Medical Office Manager

Coding

HIPAA and records hiding somewhere in the hospital

Question: One of our physicians took patient charts to the hospital. Two of those charts were lost. They contained personal information such as Social Security numbers as well as the clinical notes. What information should I send to the patients? (Submitted by a New York manager – name withheld by request.) Answer: Respond first with common sense, advises health … [Read more...] about HIPAA and records hiding somewhere in the hospital

Coding tips for respiratory diseases

By Judy Monestime  bio ICD-10-CM Chapter 10, "Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00–J99)," identifies codes for a wide variety of pulmonary conditions, ranging from acute upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, influenza, asthma, as well as diseases of the lower respiratory tract including chronic lung diseases and diseases acquired from exposure to external substances. … [Read more...] about Coding tips for respiratory diseases

ICD-10 is more detailed for osteoporosis and musculoskeletal conditions than ICD-9

ICD-10 M81 Osteoporosis without current pathological fracture By Judy Monestime  bio Chapter 13 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99); M stands for Musculoskeletal, contains many more subchapters, categories, and codes than ICD-9-CM. Rather than having just four subchapters grouping many conditions together, ICD-10-CM organizes the … [Read more...] about ICD-10 is more detailed for osteoporosis and musculoskeletal conditions than ICD-9

ICD-10 survey: small practices not trained, not ready for transition

A survey conducted by NueMD, a provider of cloud-based medical practice management software for small practices, finds only 13 percent of healthcare organizations are "highly confident" their business will be ready for the October 1 ICD-10 deadline. The survey is based on 1,000 responses from healthcare professionals across all 50 states. Respondents were asked how they … [Read more...] about ICD-10 survey: small practices not trained, not ready for transition

Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99)

By Judy Monestime  bio Chapter 21 in ICD-10-CM contains codes for factors influencing health status and contact with health services. There are differences in ICD-10-CM from what is currently found in ICD-9-CM. Some categories in Chapter 21 have rephrased titles to better reflect the situations the codes classify. For example, elective, legal, or therapeutic abortions have … [Read more...] about Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99)

Chapter on diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue is a total revamp

By Judy Monestime  bio ICD-10-CM Chapter 12, "Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue (L00-L99)," represents a complete restructuring to bring together groups of diseases that are related to one another in some way. For example, dermatitis and eczema are separated from urticaria and erythematous conditions. Additionally, greater specificity has been added to … [Read more...] about Chapter on diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue is a total revamp

4 steps to take now so your practice is ready for ICD-10

By Judy Monestime  bio Now that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has confirmed October 1, 2015 as the go-live date for ICD-10, providers must focus on making their ICD-10 implementation strategy a top priority. The vast majority of healthcare providers expect to encounter a wide range of barriers to the ICD-10 implementation within the first six … [Read more...] about 4 steps to take now so your practice is ready for ICD-10

Is your practice an OIG enforcement target in 2015?

The Office of Inspector General (OIG), which oversees Medicare and Medicaid enforcement, has issued its 2015 Work Plan highlighting the compliance risk areas that it will target in its review and enforcement efforts. You will see some familiar topics, which the OIG also included in last year's plan, such as chiropractic services, place of service reporting, physical therapy, … [Read more...] about Is your practice an OIG enforcement target in 2015?

Medical coder salaries on the rise

Salaries for certified medical coding professionals increased an average of 8.4 percent in 2014, according to an annual salary survey conducted by AAPC, a leading training and credentialing association for healthcare business professionals. Certified medical coder salaries rose to an average of $50,775 annually. Other highlights from the 2014 survey include: … [Read more...] about Medical coder salaries on the rise