News & Analysis

October 1, 2012
Briefings on APCs

When the AMA revised the instructions for reporting ancillary services with critical care in 2011, facilities knew they wouldn't see an immediate increase in ­payment. CMS determines payment amounts through use of claims data from two years earlier, meaning the earliest facilities could expect additional reimbursement is 2013.

October 1, 2012
Briefings on APCs

As part of our ongoing series of articles help coders prepare for the transition to ICD-10-CM, we examine the anatomy of the shoulder.

September 1, 2012
HIM Briefings

Retain. Train. Assess. Investigate. Analyze. HIM professionals have undoubtedly come across action verbs like these since HHS announced on January 15, 2009, the final regulation to replace the ICD-9-CM code set with the more advanced ­ICD-10-CM code set currently used in other nations.

September 1, 2012
Briefings on APCs

Our coding experts answer questions about reporting dialysis for ESRD patient in ED, coding for sequential infusions, procedures on the inpatient-only list, replacement code for C9732, and new drug HCPCS codes.

September 1, 2012
Briefings on APCs

Many coders can quickly quote the code for diabetes mellitus in ICD-9-CM (code 250.00) when the physician only documents diabetes mellitus. But what will coders need in the documentation for diabetes mellitus in ICD-10-CM? Dissect the differences in coding for diabetes mellitus in ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM.

September 1, 2012
Briefings on APCs

CMS is proposing two major changes as part of the 2013 OPPS proposed rule, released July 6. One has to do with how CMS proposes to calculate APC relative weights; the other addresses the reimbursement level for separately payable drugs and biologicals without pass-through status.

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