Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series that analyzes the 2014 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) final rule. This month we discuss the final rule's impact on inpatient status criteria. We will address quality-of-care changes in the next issue of MRB.
Q . Is it permissible to take pictures of patients (including behavioral health) for identification purposes as a part of the registration process? Do the patients need to sign a consent form before their picture can be taken?
Our experts answer questions about followup visits in the ED, skin substitutes, flu vaccines, osteoporosis and fractures in ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-CM external cause code, modifier for discontinued cardioversion, and modifier -25
Coders select E/M levels based on criteria developed by their organization. CMS has proposed a significant change to E/M coding-replacing the current 20 E/M levels for new patients, existing patients, and ED visits with three G codes-but that change would only apply to Medicare patients and only to the facility side.
With some major changes in look and form-but generally adhering to existing guidelines-coding for neoplasms serves as a microcosm of the changes providers will face when the transition to ICD-10-CM occurs October 1, 2014.
