‘Two Midnight’ rule contributes to a decrease in 2016’s improper payment rate. The news is rife with stories of practices billing Medicare improperly. But on the upside, some measures instigated by CMS to assist providers and lower the improper payment [...]
Question: What diagnosis code should I use for pouchitis? Does the ICD-9 code change if the pouchitis is infectious? What are the ICD-10 equivalents? West Virginia Subscriber Answer: For standard cases of pouchitis, use 569.71 (Pouchitis), also known as inflammation of internal [...]
Question: What diagnosis code should I use for pouchitis? Does the ICD-9 code change if the pouchitis is infectious? What are the ICD-10 equivalents? West Virginia Subscriber Answer: For standard cases of pouchitis, use 569.71 (Pouchitis), also known as inflammation of internal [...]
Plus: Document the specific reason for case cancellation. The descriptor for modifier 53 (Discontinued procedure) is simple enough, but do you know what constitutes a situation when a physician stops a procedure “due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the [...]
Plus: Document the specific reason for case cancellation. The descriptor for modifier 53 (Discontinued procedure) is simple enough, but do you know what constitutes a situation when a physician stops a procedure “due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten [...]
Rule out alternate diagnoses before documenting VAP. Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a very specific form of pneumonia. If the pulmonologist diagnoses it in a patient, you have to back it up with enough documentation to support the diagnosis, as [...]
Question: Our neurologist completed a consult on a patient with the diagnosis septic encephalopathy secondary to stump infection. I need to identify the organism. All notes indicate “polymicrobial infection,” but I am unable to find a diagnosis code. The best I [...]
Question: How do I code an epidural blood patch procedure on the same day as labor and delivery? Should I include a modifier on the claim? Minnesota Subscriber Answer: Administering a blood patch on the same day as labor and delivery is [...]
Question: Mrs. White, an 89-year-old female was admitted to home health following an amputation of the third digit on her left foot due to diabetic vascular disease. She is on insulin for her diabetes, and the physician states that she has [...]
Hint: Don’t forget to code the inhaled substance separately with an appropriate T code. When your pulmonologist diagnoses pneumonitis due to the inhalation of any solids or liquids, you’ll select an ICD-10 code based on the type of solids or [...]
