A legislative effort is underway to align some of the provisions of 42 CFR Part 2—the privacy regulation that governs the use and disclosure of substance use disorder information maintained by programs known as “Part 2” programs—with HIPAA.
Many HIM directors find that managing the coding team requires a different type of focus than other functions within the department. This may be true because coding professionals have advanced education, prefer a quiet work environment, and require less direction.
The fiscal year (FY) 2019 ICD-10-CM code update, released on June 11, includes 279 code additions, 143 revisions, and 51 invalidations. The number of changes is significantly less than the past two years, which makes me think we are getting back to the “norm” of expected yearly changes.
In the April 2018 OPPS update transmittal, CMS announced new HCPCS code C9749 (repair of nasal vestibular lateral wall stenosis with implant[s]), effective April 1, 2018.
Health literacy can have a major impact on patient outcomes. If a patient doesn’t understand his or her condition, the reasons for treatment, and how to properly take medication, the patient could experience a relapse or adverse reaction.
