Our coding experts answer your questions about unsuccessful foreign body removal, assigning modifier -52 for cancelled procedures, new HCPCS codes for April, reporting vaccine administration codes, new composite codes for 2012.
Q. Please explain in an understandable way for nontechnical individuals what level of encryption is needed for e-mail to be considered secure as defined in the interim final breach notification rule.
In November 2006, CMS published a final rule on the Conditions of Participation (CoP) for hospitals. Among the finalized provisions, there was a five-year window given during which CMS permitted orders (including verbal and telephone orders) to be signed by either the ordering physician or another physician responsible for the patient's care (e.g., a covering physician or practice partner). Those five years came to an end on January 27, 2012, meaning that, as of that date, hospitals needed to ensure that their orders were signed only by the ordering practitioner him- or herself. However, in October 2011, CMS released a proposed rule addressing the five-year sunset provision. Per the Federal Register:
We hear about physician engagement across and throughout all healthcare settings almost daily. This is not new, but when it comes to ICD-10-CM/PCS preparation, facilities and practices need engaged physicians.
From researching and implementing EHR systems to developing training and education plans for ICD-10 to overseeing your Recovery Audit Program review results, the daily tasks of an HIM director can quickly become overwhelming.
