ICD 10 Coding Alert

Hint: Even if the physician doesn't use a device, you need to know that.If the physician documents a "right carotid endarterectomy," you can easily report your ICD-9 procedure code -- but your potential selections become a little more complicated in ICD-10-PCS. If you want to avoid having to scramble to educate physicians in 2014, start improving your documentation now.The Simplicity of ICD-9 Will Be Gone in 2014Suppose you have a patient claim on your desk with documentation that describes a "right carotid endarterectomy for a critical right internal carotid artery stenosis."Right now, you can report the right carotid endarterectomy procedure with 38.12 (Endarterectomy of other vessels of head and neck). However, when you look at your ICD-10-PCS equivalents, you have to have more specific documentation. Here's What You NeedICD-10-PCS requires specific information in terms of the type of procedure, the anatomic location/body part, the approach, and the device.Type of procedure: You [...]