Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
Tell CMS Where Decubitus Ulcers Hurt Starting October
PDF
You have until Oct. 1 to implement, but no grace period
Coders, take notice: At midnight on Sept. 30, you'll have to remove one set of ICD9 Codes and implement another.
The Centers for Disease Control and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unveiled their new ICD-9 diagnosis codes for 2005 last week, but you can't use them until Oct. 1. And because there's no more grace period for new codes, you'll have to start using the new codes right away.
The vast majority of the new diagnosis codes are dental, since the dental societies requested an expansion in the dental chapter of the ICD-9 coding book. But some other sections also saw a significant expansion, said a CMS official. The gynecological chapter includes a number of new codes, including a new section for prolapses, cystoceles and rectoceles, starting with 618.00 (Unspecified prolapse of vaginal walls) and ending with 618.89 (Other unspecified genital prolapse).
Also, the update adds codes for genetic anomalies, including the somewhat rare but expensive chromosome deletion anomalies. And the update includes a number of new Vcodes for people with various genetic susceptibilities. These include breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.
V-codes are "considered supplemental to the ICD-9 CM," notes the official, and include "reasons for a visit that are not necessarily [because] you have a disease." The genetic susceptibility codes show that "this person has been tested and has the genetic marker" for a disease such as breast cancer. "Some patients will choose to have a mastectomy," the official adds. In the past, "it was kind of hard to code those patients, because they haven't had cancer."
Also significant is a massive increase in the number of codes for decubitus ulcers to allow you to code the site of the ulcer. "Physicians were having difficulty because they were treating different sites," notes a CMS official. "They might be treating a very difficult one on the hip and a less difficult one on the elbow," and it would be hard to code both sites. The 11 new codes, from 707.00 to 707.09, allow more specificity.
Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
- DIAGNOSIS CODING:
Tell CMS Where Decubitus Ulcers Hurt Starting October
You have until Oct. 1 to implement, but no grace period Coders, take notice: [...] - REIMBURSEMENT:
CMS Wants To Try Pay-For-Performance Instead Of Cuts
New administrator stresses alternative ways to control spending
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [...] - MORE PPAC DISCUSSION TOPICS
At its May 17 meeting, PPAC also discussed: How to keep tabs on the move [...] - CONSOLIDATED BILLING:
Don't Bill Medicare First For Part A SNF Patients
A 20-page contract isn't necessary for SNF referrals
Physicians can't afford to provide anything other [...] - HIPAA Compliance Soaring:
Roughly 83 percent of claims are now compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability [...] - EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT:
Separating ROS and HPI In The Chart May MakeCoding Easier
But it could also lower your E/M levels and reduce reimbursement
Should a physician keep the [...] - Brace Yourself For OIG Crackdown On Doc CPO
The HHS Office of Inspector General promised in its fiscal year 2004 work plan to [...] - E/M Coding:
When It Comes To ROS And HPI, The Carrier's Whim Rules Your Fate
If you're trying to reach the requirement of 10 organ systems in the Review of [...] - Part B Coding Coach:
4 Tips Help You Master The 'Multiple Scope' Rule
Use caution for scopes in the same family, experts say When your surgeon performs several [...] - PHYSICIAN NOTES:
ICD-9 Codes May Come Out Twice Yearly
The ICD-9 codes are still coming out in annual updates, but the Centers for Medicare [...]