I am updating the notice of privacy practices and accounting of disclosures policy for my organization. Do any of the new, finalized rules indicate that the accounting of disclosures covers disclosures for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations?
It's no secret that ICD-10-CM allows for more specific coding of many diseases and conditions. However, your physician's current clinical documentation may not have enough detail to allow coders to take advantage of this increased specificity.
The top finding in Joint Commission surveys for the first half of 2013 should be no surprise for HIM professionals. For the last three years, RC.01.01.01 has been No. 1 on the top 10 list of most frequently cited standards in Joint Commission surveys. The good news is that RC.01.01.01 is the only standard from the Record of Care, Treatment and Services (RC) chapter to make the list. The bad news is that this standard and some of its EPs will most likely continue to be a challenge.
A case manager at a meeting described how the family of a patient was pressuring her to change the patient from outpatient services to inpatient status. If she didn't help, the family pleaded, the patient would face higher costs for postacute care. The case manager bragged about how she held the line, despite the tears. However, others in the room didn't think the details of the case were as black and white as the case manager claimed. And some wondered whether "holding the line" at any cost is really what a case manager should be doing.
