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As hospitals deal with concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, CMS issued guidance on March 26 regarding the delivery of the Important Message from Medicare (IM), Detailed Noticed of Discharge (DND), Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON), and several other notices.

The American Medical Association (AMA) announced on March 26 new CPT coding and reporting guidance for physicians and medical practices, intended to simplify reporting of in-person and online visit services for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

Q:  Do you have any advice for accurate reporting of new ICD-10-CM code U07.1 (2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease)?

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: Does HIPAA place special restrictions on disclosures of PHI involving victims of domestic abuse?

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.