Question: Our ophthalmologist saw a patient with a foreign-body (FB) sensation in her left eye. She was convinced that something like an eyelash was in the eye, but the doctor found nothing there. Which diagnosis code applies? AAPC Forum Participant [...]
Understand DED coding nuances to safeguard your practice’s reimbursement. Nearly half of all U.S. adults experience signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED), and roughly a third of patients in eye care clinics present with complaints related to dry [...]
Agencies in Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Arizona caught up in the latest enforcement sweep. It’s not your imagination — Wage and Hour violations by home care providers have been in the enforcement spotlight more than ever. For example: A [...]
Pointer: Bulk up your observation and assessment support. You may realize that proving medical necessity for skilled nursing visits is critical to obtaining your rightful reimbursement, but what can you do to actually achieve it? Smart home health agencies should [...]
From macular degeneration to screenings, make sure you’re applying the right ICD-10 codes. All eye care practices are probably aware by now that you’ll be selecting your office and outpatient E/M codes based on either medical decision making (MDM) or [...]
MedPAC isn’t helping. While Medicare is rebasing its advanced care levels, the same isn’t true for Routine Home Care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services makes very clear in the 2020 final rule that the 2.72 percent decrease to [...]
New diagnoses expand several sets of ICD-10 codes. When ICD-10 2020 goes into effect, there will be several codes that you’ll want to take note of—especially if your orthopedic practice treats congenital foot anomalies. The October 1, 2019 implementation date [...]
Question: Our pathologist examined a skin lesion of the patient’s right ear submitted by a dermatology client with a working diagnosis of actinic keratosis. The pathology report documented proliferation of atypical squamous cells that extend into the underlying dermis and p53-stain positive findings. [...]
Hint: The presence of Schmorl’s nodes can make a difference. When it comes to intervertebral disc disorders, you have a lot to think about including the level of the cervical disc displacement, whether the surgeon documented Schmorl’s nodes, and your [...]
If the provider documented Schmorl’s nodes, it will affect ICD-10 coding. Coders that come up against claims for patients suffering from intervertebral disc disorders need to be expert in several diagnosis coding areas, including the level of the cervical disc [...]
