Q:The primary physician documented subacute cerebral infarction and I am wondering whether I should code this to a new cerebral vascular accident (CVA) or not since the term “subacute” doesn’t really fall anywhere.
CMS issued new guidance last week aimed at clarifying the so-called “two-midnight rule” finalized in the 2014 IPPS. The rule essentially states that physicians should order an inpatient admission if he/she expects the care...Read More »
Inpatient coders are accustomed to assigning a present-on-admission (POA) indicator in ICD-9-CM and they will continue to do so in ICD-10-CM. Although the POA indicators remain the same, ICD-10-CM includes a list of codes that...Read More »
Striving for the correct DRG assignment on the first pass should be every coder’s goal. This is not simple, and a close look reveals that the complexity of coding rules and the quality of documentation in facilities sometimes make...Read More »
Low hemoglobin and the need for erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) indicated an increased risk of mortality for children on dialysis, according to a study in the Journal...Read More »
Nearly 30% of respondents to a recent ACDIS poll indicated that “only God or the government can tell” whether ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation date will hold fast to its current October 1, 2014 perch, with somewhat good reason....Read More »
Q:Is it okay to code a diagnosis if the physician documents two diagnoses using the phrase “versus” between them? For example, the patient arrives with abdominal pain and the physician orders labs and other tests but they all come back normal. In the discharge note, the...Read More »
