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ICD-10 Coding Alert

Otolaryngology Coding:
Narrow In On Pediatric Conditions
P codes may present a challenge, so review ICD-10-CM instructions for accurate and efficie... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
Don't Let Herpes Complications Cloud Your Ophthalmology Coding
Shingles can affect eye health, so you should know how to code the complications. If you'... Read more
Neurosurgery Focus:
Use These Five Tips to Boost Success of Intervertebral Disorders Submissions
Hint: The presence of Schmorl's nodes can make a difference. When it comes to interverteb... Read more
Reader Question:
Husband's Condition Affects Infertility Coding
Question: What diagnosis code should I use for an office visit where a patient and her hus... Read more
Reader Question:
Be Wary of Cancer When Coding Erythema
Question: What is the best diagnosis code to report for bladder erythema? I'm deliberating... Read more
Reader Question:
Look to Patient Age, Anatomy for Accurate Bronchitis Coding
Question: We had a patient come in with bronchitis and the physician didn't specify the ty... Read more
Reader Question:
Previous Tobacco Use Does Not Dictate COPD Dx
Question: On a chest X-ray, the indication notes an intermittent smoker, but used to be a ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Chemotherapy Affects Tumor Lysis Syndrome Coding
Question: The physician saw an inpatient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who was admitte... Read more
Pediatric Spotlight:
Code Pediatric Diabetes Like This
Tip: Pediatric diabetes deserves special attention because age isn't the only factor to co... Read more
Cardiology Focus:
Check Up On MI, Underdosing, And Natural Disaster Aftermath Coding
With a month of actually using ICD-10 updates under your belt, check in to make sure your ... Read more
Musculoskeletal System Coding:
Stabilize Your Fracture Coding with This Guide
Hint: Organize your chapter-specific fracture coding in one place. Most veteran coders ty... Read more
Reader Question:
Pay Attention to Radiculopathy Location
Question: If the neurosurgeon documents lumbosacral radiculopathy, how should I report thi... Read more
Reader Question:
Check 'E' Codes for Cystic Fibrosis
Question: How do I code cystic fibrosis in a pediatric patient? Codify Subscriber Answer... Read more
Reader Question:
No Specific Dx For Calcified Ureteral Stent
Question: Can we report 50590 for freeing a calcified ureteral stent? If so, what diagnosi... Read more
Reader Question:
To Find GIST Code, Start With 'Tumor'
Question: How do I code GIST correctly? Wyoming Subscriber Answer: To find the proper di... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Look To Prior Documentation With Barrett's Esophagus Dx
Question: A patient previously diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus (without dysplastic chan... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
Don't Let Carpal Tunnel Mistakes Freeze Your Reimbursement
You may need a CTS diagnosis before payers will approve therapeutic measures. Coding for ... Read more
Ob-Gyn Update:
Know These Ob-Gyn Guideline Revisions or Risk Disaster
Don't include BMI diagnoses for pregnant patients. You learned the new ICD-10-CM codes th... Read more
Clip And Save:
Utilize These Coding Tips for Hurricanes
Hint: Look to the 7th digit to code claims accurately. If you're worried about coding pro... Read more
Case Study Corner:
See to the Correct Codes for Cornea Dx
Would you choose the best-suited codes for each scenario? Treating cornea diagnoses is an... Read more
Orthopedics Focus:
Keep These Open/Closed Rib Fracture Fix Codes on Hand
Tip: Keep S22.--- in mind when dealing with breaks. Orthopedic practices that treat pati... Read more
Reader Question:
Look to Terminology to Code Spinal Tumors
Question: How do I report malignant meningeal and spinal cord tumors? New York Subscriber... Read more
Reader Question:
Differentiate Between Scalp and Face
Question: Our surgeon removed a Merkel cell carcinoma from the scalp. Should we code this ... Read more
Reader Question:
Understand Staging to Code Pressure Injuries
Question: What's the difference between an unstageable pressure ulcer and a pressure ulcer... Read more
Reader Question:
Code Strain for Achilles Tendon Rupture
Question: The patient came into the office with an initial encounter for a rupture of his ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Don't Get Tripped Up By Combo Code
Question: What is the correct way to code for type 2 diabetes and a urinary tract infectio... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Know These New Ways to Document Abuse, Exploitation
Cyberbullying finally gets its own code. Last month, we highlighted many of the additions... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
Take This Path for Logical Fracture Coding
Underlying causes key to differentiate pathological from stress, trauma fractures. Fractu... Read more
Case Study Corner:
Use These 5 UTI Dx Tips to Prove Urinalysis Necessity
Here are the codes you need before you report the test. Proving medical necessity for tes... Read more
Reader Question:
Sequence for Primary Dx in This ARF Scenario
Question: We saw a patient who we had admitted to the hospital for a COPD exacerbation and... Read more
Reader Question:
Extend Your Myalgia Coding with Expanded M79.1 Options
Question: How will the 2019 ICD-10 revisions affect orthopedic diagnosis coding? Codify S... Read more
Reader Question:
Learn This Acronym for Accurate Systolic Heart Failure Coding
Question: A patient presented with dyspnea and peripheral edema and said she has had a cou... Read more
Reader Question:
Add This Code When Strep Throat Causes Abscess
Question: How do I code a patient with strep throat, tonsillitis, and a peritonsillar absc... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Distinguish TMJ Types with These Codes
Question: How should I report a diagnosis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder? Nort... Read more
Ob-Gyn ICD-10 Update:
Multiply Your Multiple Gestation Reporting Options with These New Codes
Obstetric surgical wound infection codes receive overhaul, too. 320 additions. 172 revise... Read more
Primary Care ICD-10 Update:
Keep These New Exam Codes on Your Radar Screen
ICD-10 expands depression, developmental disorder encounter subcategories. One of the goa... Read more
Pediatric ICD-10 Update:
Add These New Neonatal Withdrawal, Transitory Disorders Codes on Oct. 1
Coding newborn exposure to therapeutic, addictive drugs to get more specific. The transit... Read more
Cardiology ICD-10 Update:
Take Note of These Cerebral Infarction, Cerebrovascular Disease Code Changes
Add new codes I63.81 and I63.89 to your knowledge base. The field of cardiology may not h... Read more
Post-Procedure ICD-10 Update:
Pick These New Post-Procedural Infection Codes When Pertinent
Additional category codes provide complication specificity. Coders who frequently turn to... Read more
Mythbusters:
Bust These Myths for Clear-Cut Cardiac Coding
Don't let these common misconceptions get in the way of precision heart failure reporting.... Read more
Coding Quiz:
Test Your COPD Coding Knowledge with This 3-Question Quiz
Can you provide the correct diagnoses in these scenarios? Chronic obstructive pulmonary d... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
See Through These Scenarios, Sharpen Your Retinal Condition Coding
And don't forget to add laterality for a precise dx. Coding retinal diagnoses requires un... Read more
Coding Quiz Answers:
Check Your Responses to Our COPD Coding Quiz
Grab your answers and see if you can call yourself an expert. Answer 1: Although the code... Read more
Reader Question:
Crush This Coding Conundrum by Choosing the Correct Character
Question: An established patient with an injured forearm reports to the PM specialist. The... Read more
Reader Question:
Code Continued, not Completed, Until Condition Concludes
Question: A patient we have been treating for a severe case of eczema came back to our pra... Read more
Reader Question:
Apply Specific Dx to Specific X-Ray Image in This Multiple Fracture Encounter
Question: We have a patient who underwent a 3-view ankle X-ray for a left, displaced later... Read more
Reader Question:
Report R Codes in This Rule-Out Dx
Question: Our pulmonologist frequently circles rule-out diagnoses on his charts and then d... Read more
Reader Question:
Know Sequencing, Symptoms in This HIV-Positive Encounter
Question: The physician saw an HIV-positive patient for treatment of numerous chronic mout... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Understand Guidelines to Accurately Document Adverse Effects
Question: A patient arrives for an evaluation and management (E/M) visit following chemoth... Read more
Neoplasm Coding:
Perfect Your Neoplasm Dx Coding with These Practical Pointers
Histology, sequencing, and site key to specificity. New and veteran coders in different s... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
Simplify Stomach Pain Coding with These 3 Hints
Know severity, location, and guidelines for accurate documentation. Abdominal problems ar... Read more
Guidelines:
Understand Principal Dx for Specific Sequela Selection
Hint: let ICD-10-CM guidelines inform your seventh character choice. Coders are often cal... Read more
Reader Question:
Know These Keywords for OM Dx
Question: We see a lot of ear infections in the ED, and often the physician will only docu... Read more
Reader Question:
Code B20 When HIV Patient Is Symptomatic
Question: How do I know when to code for AIDS (B20), not HIV (Z21)? West Virginia Subscri... Read more
Reader Question:
Choose Combo Codes for RA of Knee and Rheumatoid Disease
Question: I have encounter notes in front of me that indicate the provider treated a patie... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Apply These Diagnostic Codes After Treatment
Question: For how long after treatment can we use the cancer diagnosis code C56.9 for a pa... Read more
Musculoskeletal System Coding:
Decide Displacement, Degeneration for Definitive Disc Disorder Documentation
And add anatomical location for greater accuracy. Even though there are only two main ICD... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
Sharpen Your Skills by Coding These ED-Specific Scenarios
Test your ICD-10 knowledge by finding the solutions to these 4 different situations. Whet... Read more
Training:
Improve Your Weight Dx Reporting by Understanding BMI
Know how the height/weight calculation impacts your coding choices. You're probably famil... Read more
Reader Question:
Follow Guidelines, Know Anatomy, Record Chronic Frontal Sinusitis Correctly
Question: We have a patient with diagnoses of chronic frontal sinusitis with ocular and bi... Read more
Reader Question:
Take This Advice When Searching for TBI Codes
Question: What are the rules surrounding traumatic brain injury (TBI) coding? I can't figu... Read more
Reader Question:
Ask These 4 Questions, Code This Fracture Dx with Precision
Question: Noted indicate that the orthopedist treated a patient with a closed oblique frac... Read more
Reader Question:
Code for Toxicity, Exposure When Noted in Chalcosis Dx
Question: Our ophthalmologist saw a patient in the hospital who had been admitted by a gas... Read more
Reader Question:
Look to This Code for "Corkscrew Esophagus"
Question: Our physician diagnosed a patient with a "corkscrew esophagus." We have never se... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Know Rheumatic, Nonrheumatic for Accurate Valve Disorder Coding
Question: How should you report nonrheumatic mitral valve insufficiency? Connecticut Subs... Read more
Training:
Avoid These Errors for Correct Atherosclerosis Coding
Combo codes key when angina added to dx. You know that when your provider documents a pat... Read more
Case Study Corner:
Reach for These Codes When Hard Times Hit
Know cause to code this underdosing scenario. It's a term that has only been in use in IC... Read more
ICD-10 Coding:
Take These Steps to Find Pressure Ulcer Coding Relief
Sequence, then specify site, side, and severity for success. When a patient spends a lot ... Read more
Reader Question:
Run to These Codes for Foot Pain Dx
Question: Our pain management specialist has diagnosed a patient with metatarsalgia. What ... Read more
Reader Question:
Look Beyond Index to Find WARI Code
Question: Our provider recently diagnosed a patient with wheezing associated respiratory i... Read more
Reader Question:
Document Smoking History in This Malignant Neoplasm Encounter
Question: Our physician diagnosed a malignant bronchial neoplasm for a patient who has bee... Read more
Reader Question:
Stay on the Right Side of These Extremity Pain Codes
Question: The physician saw a new patient with a complaint of right-sided extremity pain; ... Read more
Reader Question:
Pick This Code for Antepartum Non-Immune Rubella
Question: How do you code rubella non-immune status in a pregnant patient? I can only thin... Read more
Reader Question:
Use This Handy Code to Report Myositis Encounters
Question: Our provider documented that a patient was suffering from pain, swelling, tender... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Choose This Code for Old MI? Not So Fast
Question: We are experiencing some confusion with the ICD-10 guidelines for myocardial inf... Read more
Training:
Specify Trauma, Solidify This Shoulder Strain Dx
Indication and impression differences key to coding this workplace injury. Joint patholog... Read more
Coding Quiz:
Test Your Emergent Condition Knowledge with These 5 Questions
Can you select the right codes to report these frequent ED encounters? Fractures, hyperte... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
Learn Hammertoe Coding Basics with This Guide
Know rigid or flexible, acquired or congenital, for accurate Dx documentation. It's a com... Read more
Coding Quiz Answers:
Check Your Responses to Our Emergent Conditions Coding Quiz
Grab your answers and see if you can call yourself an expert. Answer 1:  To report a... Read more
Reader Question:
Code Signs and Symptoms When Dx Isn't Inclusive
Question: Often, the physician will list several symptoms and signs that the patient is ex... Read more
Reader Question:
Use These Codes for Different Limb Lengths
Question: Notes indicate that the provider performed a level-three new patient evaluation ... Read more
Reader Question:
Know the Signs, Code This GERD Scenario
Question: A patient presented to our ED because of burning throat pain and denied chest pa... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Find Location, Code Ab Pain Dx With Ease
Question: What is the correct ICD-10 code for upper-quadrant abdominal pain? California S... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
Try These Tips to Relieve Hypertension Coding Pressure
Let this guide help refine your sequencing, secondary Dx knowledge. Eleven different type... Read more
Training:
Know When, How to Report External Cause
Document cause, intent, place, and status to round out your reporting. Most coders know t... Read more
Guidelines:
Code These 2 Scenarios to Enhance Your ENT Education
Parentheses, combo codes provide reporting specificity. Coders are always challenged by e... Read more
Reader Question:
Code Metatarsalgia Dx Without the Pain
Question: What are the ICD-10 options for reporting metatarsalgia? Illinois Subscriber A... Read more
Reader Question:
Pick Pneumonia Codes on Cause, Associated Dx
Question: Can you advise on which diagnosis codes apply for bacterial vs. viral pneumonia?... Read more
Reader Question:
Select Multiple Dx for This VBAC Encounter
Question: A patient had a C-section following a failed VBAC due to fetal distress. She had... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Count on Adverse Effect Guidelines in This Chemo Scenario
Question: A patient arrives for an evaluation and management (E/M) visit following chemoth... Read more
Diagnosis Spotlight:
Ask These Questions for Precision Sleep Apnea Dx Coding
Look to underlying causes, know what to code first. You may think that coding sleep apnea... Read more
Training:
Take These 3 Hints, Master UTI Coding
Location, status don't always add up to N39.0. N39.0 (Urinary tract infection, site not s... Read more
Pediatric:
Clarify Your Conjunctivitis Coding
These questions and answers will help you pick the perfect pink eye dx. Pink eye. Shipyar... Read more
Reader Question:
Wait for Path Dx Before Coding This Prostate Procedure
Question: Our surgeon performed a TURP procedure. When the patient came in for follow-up c... Read more
Reader Question:
Understand Unspecified, Uncertain for Tumor Dx
Question: A patient presents with a tumor of the sphenoid sinus. The physician biopsies th... Read more
Reader Question:
Know This Hematoma Code When Trauma Unknown
Question: How do I code a diagnosis of hematoma of the sternothyroid muscle? Georgia Subs... Read more
Reader Question:
Determine Location for Correct Calcification Code
Question: What is the best diagnosis for "pelvic calcifications" on radiology scans? The r... Read more
Reader Question:
Code for Mother, Not Newborn, in This Breastfeeding Scenario
Question: My ob-gyn saw a patient who was having problems breastfeeding her infant. What d... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Use These Clear-Cut Codes for Vague Abdominal Dx
Question: A new patient reported to our office complaining of pain in his lower abdomen. A... Read more
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