Ask the Expert

Q: A patient receives treatment for two ulcers, one on his foot and one on his hip. The physician performs a subcutaneous debridement to treat the foot ulcer and a muscle debridement to treat the hip ulcer. How would this be reported?

Our experts answer questions about responding to PTP edits, billing for skin substitute application, and more.

Q: Our facility is interested in conducting audits for observation and drug administration services, but understand they should be considered differently from other services. What details should we take into account before we begin?

Q: If a patient is seen for a pressure ulcer on the foot related to diabetes, would you report a diabetes diagnosis code? If surgical debridement is performed and the patient receives treatment for their diabetes, can you charge for both an office visit and debridement?

What questions can case managers ask to determine health literacy?

What are some of the key differences between a centralized and decentralized approach to patient access staffing?

How can case managers ensure they are effectively capturing discharge details during rounds?

What factors should hospitals consider when staffing and budgeting for the patient access department?

This month's HIPAA Q&A answers readers' questions about sharing information, reporting errors in electronic systems, and minimum necessary.

Q: We are having trouble determining what qualifies a patient as having an acute myocardial infarction (MI) and what documentation would support the diagnosis. Can you help our coding team clarify?