
Read moreAppropriate Use Criteria Testing Period Extended
The Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) program, slated to begin Jan. 1, 2021, has been postponed. A notice on the Centers
Read moreCMS Adds 11 Codes to Telehealth List
Physicians can now offer more services via telehealth and get paid. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is
Read moreWhen to Apply Modifiers 26 and TC
Modifiers 26 and TC are unique coding tools that may be used in specific circumstances. It can be easy to
Read moreAHIMA20 is a Time for Hope, Change, and Perseverance
Access AHIMA20 News in One Place This content originally published as part the AHIMA20 Show Daily. Whether you are an
Read moreDeciphering the FY 2021 ICD-10-PCS Coding Updates
By Tina Bruce, MSHIM, MSHI, RHIA, CCS, CDIP Coding professionals, clinical documentation integrity (CDI) specialists, auditors, and healthcare practices anxiously
Read moreTelehealth BAA Compliance After National Public Health Emergency Ends
By Carlyn M. Doyle, MSHI, RHIA, CHPS, HCISPP, CDPE, and DeAnn Tucker MHA, RHIA, CHPS, CCS On March 30, the
Read moreSowing the Seeds of a Better Future
By Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE As I write this column, healthcare professionals of every discipline are working to bring
Read moreHow to Improve Patient Experience in the ROI Process
By Mariela Twiggs, MS, RHIA, CHP, FAHIMA Patient satisfaction is one of the most critical aspects of the release of
Read more‘HIM Professionals Are a Stabilizing Force in a Sea of Chaos’
By Mary Butler AHIMA President/Chair-Elect Katherine Lusk, MHSM, RHIA, FAHIMA, has never forgotten that she got her start in health
Read moreRethinking Healthcare Delivery in the Age of COVID-19, Digital Transformation
By Matt Schlossberg Herko Coomans is a digital health policy coordinator who builds international alliances and partnerships at the Netherlands
Read moreFinal Rule Encourages Home Dialysis and Living Donor Kidney Transplants
Mandatory model aims to reduce Medicare expenditures for ESRD patients while improving their quality of care. Medicare beneficiaries suffering with
Read more3 New Codes for Infectious-Agent Detection
The latest changes to the CPT® code set will help clinicians distinguish seasonal infections from COVID-19 in their reporting. Three
Read moreFive Resources to Make Your Life Easier
By Wylecia Wiggs Harris, AHIMA CEO, PhD, CAE While 2020 has included plenty of challenges, it has also brought new
Read moreOctober 2020
October 2020 The Compliance Clock is Ticking on ONC’s 21st Century Cures Act Regulations
Read moreForging Ahead with Interoperability Amid a Pandemic
By Dhaval Shah and Swanand Prabhutendolkar Interoperability rules have been changing quickly, with numerous iterations since January 2020 alone. Even
Read moreThree Ways Analytics-Fueled Interoperability Is Crucial During COVID-19 and Beyond
By Emad Rizk, MD Lack of data interoperability in healthcare, with clinical and financial data residing across different systems, has
Read moreFederal Regulators Put Patients in the Driver’s Seat
By Matthew A. Michela The clock is ticking. The much talked about and much debated regulatory push towards greater healthcare
Read moreIn the Post-COVID-19 World, Bidirectional Data Exchange Will Be More Important Than Ever
By Drew Ivan Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, it had become increasingly common for healthcare organizations to gradually shift care
Read moreThe Compliance Clock is Ticking on ONC’s 21st Century Cures Act Regulations
By DeAnn Tucker November 2 is compliance day for the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology
Read morePayers Ending Telehealth Expansion Coverage
Unless ordered otherwise, most commercial payers will return to business as usual Jan. 1, or sooner. The COVID-19 public health
Read moreConfirm Breast Cancer Screening Coding
Breast Cancer Awareness month is the perfect time to review your practice’s medical coding for preventive and diagnostic breast imaging.
Read moreDeconstruct Diagnostic Categories and Disease Levels
Bolster your clinical coding by understanding the differences between syndromes, disorders, and diseases. While most people are familiar with the
Read moreOutpatient CDI: Next Step in Your Career Journey?
Opportunity is knocking for medical coders who want to transition into a new role. What is CDI? Clinical documentation improvement,
Read moreYour Guide to Provider-Based Billing
Here’s what you need to know to stay ahead of the curve and master hospital outpatient billing. When discussing the
Read moreEHR Satisfaction and Ease of Use
If you are a healthcare worker in any field, you are probably aware of the HITECH Act. This Act was
Read moreAssessing FY 2021 ICD-10-CM Code Updates
By Janice R. Noller, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, CICA Fiscal year (FY) 2021 ICD-10-CM code changes, effective October 1, 2020, were
Read moreInformation Blocking and HIPAA: Road to Compliance
Sponsored content from: This presentation analyzes the Information Blocking rule with a focus on HIPAA. Become immersed in a discussion
Read moreAccurate Provider Data Governance Essential for Patient Care
Sponsored content from: Patient data is often considered to be at the heart of the healthcare industry. Laws protect patient’s
Read moreAvoiding the OIG with Correct Coding
By Laudine A. Markovchick, RHIT, CCS On March 13, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency in the
Read moreAHIMA’s New Website: Built with You in Mind
In an effort to provide an improved experience for busy health information professionals, AHIMA recently launched a redesigned and reimagined
Read moreEnsuring Compliant CDI Query Scenarios for COVID-19
By Alba Kuqi, MD, CCS, CDIP, CICA, CRCR, CCDS, CSMC Obtaining clinical documentation that captures the patient’s severity of illness
Read moreFY 2021 IPPS Final Rule Has Significant MS-DRG Changes
By Sue Bowman, MJ, RHIA, CCS, FAHIMA The Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) final rule for fiscal year
Read morePersonal Health vs. Data Privacy During and After a Global Pandemic
By Axel Wirth There is an inherent conflict between a person’s healthcare needs and a right to privacy. In order
Read moreElectronic Documentation Template Compliance with Ongoing Releases of Official Coding Guidelines
By Lolita M. Jones, MSHS, RHIA, CCS A template is an electronic health record (EHR) documentation tool utilized for the
Read more99000: The Little Code with Big Issues
For a code that has no relative value units (RVUs) and commands $0.00 in Medicare nonfacility fees, 99000 Handling and/or
Read moreAMA Approves 2 New CPT® Codes for COVID-19
One of the codes, 99072, is for reporting additional supplies used to mitigate spread of the virus. The American Medical
Read moreFinding New Solutions, Moving Forward Together
By Ginna Evans, MBA, RHIA, CPC, CRC, FAHIMA I always view the change of seasons in the fall and the
Read moreLaw Enforcement and Privacy Protection for DNA Tests
By Talia Linneman, JD, and Ronald Hedges, JD It’s important to understand how DNA tests and other genetic information currently
Read moreFind Free AAPC CEUs
Maintain your certifications without spending a dime. You passed your credential exam and now you have the responsibility of maintaining
Read moreExpedited Release of 4 New Codes for COVID-19 Testing
Over the past several months, as the COVID-19 pandemic has raged on, the American Medical Association (AMA) has expedited the
Read moreA New Era of Hybrid Virtual-Physical Medicine
By Kira Radinsky, PhD COVID-19 has upended the healthcare space and accelerated the adoption of new technologies that are shifting
Read moreThree Critical Questions for Keeping HIM Onsite During COVID-19
By Elizabeth Delahoussaye, RHIA, CHPS, and AnnE Rice, MS, RHIA We blinked and everything changed. No warning signs. No ability
Read moreAn Insider’s Look at Contact Tracing Efforts in Hawaiʻi
By Lynette Williamson, EdD, MBA, RHIA, CCS, CPC, FAHIMA In August 2019, I moved to Hawaiʻi and accepted a full-time
Read moreUsing Change Management Strategies to Adapt to an Ongoing Remote Workforce
By Lesley Clack, ScD, MS, and Brittani Harmon, DrPH, MHA In this unprecedented time, healthcare organizations are tasked with maintaining
Read moreA Pathway to Clinical and Administrative Data Integration
By Genevieve Diesing Addressing long-standing interoperability challenges between administrative and clinical systems offers the opportunity to advance the exchange of
Read moreSeptember 2020
September 2020 A Pathway to Clinical and Administrative Data Integration In the Issue Cover Story Features “An Insider’s Look at
Read moreCOVID’s Impact on the Future of HIM: Coding, CDI, and ROI
By Beth Friedman Two decades ago, a shortage of qualified medical coders led to a new concept—remote coding from home.
Read moreGetting Your Telehealth Operations in Gear with Automated Testing
By Guljeet Nagpaul The global telehealth market, spurred by the need for remote patient engagement due to the coronavirus crisis,
Read moreAMA Releases CPT 2021
The updated code set includes E/M code revisions and more. Here’s a preview. Medical coders will get a bit of
Read moreFlu Season is Nearly Upon Us… Medical Coding for Influenza Vaccine
Flu Season is Nearly Upon Us… Medical Coding for Influenza Vaccine Since Flu season is rapidly approaching, we decided to
Read moreCOVID-19 Test-related Codes Released
It’s clear now which services apply to the no cost-sharing waiver. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently
Read moreHIM Life in a COVID World
Sponsored content from: This presentation explores the new normal for many Health Information Management (HIM) departments during the ongoing COVID-19
Read moreNavigate the New vs. Established Patient Decision Tree
Three years is your key. Selecting the correct code for many evaluation and management (E/M) services (outpatient visits and rest
Read moreClear Up Those Cloudy Days
Ensure your provider’s cataract surgery documentation is audit-proof. Are the documentation requirements for cataract surgery in adults a little fuzzy?
Read moreUpdate Your Understanding of EEG Coding
Familiarize yourself with the 2020 code changes for long-term electroencephalograph recording. Auditing medical claims for long-term electroencephalograph (EEG) and video
Read moreSee What’s New for ICD-10-CM 2021
Make sure your diagnosis coding is up to date by reviewingthis chapter-by-chapter summary of the changes effective October 1. The
Read moreFocus on ICD-10-CM Guideline Changes for 2021
Review the new and revised guidelines for coding and reporting diseases such as COVID-19. While the ICD-10-CM code changes for
Read more2020-2021 Influenza Vaccine Codes, Pricing, and Recommendations
With the novel coronavirus continuing to circulate and cause severe illness in the United States and worldwide, getting a flu
Read moreHow to Avoid the OIG with Correct Coding [Sponsored]
This article is published in sponsorship with Pena4. By Laudine A. Markovchick, RHIT, CCS On March 13, 2020, the COVID-19
Read moreComplete Coding for Iatrogenic Injuries
By Cari Greenwood, RHIA, CCS, CPC Aisha is a 71-year-old-female patient with osteoarthritis of the left hip. She sees Dr.
Read moreDecision-Support Tools, Tinged with Race and Gender Bias, Draw Regulator Scrutiny
By Mary Butler Healthcare providers that use artificial intelligence (AI) programs to assist with diagnostic and care-related decisions should expect
Read moreCan Social Determinants of Health Meet Its Moment in a Pandemic?
By Matt Schlossberg For years, it was difficult to find a conference, technology solution, or plucky that didn’t extol social
Read moreWorking from Home During COVID-19: Challenges and Solutions
By Elizabeth Delahoussaye, RHIA, CHPS, and AnnE Rice, MS, RHIA While some of us have worked from home before the
Read moreFive Tips for Success as a Remote HIM Professional
By Sabrina Yousfi, MBA, RHIA, CCS, CDIP Many roles within health information management (HM) can now be done remotely thanks
Read moreThe Revenue Impact of CDI and Coding Mismatches and Physician Query Analysis
By Karen G. Youmans, MPA, RHIA, CCS Collaboration between clinical documentation integrity (CDI) specialists and health information management (HIM) coding
Read moreFour Things HIM Managers Wished They Knew Before Sending Staff Home
By Elizabeth Delahoussaye, RHIA, CHPS and AnnE Rice, MS, RHIA Picture this: It’s pre-COVID-19. Your department is largely onsite, with
Read moreStrategies for Managing Patient Identification and Remote COVID-19 Testing
By Julie A. Pursley, MSHI, RHIA, CHDA, FAHIMA The demand for COVID-19 testing has increased the volume of test results
Read moreCMS Proposes Medicare Telehealth Coverage in 2021
Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule lays the groundwork for payment and policy changes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Read moreAHIMA Policy Statement on Integrating Clinical and Administrative Data
By Chantal Worzala, PhD Imagine a world where health information management teams know in advance the documentation a payer needs
Read more12 New Codes to Identify Therapeutics
And that’s not all: CMS has issued new coding guidance, too. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented
Read moreFocus on Coding 3 Common Pediatric Eye Conditions
ICD-10-CM coding is clear when you know what to look for. Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month is a good
Read more
