Sneak a Peek at ICD-10-CM 2021
There are a slew of changes and only a few months before you will need to start using the new
Read moreAuthor: manojvarkala
July 2020 ASC Payment System Update
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the July 2020 update of the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System
Read moreExplore 2020 Cardiovascular System Code Changes
Familiarize yourself with the 2020 CPT® code updates for the cardiovascular system using this simplified guide. During these uncertain times,
Read moreClinical Trials Have a Place for Medical Coders
Research is a big job market often overlooked by healthcare business professionals. Healthcare is changing rapidly. New technology and drugs
Read moreDon’t Dismiss Juvenile Arthritis as Growing Pains
July brings awareness to juvenile arthritis: Learn about it to ensure proper diagnosis coding. When people hear that someone has
Read moreThe Rules Are Changing: ICD’s Continued Evolution and the Impending Transition to ICD-11
Part 1: Insight into the history of ICD and how it has changed over time is key to developing a
Read moreBusiness Continuity of PHI Disclosure Management During COVID-19
Sponsored content from: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt by individuals, families, companies, communities and healthcare providers
Read moreAre You Prepared for the 2021 Evaluation and Management Coding Changes?
Sponsored content from: The American Medical Association is releasing a new set of Evaluation and Management coding guidelines which will
Read moreCredibility in Times of Crisis
By Dwan Thomas Flowers, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, FAHIMA Health information management (HIM) as a profession has morphed into a
Read moreIntegrating COVID-19 into CDI and Coding Practice
By Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP It remains to be seen whether the past few months represent the worst
Read moreHow HIEs are Achieving Sustainability, Providing Value to Providers and Patients
By Chad Peterson Across the country, health information exchange (HIE) technology priorities are evolving rapidly as patients, providers, and payers
Read moreHow Real-Time Data Can Change the Patient Safety Game
By Genevieve Diesing In the 20 years since the publication of To Err Is Human—the landmark Institute of Medicine report
Read moreAHIMA Announces Creation of Patient Identification Alliance
By Mary Butler This spring in Chicago a woman and her adult daughter—who share the same name but have different
Read moreNew COVID-19 Test Codes Effective Immediately
Just when you thought you had all the COVID-19 coding for laboratory testing figured out — hold the phone —
Read moreA Simulation Study of Coronavirus as an Epidemic Disease Using Agent-Based Modeling
Editor’s Note: This Perspectives in Health Information Management article is being published first in the Journal of AHIMA as part
Read moreIs There an NCCI Edit for Those Codes?
Know how to find the answer and improve your clean claims rate. Medicare revises its National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI)
Read moreNCCI Tightens Up Cardio, Lab Edits July 1
Several procedure-to-procedure (PTP) edit changes in the Medicare National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) database will go into effect July 1.
Read moreICD-10-PCS 2021 Adds 544 New Codes
The 2021 ICD-10-PCS files are now available. Inpatient coders will have 544 new codes to work with beginning Oct. 1,
Read moreHCPCS Level II Code Changes in Effect July 1
C1748 Endoscope, single-use (i.e. disposable), upper gi, imaging/illumination device (insertable) C1849 Skin substitute, synthetic, resorbable, per square centimeter C9059 Injection,
Read moreCOVID-19 Highlights HIM’s Advance Care Planning Expertise
By Mary Butler The documentation detailing a person’s wishes for the care they receive at the end of their life
Read moreBringing Together Administrative and Clinical Data
By Chantal Worzala, PhD Through a combination of public and private sector efforts, the health information underlying our healthcare system
Read moreTelemedicine Takes Healthcare Into the 21st Century
Update your understanding of how to code telehealth services now and in the future. Disclaimer: At press time, this information
Read moreLook for Clues When Coding Myocardial Infarction Interventions
Compliant reporting of myocardial infarction revascularization procedures is all in the timing. Does your staff know the coding guidelines for
Read moreHCC Coding for Post-Sepsis Syndrome
Capture risk adjustment payment for physicians who treat patients with late effects of sepsis. In the United States, more than
Read moreCode With Confidence
7 steps to set you down the path to coding claims with certainty. It has been my experience — both
Read moreIs It Alzheimer’s or Dementia?
Proper coding requires medical coders to know the difference. June is when we wear purple to recognize Alzheimer’s and Brain
Read moreReady for the Surge
By Mary Butler One of the many unsettling aspects of watching the COVID-19 pandemic unfold across the United States was
Read moreHow the COVID-19 Pandemic Transformed an Already Remote Coding Team
By Rachel L. Pratt, RHIA, CDIP, CCS Many coding teams in healthcare facilities work remotely—and have done so for many
Read moreDocumenting COVID-19
By Alba Kuqi, MD, CCS, CDIP, CICA, CRCR, CCDS, CSMC Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness
Read moreWhy Patient Identity Management is Critical for COVID-19 Surveillance
By Dan Cidon In just a few short months, the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, have put
Read moreThe Road Map to Health IT Resilience
By Seth Hirsch The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic have presented massive societal and technological challenges. In particular, health
Read moreAddressing Social Determinants of Health with Technology During Public Health Emergencies
By Joe Nicholson, DO It’s estimated that 40 percent of American families struggle to meet at least one of their
Read moreThe Disease Detectives
By Matt Schlossberg If you have tested positive for COVID-19—or have been in close contact with someone who has—then chances
Read moreMedical Records Form Basis of LabCorp, Ciox COVID-19 Data Registry
By Mary Butler It’s impossible to fight a pandemic without data, and problematic data has been a recurring theme in
Read moreTurn The Cessation of Elective Surgeries Into an Opportunity to Educate
Under normal circumstances, the biggest difficulty practices encounter when trying to engage in physician education is timing. Coordinating everyone’s schedules,
Read morePicking the Right Coding Vendor
Picking the right coding vendor can be challenging. There so many options and they all tell you they offer accurate
Read moreOffshore Coding: HIPAA Risks
From a compliance exposure perspective, we believe that the HIPAA risk associated with sending PHI abroad is simply untenable. HIPAA
Read moreGeneralist Coders – A Fallacy
There is no such thing as a coder who knows it all. If your coder claims to be able to
Read moreSplit Model Service Providers (Medical Coding Vendors with Offshore and Onshore Operations)
A troubling trend in the medical coding industry is a misleading split model where companies will have resources both onshore
Read moreBeware of Medical Coding Vendors Not Dedicated to Coding
The coding industry is chock full of companies offering a bevy of services, one of them being coding. During our
Read morePatient Privacy Prevails Over COVID-19 Media Coverage
As healthcare workers across the nation care for patients afflicted with COVID-19, many may feel compelled to share their agonizing
Read moreProtecting the Privacy of Healthcare Workers Who Become COVID-19 Patients
Healthcare workers across the country are receiving well deserved praise for their dedication to COVID-19 patients, even as they become
Read moreTelehealth Coverage for Mental Health Services During COVID-19
As the global pandemic enters its fifth month, we are all feeling the strain. Staying home to slow the spread
Read moreHarnessing Artificial Intelligence to Fight COVID-19
By Alba Kuqi, MD, CCS, CDIP, CICA, CRCR, CCDS, CSMC As COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe, researchers have
Read moreQuality Payment Program 2020: Changes and Requirements (Part IV)
Part IV: Cost and Improvement Activity Performance Categories Editor’s note: This article is the first part of a five-part series
Read moreHow Telehealth Services Factor Into Risk Adjustment
2020 has proven to be one of the most complex, busiest times in healthcare — in the 21st century, anyway.
Read moreClean Chiropractic Claims Require Coders to Know Where It’s “AT”
Ever since the publication of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG’s) portfolio “Medicare Needs Better Controls to Prevent Fraud, Waste,
Read moreDue to Covid-19 Crisis Providers Can Skip 2019 CMS MIPS Reporting
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS has announced relief measures for providers who are bound to participate in its quality
Read moreRelease of Information During COVID-19: FAQs
Sponsored content from: With the current state of events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot of information being
Read moreMedicare Telehealth Coding as of April 30
Healthcare providers are granted even more latitude for use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency. When attending
Read moreMaximize Your Stroke Dx Coding
Tips to improve and streamline your stroke diagnosis coding processes. There are a lot of variables at play when it
Read more2020 Radiology and Imaging CPT® Changes
Become a coding superhero with X-ray vision. When is imaging separately reported, and how? The relative value units (RVUs) for
Read moreCalculating the Effect of the 2021 E/M Changes on Primary Care
Weigh the pros and cons as the healthcare industry prepares to implement new leveling guidelines. Unless you’ve been hiding under
Read moreExpert Documentation & Coding Practices in the EMR
Heightened documentation requirements and new technology require us to see the flaws in our EMRs and correct them. I’ve been
Read more‘If Patients Only Knew…’
By Mary Butler Brandi Hunsaker, RHIT, HIMS EHR director at Banner Health, has spent over 20 years in the health
Read morePreparing Healthcare for Climate Change
By Allison Viola, MBA, RHIA, and Noah Goldstein, PhD Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common in the United States
Read morePatient Record Integrity is Prerequisite for Patient Safety, Interoperability [Sponsored]
SPONSORED CONTENT By Erin Benson, MA, MBA Matching a patient to his or her correct medical record is critical to
Read moreRed Flags for HIPAA Policy Compliance
By Kelly McLendon, RHIA, CHPS Health information management (HIM) professionals tend to take for granted that written policies and procedures
Read moreHow to Avoid Common Mistakes That Slow Down the ROI Process
By Angela Rose, MHA, RHIA, CHPS, FAHIMA, and Don Hardwick As demands to share patient information continue to evolve, health
Read moreThe Bronchoscopy Tubular Confusion
By Tina Bruce, MSHIM, MSHI, RHIA, CCS, CDIP Many coding professionals, auditors, clinical documentation integrity (CDI) specialists, and healthcare professionals
Read moreBecome an Advocate with AHIMA’s Congressional District Meeting Resource Guide
By Lesley Kadlec, MA, RHIA, CHDA In support of AHIMA’s vision of a world where trusted information transforms health and
Read moreHope and Peril in the Era of COVID-19
By Ginna Evans, MBA, RHIA, CPC, CRC, FAHIMA As I was writing this message, the world was just beginning its
Read moreReady or Not, Telehealth Takes Center Stage in a Pandemic
By Michael Stearns, MD, CPC, CFPC, CRC Telehealth has enjoyed a gradual but steady rise in adoption over the past
Read moreTelehealth Helps College Students Receive Care During a Pandemic
By Mary Butler College students found themselves in an unenviable position in March when COVID-19 put much of the country
Read moreUsing Modifier 95 for Telehealth Makes Cents
Capture full payment for remote visits during the PHE for COVID-19. An interim final rule published in the April 6,
Read moreCMS, ONC Delay Information Blocking Rule Implementation Due to COVID-19
In light of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the federal government has extended the certification implementation timelines for providers and
Read moreWorking as a Remote Coder During COVID-19
If you find yourself struggling to rapidly adjust to the ever-changing environment of the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone.
Read moreAre Your Remote Coders Secure? Google Warns of Covid-19 Cyber Threats
As many healthcare organizations seek to have their billing and coding staffs work remotely, active attempts to compromise their organization’s
Read moreAHIMA Webinar Addresses COVID-19 Medical Record Documentation Challenges
As healthcare organizations across the country respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, health information professionals have remained committed to maintaining the
Read moreCoding High-Throughput COVID-19 Testing
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created two new HCPCS Level II codes for lab tests that use
Read moreWhy Cross-Training Medical Coders Can Get You In Trouble
Cross training sounds like it should work. A coder is a coder. Why pay a new coder to work on
Read moreCOVID-19 Puts Disaster Preparedness Plans to the Test
By Mary Butler For compliance-minded health information management (HIM) professionals, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented curve ball after curve ball
Read moreNew COVID-19 Testing Codes
During an emergency meeting in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the American Medical Association (AMA) convened the CPT® Editorial Panel
Read moreCMS Delays New Payment Model for Emergency Care Due To Covid-19
CMS has delayed the start date of its Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport model from May 1 until this fall. CMS selected 205 participants
Read moreCOVID-19 and Social Isolation Puts Elderly at Risk for Loneliness
By Gary Call, MD To protect our elderly and chronically ill from COVID-19, we’ve asked this population to isolate at
Read moreYour Coders Are Home, Now What?
3 Major Considerations for Transitioning Your Coder to Working from Home If you’re one of the many healthcare organizations that
Read morePitfalls of Reassigning Coders to New Specialties During COVID-19
During the current Covid-19 crisis it might seem like a wise idea to reassign coders from elective specialties to specialties
Read moreAHIMA Webinar Brings Coders Up to Speed on COVID-19 Coding
AHIMA has launched an on-demand webinar designed to help outpatient coders get up to speed on inpatient COVID-19 coding. “Inpatient
Read moreWaive Cost Sharing on Applicable Claims Using Modifier CS
The implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act waives cost-sharing (coinsurance and deductibles) for COVID-19 testing-related services. The Act is
Read moreFor the Patient: FAQ About Virtual Medical Appointments
Question: How do I know if my doctor does virtual appointments? Can I use apps like FaceTime or Google Hangouts
Read moreFAQ for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses: COVID-19 Financing
This frequently asked questions (FAQ) document will be updated as necessary based on questions and new information that AHIMA receives.
Read moreAHIMA Celebrates Passage of Protecting Jessica Grubb’s Legacy Act provisions in CARES
By Lesley Kadlec, MA, RHIA, CHDA AHIMA is celebrating a recent victory with our Part 2 advocacy efforts due to
Read moreSummary of Federal Privacy Guidance, Waivers, and Enforcement Discretion for Health Information Professionals
By Lauren Riplinger, JD Enforcement Discretion Regarding COIVD-19 Community-Based Testing Sites (CBTS)1 During the COVID-19 national emergency, certain covered health
Read moreSummary of CMS Waivers for Health Information Professionals
By Lauren Riplinger, JD Guidance for Processing Attestation Statements from Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) Temporarily Enrolling as Hospitals during the
Read moreCOVID-19 Specimen Collection Codes
Clinical diagnostic laboratories can identify specimen collection for COVID-19 testing using two new HCPCS Level II codes, effective March 1,
Read moreGet the Most Out of New ICD-10-CM Addenda and Guideline Updates
On April 1, 2020, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) formally issued updates to the ICD-10-CM List of Diseases
Read moreEase Central Pain Syndrome Coding in the IRF
Specificity will help your inpatient rehab facility meet the 60 percent rule. The opioid crisis has drawn a lot of
Read moreMaster the Art of Obstetrical Ultrasound Coding
Understand the coding mechanics behind some of the most common obstetrical US examinations. An outsider looking in might think diagnostic
Read moreCoding Newborn Attendance at Delivery and Resuscitation
Prepare for the unexpected when the patient is expecting. Oh, those cute little babies! All those fingers and toes and
Read moreICD-10-CM Coding for Spring Fever Mishaps
There’s a diagnosis code for every springtime affliction you can think of. Spring fever is not a definitive diagnosis in
Read moreVitamin D: Get Your Daily Dose
Deficient understanding of this essential vitamin could wreak havoc on your coding for related testing and diagnoses. Vitamin D testing
Read moreAHIMA Webinar: Information Blocking and Interoperability Final Rules
AHIMA has launched a free on-demand webinar that breaks down the provisions and certification and compliance requirements of the recently
Read moreAHIMA Webinar: Advancing Social Determinants of Health
AHIMA has launched an on-demand webinar that explores the role of HIM in social determinants of health (SDOH). Advancing the
Read moreRemote Coding and Billing: Dream Job or Nightmare?
Working from home isn’t for everyone. Consider the pros and cons. Working from home can be a dream come true
Read moreTelehealth FAQ: You Asked, We Answered
Certain telemedicine services are already covered under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) when provided to Medicare patients in accordance with
Read moreApril 2020
April 2020 “New Eyes on HIM” In the Issue Cover Story Features Departments “Abu Dhabi’s Health Information Exchange Looks at
Read moreBeyond Z Codes
By Linda Hyde Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the economic, social, and behavioral conditions that influence the health, health
Read moreThe Importance of High-Quality Clinical Documentation Across the Healthcare Continuum
By Tammy Combs, RN, MSN, CCS, CCDS, CDIP Clinical documentation integrity (CDI) is a profession that has, in the past,
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