General Surgery Coding Alert
Check Out This ICD-10 Deadline Change
Question: Georgia Subscriber Answer: Although CMS announced a delay before stating the new implementation date, unofficial hints were available when the March 5, 2012 ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting agenda stated that the implementation would be Oct. 1, 2014. Now CMS has made it official with an April 9 announcement of a proposed administrative simplification rule for publication in the Federal Register. You can view the announcement at www.cms.gov/apps/media/fact_sheets.asp.
General Surgery Coding Alert
- Pressure Ulcer:
1104X or 159XX: 4 Tips Focus Decubitus Ulcer Code Selection
Don't miss CPT® 2012 debridement equation. With over 25 CPT® codes and nine ICD-9 codes [...] - ICD-10:
2-Code Pressure Ulcer Becomes Just 1 for ICD-10
You won't need an additional code for 'stage.' When you report a pressure (decubitus) ulcer [...] - Audits:
Prepare Your Practice for 5 Common Audit Types
Avoid RAC trap for bilateral surgeries.If it seems like audits are coming at your general [...] - Enterolysis Coding:
44005 and 44180: Know When to Punt to Modifier 22
Bundling rules restrict separate lysis-of-adhesions coding. When your surgeon cuts through adhesions during abdominal surgery, [...] - You Be the Coder:
Look to Musculoskeletal Codes for Lipoma
Question: Our surgeon excised a 3.4 cm lipoma in the sacral region. Should I choose [...] - Reader Question:
3 Reasons to Wait for Dx
Question: Is there a hard-and-fast billing rule that requires us to wait for the pathology [...] - Reader Question:
Check Out This ICD-10 Deadline Change
Question: I've heard that the ICD-10 implementation delay is for one year, but I can't [...] - Reader Question:
49553, 49557: Reserve for Open Procedures
Question: If the surgical note doesn't indicate whether an incarcerated femoral hernia is initial or [...] - Reader Question:
Skip HPI and Skip Your EM Pay
Question: A new patient visited our office for evaluation for an umbilical hernia repair. Although [...]
