Curvature of spine (737)

Spinal level will direct your coding, too. X-ray, CT, and MRI codes all may come into play in imaging idiopathic scoliosis. And when ICD-10 is implemented in 2014, you’ll have a lot of diagnosis codes to choose from as well. [...]

The order in which you place your codes is essential to MACs.When coding for late effects, sequencing is everything. Keep one rule of thumb and two exceptions in mind and you'll be right on track. Identifying a true late effect [...]

Question: Our surgeon does a T10-L2 posterior lumbar fusion in addition to open vertebroplasty at T10 and L2. Please advise how to report this. We are reporting diagnosis codes 737.10 (Kyphosis [acquired] [postural]) for acquired Kyphosis and 733.13 (Pathological fracture [...]

Late effect of CVA turns guidelines upside down. Unsure of when and how to report a late effects code? Keep one rule of thumb and three exceptions in mind and you'll be accurate every time. It's Never Too Late for [...]

Question: An established patient with degenerative scoliosis reports to the orthopedist for an E/M visit. Notes indicate that it was a preoperative visit to prepare the patient for cervical laminoplasty surgery (the service occurred 48 hours before the surgery). Encounter [...]

Shifting from 724.2 to M54.5 shouldn't cause too much pain.If your family physician often diagnoses patients with low back pain (724.2, Lumbago), you'll have a few code changes to keep in mind once ICD-10 goes into effect in 2013.Currently, you [...]

Learn little-known rules that help with documentation curveballs. Your dream documentation might word every diagnosis to perfectly match an ICD-9 code descriptor. But the reality is that sometimes you have to struggle with too little information on the order or [...]

Think you've got CVA figured out? Late effect turns guidelines upside down. When coding for late effects, any mistakes could create an inaccurate record, reimbursement delays, and payer headaches. But you can avoid those hassles if you keep this in [...]

Late effect of CVA turns guidelines upside down. Think there's a time cap on reporting a late effect? Think again -- but make sure your sequencing backs up your claims. Good news: You'll report late effects accurately and without headaches if [...]

Late effect of CVA turns guidelines upside down. When coding for late effects, sequencing is everything. Keep one rule of thumb and two exceptions in mind and you'll be accurate every time. Here's When to Report Late Effects A late [...]