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HIA Gives Back to St. Jude, ASPCA in 2018
Giving back is an important part of the HIA mission. Each year, HIA employees take a consensus and choose three National charities to support. Individuals can volunteer a portion of their wages to one of the three organizations. HIA Corporate will match each individual donation up to five dollars. We are proud to share with you our 2018 contribution totals combined with HIA matching funds.
HIA Compliant with HHS Cybersecurity Guidance
Cyberattacks are an increasing threat across all critical infrastructure sectors. For the health sector, cyberattacks are especially concerning because these attacks can directly threaten not just the security of our systems and information but also the health and safety of American patients.
Coding Tip: Unspecified Condition Codes and Combination Codes
One area that coders struggle with is when to report a separate condition code when an already assigned combination code includes the condition. For example, if an obstetric patient is admitted and delivers, and the physician documents “obstetric patient delivered with anemia,” should both code O99.02 Anemia complicating childbirth and D64.9, Anemia, unspecified be coded or should only O99.02 be assigned?
Find Your Routine: Set a Pattern, Follow it
When it comes to coding and documentation, finding your own rhythm can lead to positive results. For our series, Find Your Routine, we interviewed our most productive coders and asked them what steps they take to find a rhythm that works for them. This week, we talked with Donna Cowan, RHIT, CCS, Coding Specialist at Health Information Associates, about the steps she takes to find her routine.
Query Tip: Choosing Reasonable Options for Response
The key to choosing reasonable options for a query response is to remember that the query must stand alone. Any clinical indicators supporting the options must be included in the query itself. In this week’s Query Tip, we provide examples of two queries in which the options for response are not reasonable based on clinical indicators used by coder.
Coding Tip: Obstetric Tidbits for PCS
Last week, we looked at tidbits for reporting the ICD-10-CM codes for pregnancy/obstetric records. Now we will look at some for the ICD-10-PCS reporting of these records. In reporting the appropriate ICD-10-PCS codes a coder must know what is included in the terminology of products of conception (POC).
American Heart Month 2019
Chances are, we all know someone affected by heart disease and stroke, because about 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day, an average of 1 death every 38 seconds. But together we can change that.
Coding Tip: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium Tidbits
There was a time when coding delivery records was considered simple. Many times, these types of records were given to the newer coders. However, as coding becomes more complex, this is no longer the case. With the implementation of ICD-10-CM came more codes for very detailed and specific issues that occur during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium.
Find Your Routine: Work Each Chart the Same Way
When it comes to coding and documentation, finding your own rhythm can lead to positive results. For our series, Find Your Routine, we interviewed our most productive coders and asked them what steps they take to find a rhythm that works for them. This week, we talked with Allison Curry, RHIT, CCS, Coding Specialist at Health Information Associates, about the steps she takes to find her routine.
Query Tip: Avoid Repetition in Clinical Indicators
One way to shorten a lengthy query is by avoiding repetition in the supporting documentation. Does the same diagnosis really need to be mentioned multiple times in the clinical indicators? Is it necessary to list the results of a chest x-ray twice? Does listing the same documentation multiple times give further specification or explanation to the query?
National Non-Smoking Week 2019
Tobacco use can lead to tobacco/nicotine dependence and serious health problems. Quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of developing smoking-related diseases. Tobacco/nicotine dependence is a condition that often requires repeated treatments, but there are helpful treatments and resources for quitting.
Part 5 – New 2019 CPT Codes: Category III, Evaluation and Management, etc.
This is Part 5 of a five part series on the new 2019 CPT codes. For the remaining areas we will just briefly summarize the section. Due to the intricate nature of these sections in CPT, it is recommended that the coder read the entire section notes associated with the new codes.
Part 4 – New 2019 CPT Codes: Lymphatic, Digestive, Urinary and Nervous System
This is Part 4 of a five part series on the new 2019 CPT codes. In this series we will explore the CPT changes for FY 2019 and include examples to help the coder understand the new codes. There is 1 new lymphatic code, 2 new digestive system codes with 3 deletions, 3 new urinary system codes with one deletion and 7 deleted nervous system codes with 2 revisions.
Part 3 – New 2019 CPT Codes: Cardiovascular System
This is Part 3 of a five part series on the new 2019 CPT codes. In this series we will explore the CPT changes for FY2019 and include examples to help the coder understand the new codes. There are 9 new cardiovascular CPT codes added with 2 deletions and 3 revisions.
Find Your Routine: Know Your Client Workflow
When it comes to coding and documentation, finding your own rhythm can lead to positive results. For our series, Find Your Routine, we interviewed our most productive coders and asked them what steps they take to find a rhythm that works for them. This week, we talked with Tilina Sablan, RHIT, CCS, Coding Specialist with Health Information Associates, about the steps she takes to find her routine.
Part 2 – New 2019 CPT Codes: Musculoskeletal System
This is Part 2 of a five part series on the new 2019 CPT codes. In this series we will explore the CPT changes for FY2019 and include examples to help the coder understand the new codes. There are 4 new musculoskeletal CPT codes added with 2 deletions and 0 revisions.
Part 1 – New 2019 CPT Codes: Integumentary System
This is Part 1 of a five part series on the new 2019 CPT codes. In this series we will explore the CPT changes for FY2019 and include examples to help the coder understand the new codes. There were 15 new integumentary CPT codes added with 3 deletions and 1 revision.
Most Common DRG’s with Recommendations 2018: Part 5
In part 5 of our series, we look at DRG 64—Intracranial hemorrhage or cerebral infarction with MCC. For this DRG recommendation the majority (almost all) were recommended to DRG 65 (Intracranial hemorrhage or cerebral infarction with CC) with deletion of the reported MCC.
Most Common DRG’s with Recommendations 2018: Part 4
The majority of the recommendations from DRG 190 (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease w/MCC) was to DRG 189 (Pulmonary edema and respiratory failure) with re-sequencing of respiratory failure as the PDX or adding as a new code and sequenced as PDX.
Most Common DRG’s with Recommendations 2018: Part 3
The majority of the recommendations from DRG 853 (Infectious & parasitic disease with O.R. procedure with MCC) were to DRG 871 (Septicemia w/o MV 96+ hours with MCC) with deletion or revision of the PCS code. Some of these required physician query.
Most Common DRG’s with Recommendations 2018: Part 2
The majority of the recommendations from DRG 872 (Septicemia w/o mechanical ventilation 96+ hours w/o MCC) were to DRG 871 (Septicemia w/o mechanical ventilation 96+ hours with MCC) with the addition of an MCC to the account. Not all of these required a physician query and were present in the medical record documentation without any clarification needed prior to coding.
Most Common DRG’s with Recommendations 2018: Part 1
The majority of the recommendations from DRG 871 (Septicemia w/o MV 96+ hours with MCC) were to DRG 872 (Septicemia w/o MV 96+ hours w/o MCC) with the recommendation to delete the reported MCC or query for clarification to support the MCC that had been reported.
Top 5 ICD-10 New Year’s Resolutions
Every year, we make plans to live a healthier, more organized, and balanced life. For some of us, we end up falling short of those expectations. This year, to keep us on track with our New Year’s goals, we have put together a few of the most common New Year’s resolutions along with their ICD-10 diagnoses codes. Check out our tips and tricks for a healthy 2019!
Coding Tip: Sequencing of the Principal Procedure
What is the principal procedure? The procedure that is performed for definitive treatment or is taking care of a complication is the principal procedure. Procedures for diagnostic or exploratory purposes that are performed in addition to a procedure being performed for definitive treatment, would be reported in addition to the principal procedure.
Query Tip: Avoiding a Leading Query – Don’t Be Directive
A query question that is directive in nature, indicating what the provider should document, rather than asking for his/her professional determination of clinical facts, constitutes a leading query. The provider should not be made to feel obligated to document anything.
Find Your Routine: Increase Reading Speed to Maximize Productivity
When I start coding a chart, I enter all account information in log and do any abstracting—disposition, admitting, and attending—take care of all of that first. ED, H&P, consult, progress reports, and discharge summary.
Speed Reading Tip: How to Increase Reading Speed
Some Speed Reading Tips: Once you start reading, don’t stop! Read the text straight through. If you have any question after you have completed reading the material, go back and reread the relevant sections. Reread the marked sections of the text (the items you indicated that you didn’t quite understand). Write a small summary at the beginning of the chapter – consisting about 3-4 sentences.
Coding Tip: Procedures Performed Via Burr Hole
A burr hole is a small hole that is made in the skull with a drill by the surgeon. First, (after prepping the site) the scalp is cut (incised) at the desired location by the surgeon. The surgeon will then drill 1 or 2 small holes in the skull at this area to reach the dura.
Coding Tip: Diagnosis Reporting for Routine Circumcision – Newborn
In HIA quality reviews we are finding that some coders are reporting Z41.2—Encounter for routine and ritual circumcision, during the male newborn birth admission, when circumcision is performed prior to discharge.
DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE ROUTINE AND THE UNEXPECTED.
When it comes to coding and documentation, finding your own rhythm can lead to positive results. That’s why we take every step into consideration when telling each patient’s story and help guide you along the way.
We understand the challenges
Critical Access Hospitals face.
Rarely does a CAH have the luxury of a dedicated coding manager, much less an educator and internal auditor. HIA’s service is aimed at providing a reliable resource to address all 3 important functions and more – all for one fixed annual fee.
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