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Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

News You Can Use:
Understand How These 4 Final Rule Changes Will Affect You in 2022
Split/shared definitions, critical care bundling, care management revaluation and a CF de... Read more
Coding Quiz:
Can You Answer These 2021 Core Needle Lung Biopsy, BIA-ALCL, and mRNA Testing Questions?
What do you remember about this year's big oncology coding changes? Find out. This year h... Read more
Condition Spotlight:
Code These Encounters and Document Cancer and Anemia Accurately
Which code comes first? Let ICD-10-CM guidelines lead the way. Anemia and cancer go han... Read more
Coding Quiz Answers:
Check Your Answers to Our Year-in-Review Coding Quiz
Here's the modifier you need to apply to each additional lesion. Once you've answered th... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know Where to Look for These Main Bronchial Neoplasm Codes
Question: Our physician diagnosed a malignant main bronchial neoplasm for a patient who ha... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Jump to Conclusions in This Rising PSA Encounter
Question: We have a patient that had prostatectomy, and his prostate-specific antigen (PSA... Read more
Reader Questions:
Hit the Right Code for This Lymphoma Dx
Question: How do you code triple-hit lymphoma with MYC, BCL2 & BCL rearrangements? The... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Watch Both Clock and Guidelines to Avoid Infusion Confusion
Question:  When billing for infusions when the same drug is being infused multiple ti... Read more
CPT® Guideline Update:
Will This CPT® Guideline Change How You Code Breast Implant Removals in 2022? Find Out.
Find out if a broken implant qualifies as a foreign body. The 2022 updates to the CPT® s... Read more
Chemotherapy Coding:
Take These 4 Tips, Document This Chemo Admin Scenario Correctly
Remember: Sometimes an hour is really 31 minutes. Whether you're a chemo admin coding pr... Read more
Patient Management:
Learn These 5 Lessons for Perfect PCM Integration
Here's how to get paid for the work your practice does for your sickest patients. In Onco... Read more
Reader Questions:
Perfect Your Primary Code Choice for PCI Payment
Question: We provided prophylactic radiation therapy on a lung cancer patient's brain. Whe... Read more
Reader Questions:
Count This Test Order and Interpretation on Same DOS
Question: One of the physicians in our office ordered a CT scan for a patient on 7/1. The ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Code Adverse Chemo Effects Based on Administration Context
Question: How do I report adverse effects of chemotherapy? If a patient experiences throat... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Know These Codes for Concurrent, Sequential Chemo Infusions
Question: What is the appropriate use of concurrent infusion code +96368? Can this code be... Read more
CPT® 2022 Updates:
Know These New Permanent, Category III, and PLA Oncology and Hematology Codes
CPT® 2022 has plenty of additions to keep you on your toes. As usual, advances in medica... Read more
CPT® 2022 Updates:
Manage These New 2022 CPT® RTM Codes, 99211 Revision
Learn about this new way to monitor medication use and efficacy. In addition to all the n... Read more
Condition Spotlight:
Ask These 4 Questions, Make Sense of Colorectal Cancer Screening Codes
Pick the right code the first time, every time. Picking the right code for a colorectal c... Read more
Reader Questions:
Take This History Advice to the Bank
Question: Can a radiology oncology practice use a “history of” code when a patient has... Read more
Reader Questions:
Find Out if This Payer Policy Is in Order
Question: ICD-10-CM coding guidelines state that if a patient is seen for the administrati... Read more
Reader Questions:
Code Bone Marrow Biopsies by Provider
Question: Our oncologist performs bone marrow biopsies, prepares a brief report after look... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Get a Grip on Medicare’s G Modifiers
Question: Can you explain the difference between the four G modifiers required for use whe... Read more
News You Can Use:
Take Care to Comprehend CMS’ Critical Care, CCM Proposals for 2022
And get ready for a possible split/shared shake-up Oncology coders will find a lot of i... Read more
Coding Quiz:
Find Out If You’re a Stem Cell Harvesting Coding Expert
Never confuse autologous with allogeneic again. Does the clinical terminology surroundi... Read more
ICD-10-CM Guidelines:
Pay Attention to These Laterality, BIA-ALCL ICD-10-CM 2022 Changes
Know when you can report affected sides without your provider's documentation. You'll fi... Read more
Coding Quiz Answers:
Check Your Answers to Our Stem Cell Harvesting Coding Quiz
Here's all you need to know about donor review, stem cell harvesting, and storage. Once... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Get the 411 on the FDA’s Latest REGEN-COV Authorization
Question: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved REGEN-COV for emergency... Read more
Reader Questions:
Define Treatment MDM by Risk, Not Implementation
Question: What is the definition of treatment as it applies to the risk of complications a... Read more
Reader Questions:
Ponder Purpose for Best Bone Marrow Aspiration Code
Question: When a provider performs a bone marrow aspiration, which CPT® code is the most ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Sit on the Fence With This Borderline Ovarian Cancer Dx
Question: The pathology report for our patient being investigated for ovarian cancer menti... Read more
News You Can Use:
Advance Your Cell Therapy Coding With These 2022 ICD-10-CM Changes
And note numerous new contact dermatitis codes for your patients with stomas. With all th... Read more
ICD-10-CM Guidelines:
Code This Here? Think Again Before You Do
Do you know the difference between Excludes notes? The release of the 2021 ICD-10-CM code... Read more
E/M Coding:
Get Time on Your Side With This Prolonged Services Guide
Here's how to bill two different payers and get the same great result. When the Centers f... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Localization Device Separate from Partial Mastectomy
Question: If our doctor performs a partial mastectomy and uses a Savi Scout reflector for ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Reconsider Code Choice When Recurrent Dx Questionable
Question: A patient who received treatment from our provider for endometrial cancer two ye... Read more
Reader Questions:
Modify Your Radiopharmaceutical Imaging Billing With This Advice
Question: I have been told that 78803 and 78804 are always billed together. Based on my u... Read more
Reader Questions:
Stay Immune to This Antineoplastic Coding Error
Question: When would you use Z51.12? Is it appropriate to use this code for patients recei... Read more
Case Study Corner:
Can You Code This Squamous Cell Skin Carcinoma Case Study? Find Out.
Wait for the pathology result and get a big boost to your bottom line. A patient with a ... Read more
Mythbusters:
Bust These 4 Myths for Perfect Inpatient Care Coding
Don't let the 2021 office/outpatient E/M revisions muddy your inpatient thinking. All t... Read more
Patient Management:
Understand Sequela Codes to Capture Residual or Late Condition Effects
Hint: it's not just about adding a seventh character. The end of the acute phase of an il... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Monitor the Answer to This Drug Therapy MDM Question
Question: What qualifies as “drug therapy requiring monitoring” in the high-risk level... Read more
Reader Questions:
Differentiate Between These Neuroendocrine Tumor Types
Question: How do I document a neuroendocrine tumor (carcinoid) that the provider has docum... Read more
Reader Questions:
Get Personal With This Genetic Cancer Susceptibility Dx
Question: What is the most appropriate ICD-10-CM code for CHEK2 mutation? As the mutation ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look to This Symptom Code for Unconfirmed Lung Mass
Question: A patient with a history of pancreatic adenocarcinoma had a lung mass, which cou... Read more
Practice Management:
Let These Numbers Add up to Flawless INR Coding
Remember: INR and E/Ms don't mix. International normalized ratio (INR) monitoring is nece... Read more
Coding Quiz:
Can You Beat the Clock and Ace This Infusion Quiz?
Here's how to tell the difference between an infusion and a push. Chemotherapy infusion... Read more
Preventive Medicine:
Use This Step-by-Step Guide to Document Genetic Counseling Visits
Here's how to find all the history and encounter codes you need quickly and easily. Befo... Read more
Coding Quiz Answers:
Check Your Answers to Our Infusion Coding Quiz
How well do you know the infusion codes and guidelines? Once you've answered the quiz q... Read more
Reader Questions:
Get the Picture With These MBI Codes
Question: What is the difference between molecular breast imaging (MBI) and scintimammogra... Read more
Reader Questions:
Pare Down Your Code Choice in This Keratosis Destruction Encounter
Question: Our provider recently removed a benign keratosis. She began by paring it down, t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Leap to This Lymph Mets Dx
Question: If a patient has cancer, and the provider states the patient also has lymphadeno... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Decide These Dx by Provider Documentation
Question: For acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mul... Read more
CPT® 2021 E/M Revisions:
Keep Your E/M Coding Current With These New Clarifications
AMA steps in to clear up MDM ambiguity. Last year's revisions of the guidelines for 99202... Read more
Biopsies:
Beat the Biopsy Coding Blues with These 3 Hints
Remember, not all biopsies are the same. Suppose a biopsy claim lands on your desk. Do yo... Read more
Tumors:
Narrow Down Your Common Benign Brain Tumor ICD-10-CM Options
And don't forget to keep your clinical knowledge current. According to the American Asso... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know How to Bill Telehealth After Video Problems
Question: Our physician tried to conduct a telehealth evaluation and management (E/M) visi... Read more
Reader Questions:
Modify Your Understanding of the ECG Codes
Question: Our practice is now performing electrocardiograms (ECGs) on some patients before... Read more
Reader Questions:
Get the Gist of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Coding
Question: How do I code a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)? Georgia Subscriber Ans... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Follow Medicare Guidance for Drug Unit Reporting
Question: Our physician recently administered 146 mg of Eloxatin to help treat a patient's... Read more
Chemotherapy:
Advance Your Accuracy for Chemotherapy Adverse Reaction Claims
Here's how ethically reported critical care services can add $282 to your bottom line. I... Read more
Supervision:
Get Back to Basics for Outpatient Diagnostic Test Supervision Reqs
Define Medicare's layers of definitions and numerical indicators. For diagnostic imaging ... Read more
Radiology Oncology:
4 FAQs Will Clear Up These Radiology Oncology Coding Mishaps
Here's the difference between basic and special dosimetry. Are you struggling to report ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Here’s How You Should Use Z51.11
Question: I am having trouble finding a definitive answer as to whether Z51.11 should just... Read more
Reader Questions:
Denial for Invalid Patient Info? Check For This
Question: We recently got a Medicare claim denied for invalid patient information? What's ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Try Your Hand at this Chemo Scenario
Question: A patient with primary neoplasm of the rectosigmoid junction and secondary neopl... Read more
Reader Questions:
Hone in on These Criteria for Accurate Consultation Coding
Question: Our physician offered consultation services to a patient who was in treatment wi... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Tackle This Multiple Biopsy Result ICD-10-CM Challenge
Question: The pathologist examines a biopsy from the right lower lobe of the lung, a bone ... Read more
HCPCS Level II:
Are You Using the Latest Drug Supply and “G” Codes in Your Oncology Practice? Find Out
Check your private payers to see if they, too, are using quality measures. If the sheer n... Read more
CERT:
Oncology/Hematology Logs $201 Million of Projected Improper Payments
Insufficient documentation was the top mistake for heme/oncology providers. Whether you... Read more
Chemotherapy:
Part 2: These 3 Additional Cavity Chemotherapy Tips Highlight Supplies, Setting, and Time
Heads up: You can bill for saline in this circumstance. Cavity chemotherapy can confuse e... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know How to Handle “Correlates or Consistent With”
Question: When I'm reporting a diagnosis code, I'm always confused when my physician docum... Read more
Reader Questions:
Code This Cancer First
Question: A patient developed hypoinsulinemia and diabetes after our surgeon performed a W... Read more
Reader Questions:
Go to 6th Character for Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Question: The surgeon removed a breast mass from a 42-year-old male. The surgical report d... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Coding for Chemo Education Changes Depending on Your Audience
Question: At the practice I represent, we have a nurse practitioner who routinely has one-... Read more
HCPCS Update:
Part 1: Start Your 2021 Right by Focusing on New HCPCS Level II G Codes
Medicare released its own high-level prolonged services code. It's 2021 and you've got al... Read more
Policy Changes:
Track Changes to Bottom Line and More From COVID-19 Relief Bill
Put your G2211 coding concerns on hold — for now. The COVID-19 relief bill has been of... Read more
Chemotherapy:
Part 1: 2 Tips Will Help You Clean Up Your Cavity Chemo Coding
Find out what to do with keywords like “sclerosis” and “pleurodesis.” Chemotherap... Read more
Reader Questions:
Can You Report 77301 and E/M Code? Find Out
Question: I know that simulations cannot be billed on same DOS as E/M codes, unless of cou... Read more
Reader Questions:
Here’s Why the Number of Infusion Hours Matter
Question: I'm confused by the chemotherapy infusion timing. What's the difference between ... Read more
Reader Questions:
For Telehealth Followed by Chemo Visit, Do This
Question: Our providers are now doing telehealth visits, and the patient is also seen for ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Here’s How to Report History of Cancer
Question: If the patient presents as a new patient to your practice but has history of a p... Read more
ICD-10-CM:
Do You Find Neoplasm Diagnosis Coding Tricky? Histology, Sequencing, and Site Are Key
Here's why you need to look up your code in the tabular index of your ICD-10 manual. Even... Read more
E/M 2021:
Take These 2021 E/M Office and Outpatient Changes Final Steps
Remember: You will no longer report code 99201 after Jan. 1, 2021. During past issues of ... Read more
Practice Management:
Here’s Why You Need Clarity When It Comes to Payer Contracts
Remember: Trend and track denials in your practice to find the root of the problem. Durin... Read more
Reader Questions:
PHI Extends Beyond Patient’s Medical Record
Question: Is there more to protected health information (PHI) than just a patient's medica... Read more
Reader Questions:
Querying Your MD is Often a Good First Step
Question: According to hospital-provided documentation, one of my new residents has been a... Read more
Reader Questions:
Are You Using the Most Recent ABN Form? Find Out
Question: How do I know whether I'm using the correct advanced beneficiary notice (ABN) fo... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Avoid This ‘Uncertain’ Dx Trap
Question: The pathology report for a urinary bladder specimen simply states “neoplasm”... Read more
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