ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert
Use Documentation From Entire Chart
Question: A patient presents to the ED because a glow stick broke and splashed her in the oculus dexter (OD), the right eye. The ED physician irrigates the eye and discharges the patient. In the eye section of the documentation, the physician notes a "slight conjunctivitis." The discharge diagnosis, however, is "accident to the oculus dexter by chemical splash." Should I report conjunctivitis based on what's written in the eyes section even though it's not written as a discharge diagnosis? New Mexico Subscriber Answer: You should report the chemical conjunctivitis from the irritants within the glow stick, 372.05 (Acute atopic conjunctivitis). Many experts agree that the contents of the entire medical chart are available to the coder for the purposes of selecting proper ICD-9 codes. Although you shouldn't make clinical extrapolations from the documentation, you can employ wording from various areas to determine the diagnosis code that best describes the situation.
ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert
- Zero In on EKG Payment:
Reports,Strips and Critical Care
Fight for electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation payment in the ED otherwise, Medicare will send reimbursement for [...] - Avoid the Red:
Understand Your Liability as a Coder
If you think lawsuits happen only to physicians and hospitals think again. Your code selection [...] - Weigh In on the EKG Battle:
Do Your Part
Your job is to ensure your physicians get paid fairly. When you report EKG interpretations [...] - Reasons to Avoid Sloppy or Inaccurate Coding
There's nothing better than a list of consequences to whip any coder into shape. You [...] - For ED Coders Only:
NPP Tips You Cant Miss
Although mid-level providers assist your physicians, they can handicap your coding. The ED has different [...] - You Be the Coder:
Breathe Easy With Nasal Approach
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the [...] - Reader Question:
Deliver Consultation Codes for Work Outside ED
Question: A patient in labor is admitted directly to the labor and delivery ward without [...] - Reader Question:
Dont Back Away From Burn Codes
Question: A patient presents with second-degree burns on the forearm. The physician dictates that wounds [...] - Reader Question :
Use Documentation From Entire Chart
Question: A patient presents to the ED because a glow stick broke and splashed her [...] - Reader Question :
Use Common Courtesy for the Dead
Question: Our ED physician visits an admitted patient dying of cancer and declares that the [...] - Reader Question:
Give Docs a Last-Chance Look-Over
Question: One of our physicians frequently forgets to check all the elements he reviewed for [...]
