Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Cheat sheets come with a warning label.To help ensure your coding complies with ICD-9 guidelines, there are several tactics you can use:1. Always read the notes in the ICD-9 manual that apply to the code you're considering, says Denae M. Merrill, CPC, HCC coding specialist in Michigan. 2. Read the ICD-9 official guidelines that apply to your "specialty periodically as a refresher. If we only read them when the codes change once a year, it is difficult to absorb and retain that information for an entire year," says Lisa S. Martin, CPC, CIMC, CPC-I, chargemaster specialist for OSF Healthcare System in Peoria, Ill.3. Don't be afraid to write a lot of notes and make good use of your highlighters, says Martin. "I even make notes in the index because where you initially expect to find something is where you will search again in the future."4. After using your usual coding [...]