General Surgery Coding Alert
Condition Spotlight:
Avoid Hangups When Coding Hemorrhoids
Location and count are key to correctly coding hemorrhoids. When the surgeon removes one ... Read more
Avoid Hangups When Coding Hemorrhoids
Location and count are key to correctly coding hemorrhoids. When the surgeon removes one ... Read more
E/M Coding:
Follow These 5 Tips to Solidify Your Inpatient Care Coding
Stay on top of the hospital E/M revisions. For the last year, you have been using a rev... Read more
Follow These 5 Tips to Solidify Your Inpatient Care Coding
Stay on top of the hospital E/M revisions. For the last year, you have been using a rev... Read more
Compliance:
Maintain Telehealth Compliance in Your Post-PHE Practice
Vendors under contract are also obligated to adhere to HIPAA rules. Telehealth services ... Read more
Maintain Telehealth Compliance in Your Post-PHE Practice
Vendors under contract are also obligated to adhere to HIPAA rules. Telehealth services ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Code This Complication Dx Correctly
Question: If a patient suffers from an intra- or postoperative complication involving... Read more
Code This Complication Dx Correctly
Question: If a patient suffers from an intra- or postoperative complication involving... Read more
Reader Questions:
Heed Medicare Redetermination Timelines
Question: We're nearing the 120-day limit for submitting a redetermination request t... Read more
Heed Medicare Redetermination Timelines
Question: We're nearing the 120-day limit for submitting a redetermination request t... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Refresh Your Understanding of MUEs
Question: Could you please clarify what “MUE” means and explain how it impacts my... Read more
Refresh Your Understanding of MUEs
Question: Could you please clarify what “MUE” means and explain how it impacts my... Read more
Hernia Coding Review:
Refine Your Hernia Repair Coding With These Scenarios
Hernia location is key to coding claims correctly. Hernia repairs are commonly performed ... Read more
Refine Your Hernia Repair Coding With These Scenarios
Hernia location is key to coding claims correctly. Hernia repairs are commonly performed ... Read more
Medicare Tips:
Sharpen Your Medicare Signature Knowledge
Resolving your questionable signatures prior to claim submission is key. In your general ... Read more
Sharpen Your Medicare Signature Knowledge
Resolving your questionable signatures prior to claim submission is key. In your general ... Read more
Practice Management:
Prepare Your Practice to Support Trans Patients and Staff Members
Embracing and supporting all people in your practice is key. Providing optimal care for ... Read more
Prepare Your Practice to Support Trans Patients and Staff Members
Embracing and supporting all people in your practice is key. Providing optimal care for ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Adhere To This Appendectomy Advice
Question: Our surgeon began a laparoscopic appendectomy for a patient with signs of ... Read more
Adhere To This Appendectomy Advice
Question: Our surgeon began a laparoscopic appendectomy for a patient with signs of ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Grasp These 5 Stages of Contesting Medicare Rejections
Question: I filed a claim for a Part B patient with my Medicare Administrative Contra... Read more
Grasp These 5 Stages of Contesting Medicare Rejections
Question: I filed a claim for a Part B patient with my Medicare Administrative Contra... Read more
Reader Questions:
Discover How To Handle Family History Information
Question: When our surgeons get referrals for procedures, the referring physician som... Read more
Discover How To Handle Family History Information
Question: When our surgeons get referrals for procedures, the referring physician som... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Be Cautious When Adding Urinalysis Code to E/M
Question: For all lab tests performed in the office, our nurse researches the history... Read more
Be Cautious When Adding Urinalysis Code to E/M
Question: For all lab tests performed in the office, our nurse researches the history... Read more
Thyroid Coding:
Clear Up Your Thyroid Procedure Coding Confusion
Paying attention to the practitioner's wording is key to successful claims. When coding t... Read more
Clear Up Your Thyroid Procedure Coding Confusion
Paying attention to the practitioner's wording is key to successful claims. When coding t... Read more
Modifiers:
Understand How to Apply Assistant at Surgery Modifiers
Hint: Do not report modifiers 80 and AS together. As a coder specializing in general sur... Read more
Understand How to Apply Assistant at Surgery Modifiers
Hint: Do not report modifiers 80 and AS together. As a coder specializing in general sur... Read more
Practice Management:
Use These 5 Strategies When Adding Valuable Staff to Your Practice
Implementing these techniques during interviews can lead to financial savings. Are you ... Read more
Use These 5 Strategies When Adding Valuable Staff to Your Practice
Implementing these techniques during interviews can lead to financial savings. Are you ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Cut the Fog of Calculating Anesthesia Charges
Question: Could you clarify the process for determining and documenting charges for ... Read more
Cut the Fog of Calculating Anesthesia Charges
Question: Could you clarify the process for determining and documenting charges for ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Learn This Procedure for Unclaimed Funds
Question: During a review, it came to my attention that our practice inadvertently o... Read more
Learn This Procedure for Unclaimed Funds
Question: During a review, it came to my attention that our practice inadvertently o... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Rely on Lesion Diameter Measurement
Question: A 27-year-old patient who is 40 weeks pregnant presented to the provider to... Read more
Rely on Lesion Diameter Measurement
Question: A 27-year-old patient who is 40 weeks pregnant presented to the provider to... Read more
FAQs:
Keep Abreast of Breast Reconstruction Procedures
Review these FAQs to sharpen your reconstruction coding skills. Even the savviest of code... Read more
Keep Abreast of Breast Reconstruction Procedures
Review these FAQs to sharpen your reconstruction coding skills. Even the savviest of code... Read more
Compliance:
Obtain Understanding of Medicare’s New Regulations
Finally get clarification on Medicare's rules for E/M service encounters. The Centers fo... Read more
Obtain Understanding of Medicare’s New Regulations
Finally get clarification on Medicare's rules for E/M service encounters. The Centers fo... Read more
HIPAA:
Impose Sanction Policies for Wrongdoers, OCR Says
Tip: Make employee training match duties. Stopping a data breach incident and retrieving ... Read more
Impose Sanction Policies for Wrongdoers, OCR Says
Tip: Make employee training match duties. Stopping a data breach incident and retrieving ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Exposing the Trachea May Lead to Overlapping Procedures
Question: Our provider performed a routine planned tracheostomy that includes the fol... Read more
Exposing the Trachea May Lead to Overlapping Procedures
Question: Our provider performed a routine planned tracheostomy that includes the fol... Read more
Reader Questions:
Correctly Coding This Polyp May Be a Query Away
Question: I'm uncertain about the right diagnosis code to use for a polyp removal sur... Read more
Correctly Coding This Polyp May Be a Query Away
Question: I'm uncertain about the right diagnosis code to use for a polyp removal sur... Read more
Reader Questions:
Collecting Payment for Complications During Surgery
Question: One of our general surgeons encountered some challenges while attempting to... Read more
Collecting Payment for Complications During Surgery
Question: One of our general surgeons encountered some challenges while attempting to... Read more
Reader Questions:
Protect Your Practice’s Electronic Signatures
Question: In our recent risk evaluation, we discovered that the electronic signatures... Read more
Protect Your Practice’s Electronic Signatures
Question: In our recent risk evaluation, we discovered that the electronic signatures... Read more
Complication Coding:
3 Tips Help Focus When and How to Report Bleeding Control
Remember the Medicare rule. When your general surgeon must control bleeding either during... Read more
3 Tips Help Focus When and How to Report Bleeding Control
Remember the Medicare rule. When your general surgeon must control bleeding either during... Read more
Don’t Let the Device Dictate Code Selection
Bleeding control is just one use. You just learned in “Solution 2” of the preceding a... Read more
Bleeding control is just one use. You just learned in “Solution 2” of the preceding a... Read more
ICD-10-CM:
Guide Your Liver Condition Coding to Clean Claims
Focus on presenting Dx. When your surgeon treats a patient with a liver condition, kno... Read more
Guide Your Liver Condition Coding to Clean Claims
Focus on presenting Dx. When your surgeon treats a patient with a liver condition, kno... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Code This Re-excision Post Mastectomy
Question: Following a right mastectomy for invasive ductal carcinoma, the patient had... Read more
Code This Re-excision Post Mastectomy
Question: Following a right mastectomy for invasive ductal carcinoma, the patient had... Read more
Reader Question:
Focus Hernia Coding
Question: I'm confused about how to use the CPT® 2023 codes for anterior abdominal hernia... Read more
Focus Hernia Coding
Question: I'm confused about how to use the CPT® 2023 codes for anterior abdominal hernia... Read more
Reader Question:
Look to Debridement With Sharps
Question: The surgeon treated a patient who evidently had recurring infection at the ... Read more
Look to Debridement With Sharps
Question: The surgeon treated a patient who evidently had recurring infection at the ... Read more
Reader Question:
Clarify HIPAA Terminology
Question: What is the difference between “consent” and “authorization” in the... Read more
Clarify HIPAA Terminology
Question: What is the difference between “consent” and “authorization” in the... Read more
Reader Question:
Let Provider Dictate Risk
Question: How do we know the “risk” involved in an encounter so we can understand... Read more
Let Provider Dictate Risk
Question: How do we know the “risk” involved in an encounter so we can understand... Read more