HIAlearn – Coding Staff Development & Training
Unmatched industry expertise
Ensuring the educational development of your coding staff is of utmost importance. Whether you need additional focused education based on review findings or the tools to foster ongoing coder development, HIA has you covered with the latest coding updates and regulatory changes. Much of our material is approved by AHIMA and/or AAPC for CEUs. View our extensive HIAlearn library here.
HIAlearn Offerings
Education may take many avenues, including on-site visits, audio recordings and online education modules. Training can consist of one-on-one, group sessions or self-paced. Programs can be tailored to fit any time frame, from a few hours to monthly training and monitoring of new coding staff. We utilize a Learning Management System (LMS) to house coding education sessions. Individual participants are provided a username/password to access the LMS from a designated website.
Education Counts
Our 70-years of combined teaching experience has taught us that academic instruction fused with practical application creates a comprehensive learning experience that benefits our team and yours.
Pat Maccariella-Hafey
Executive Director of Education
Beth Martilik
Assistant Director of Education
Kim Carrier
Director of Coding Quality Assurance
Coding Tip: New Technology ICD-10-PCS Section “X” Drugs for FY2019
Section “X” is a separate place within ICD-10-PCS for certain new technology procedures (such as new technology drugs). Section “X” does not introduce any new coding concepts or unusual guidelines for correct coding and maintains continuity with the other sections in ICD-10-PCS.
Coding & Quality Measures Tip: Coding for the Revised Stroke Mortality Measure (MORT-30-STK)
The refined Stroke 30-day mortality measure (MORT-30-STK) is a statistic defined as death occurring within 30 days of a diagnosed stroke. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publicly reports a 30-day hospital-level stroke mortality measure on Hospital Compare as part of the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program.
Coding Tip: Cerebral Infarction When Patient Has Carotid Stenosis
Coders have struggled for some time with the dilemma of when to assign the combination code of carotid stenosis, with cerebral infarction (i.e.I63.231) and when to assign separate codes for the specific cerebral infarction and carotid stenosis. (i.e. I66.01 and I65.21).
Query Tip: What is Conflicting Documentation?
Conflicting documentation occurs when health care providers call the same condition different things. When none of the documented conditions are clearly ruled out by the physician, coders may find it necessary to query for the most appropriate diagnosis.
Query Tip: Be Careful Using Yes/No Query Format
Queries in a Yes/No format are limited to use in the four specific circumstances. This format may not be used when only clinical indicators of a condition are present, but the diagnosis has not been documented in the health record.
Query Tip: The Many Meanings of “Unable to Determine”
Queries written in a multiple-choice format include a short list of options for physician response. These options must be relevant and supported by the clinical indicators included in the query.
Coding Tip: Body Mass Index (BMI) Reporting in Pregnancy
With the publication of the new ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting for FY 2019, we finally have an answer regarding reporting of BMI in pregnancy. The new guideline does state “do not assign BMI codes during pregnancy.”
Coding Tip: Bullying – What is it and how is it coded?
When coding a record with documented bullying, this is coded as child or adult psychological abuse (initial/subsequent encounter or sequela) either as confirmed or suspected. The encounter and whether this is confirmed or suspected is needed in order to assign the appropriate diagnosis code.
Coding Tip: New ICD-10-CM General Coding Guideline — Coding for Healthcare Encounters in Hurricane Aftermath
With the Hurricane season in full swing, this new guideline will be helpful in reporting the external cause codes when an injury occurs as a result of the hurricane, and also help in determining sequencing of the reported codes.
Get Started
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
Popular Posts
Find Your Routine Series: How Crystal Maintains Productivity
When it comes to coding and documentation, finding your own rhythm can lead to positive results. For our new 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 Crystal Junkins, CCS, CPC, Coding Specialist with Health Information Associates, about the steps she takes to find her routine.
What is a Medicare Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF)?
In 2003, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented Risk Adjustment Factors (RAF) and Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) coding to identify individuals with serious and/or chronic illnesses and assign them a risk factor score that is based on a combination of demographic information and reported diagnoses.
Falling Case Mix Have You Confused?
The ICD-10-CM/PCS code changes – effective October 1, 2018 to September 31, 2019 – could be the culprit. Comparatively speaking, there are far less changes this year than in years past. The release includes: 279 new codes, 51 deleted codes,143 revised codes. But don’t let the smaller amount of changes fool you…
Coding Tip: Body Mass Index (BMI) Reporting in Pregnancy
With the publication of the new ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting for FY 2019, we finally have an answer regarding reporting of BMI in pregnancy. The new guideline does state “do not assign BMI codes during pregnancy.”
Query Tip: What is Conflicting Documentation?
Conflicting documentation occurs when health care providers call the same condition different things. When none of the documented conditions are clearly ruled out by the physician, coders may find it necessary to query for the most appropriate diagnosis.
HIAlearn – Coding Staff Development & Training
Unmatched industry expertise
Ensuring the educational development of your coding staff is of utmost importance. Whether you need additional focused education based on review findings or the tools to foster ongoing coder development, HIA has you covered with the latest coding updates and regulatory changes. Much of our material is approved by AHIMA and/or AAPC for CEUs. View our extensive HIAlearn library here.
HIAlearn Offerings
Education may take many avenues, including on-site visits, audio recordings and online education modules. Training can consist of one-on-one, group sessions or self-paced. Programs can be tailored to fit any time frame, from a few hours to monthly training and monitoring of new coding staff. We utilize a Learning Management System (LMS) to house coding education sessions. Individual participants are provided a username/password to access the LMS from a designated website.
Education Counts
Our 92-years of combined teaching experience has taught us that academic instruction fused with practical application creates a comprehensive learning experience that benefits our team and yours.
Pat Maccariella-Hafey
Executive Director of Education
Coding Tip: New Technology ICD-10-PCS Section “X” Drugs for FY2019
Section “X” is a separate place within ICD-10-PCS for certain new technology procedures (such as new technology drugs). Section “X” does not introduce any new coding concepts or unusual guidelines for correct coding and maintains continuity with the other sections in ICD-10-PCS.
Coding & Quality Measures Tip: Coding for the Revised Stroke Mortality Measure (MORT-30-STK)
The refined Stroke 30-day mortality measure (MORT-30-STK) is a statistic defined as death occurring within 30 days of a diagnosed stroke. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publicly reports a 30-day hospital-level stroke mortality measure on Hospital Compare as part of the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program.
Coding Tip: Cerebral Infarction When Patient Has Carotid Stenosis
Coders have struggled for some time with the dilemma of when to assign the combination code of carotid stenosis, with cerebral infarction (i.e.I63.231) and when to assign separate codes for the specific cerebral infarction and carotid stenosis. (i.e. I66.01 and I65.21).
Beth Martilik
Assistant Director of Education
Query Tip: What is Conflicting Documentation?
Conflicting documentation occurs when health care providers call the same condition different things. When none of the documented conditions are clearly ruled out by the physician, coders may find it necessary to query for the most appropriate diagnosis.
Query Tip: Be Careful Using Yes/No Query Format
Queries in a Yes/No format are limited to use in the four specific circumstances. This format may not be used when only clinical indicators of a condition are present, but the diagnosis has not been documented in the health record.
Query Tip: The Many Meanings of “Unable to Determine”
Queries written in a multiple-choice format include a short list of options for physician response. These options must be relevant and supported by the clinical indicators included in the query.
Kim Carrier
Director of Coding Quality Assurance
Coding Tip: Body Mass Index (BMI) Reporting in Pregnancy
With the publication of the new ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting for FY 2019, we finally have an answer regarding reporting of BMI in pregnancy. The new guideline does state “do not assign BMI codes during pregnancy.”
Coding Tip: Bullying – What is it and how is it coded?
When coding a record with documented bullying, this is coded as child or adult psychological abuse (initial/subsequent encounter or sequela) either as confirmed or suspected. The encounter and whether this is confirmed or suspected is needed in order to assign the appropriate diagnosis code.
Coding Tip: New ICD-10-CM General Coding Guideline — Coding for Healthcare Encounters in Hurricane Aftermath
With the Hurricane season in full swing, this new guideline will be helpful in reporting the external cause codes when an injury occurs as a result of the hurricane, and also help in determining sequencing of the reported codes.
Get Started
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
Popular Posts
Find Your Routine Series: How Crystal Maintains Productivity
When it comes to coding and documentation, finding your own rhythm can lead to positive results. For our new 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 Crystal Junkins, CCS, CPC, Coding Specialist with Health Information Associates, about the steps she takes to find her routine.
What is a Medicare Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF)?
In 2003, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented Risk Adjustment Factors (RAF) and Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) coding to identify individuals with serious and/or chronic illnesses and assign them a risk factor score that is based on a combination of demographic information and reported diagnoses.
Falling Case Mix Have You Confused?
The ICD-10-CM/PCS code changes – effective October 1, 2018 to September 31, 2019 – could be the culprit. Comparatively speaking, there are far less changes this year than in years past. The release includes: 279 new codes, 51 deleted codes,143 revised codes. But don’t let the smaller amount of changes fool you…
Coding Tip: Body Mass Index (BMI) Reporting in Pregnancy
With the publication of the new ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting for FY 2019, we finally have an answer regarding reporting of BMI in pregnancy. The new guideline does state “do not assign BMI codes during pregnancy.”
Query Tip: What is Conflicting Documentation?
Conflicting documentation occurs when health care providers call the same condition different things. When none of the documented conditions are clearly ruled out by the physician, coders may find it necessary to query for the most appropriate diagnosis.
See how HIAlearn
will benefit you
Overcome common coding challenges identified during audits and coding staff performance reviews with HIAlearn Action Plans.
See how HIAlearn
will benefit you
Overcome common coding challenges identified during audits and coding staff performance reviews with HIAlearn Action Plans.
