CMS lifted some restrictions on telehealth coverage in a bid to keep non-critically ill patients out of clinics and hospitals in a bid to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), but other still apply to hospitals.
With the release of a new ICD-10-CM code for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), hospitals now have a method to capture and report this critical disease. Although the code itself is relatively straightforward and likely won’t stir up confusion the way coding for complex diagnoses (such as sepsis) does, correctly documenting and coding COVID-19 is crucial to turning the tide on the national public health emergency.
Q: What are some of the challenges organizations may face when attempting to meet the new discharge planning requirements? What is the best way to handle these issues?
CMS released an update to its FAQ on coding and billing for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on March 23. The FAQ clarifies the use of HCPCS and CPT® codes for diagnostic laboratory services.
As social distancing efforts ramp up to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), healthcare providers are turning to telehealth as a viable mode of communication with patients, who are being discouraged from making in-person visits to healthcare facilities when possible.
Providers in the U.S. will soon have a specific ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for the COVID-19 virus. During a March 18 meeting, The ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee announced that it would adopt the World Health Organization code, U07.1 (COVID-19), effective April 1.
Q: Are disposable instrumentation tools, those typically used in endoscopic or cardiac procedures, considered integral to the procedure or are they separately chargeable?
Q: We are seeing an influx of possible novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients at our facility. How can we prepare to query for COVID-19-related documentation and coding issues that are bound to come our way due to the newness of the diagnosis?
Q: An employee in a psychiatric hospital’s billing department sees a fellow parishioner’s name. He calls other parishioners to tell them that this individual is a patient at the hospital, and they share this information on a prayer chain. Suddenly, several hundred people know that this parishioner is a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Is this an acceptable disclosure?
