HIM Briefings

It's December, the end of a long 2012 for you and your HIM staff. Whether you have 50 coders or five, you may be putting the final touches on an end-of-the-year celebration.

With the compliance date for ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation finally set in stone, all that's left to do is plan, plan, and execute plans. To help you, we asked Deborah Grider, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPMA, CEMC, COBGC, CPCD, CCS-P, CDIP, senior manager at Blue and Company in Indianapolis, an industry expert on ICD-10, for preparation tips and action steps for ICD-10 implementation.

Our experts answer your HIPAA questions related to sheriff requests for PHI, ­encrypted email, and holiday cards.

The monetary reward offered through the second stage of the Medicare and Medicaid incentive program shouldn't be the only reason HIM professionals embrace the concept of being "meaningful users" of certified EHR technology (CEHRT).

HHS will delay implementation of ICD-10 by one year, from October 1, 2013, to October 1, 2014.

In this month's issue, we explore a current hot topic in the HIM world.

Coding accuracy in postoperative complications ­impacts a facility's Medicare claims profile, error rate, and physician profiles on hospital watchdog websites that monitor performance.