Healthcare News

Background & Overview of ICD-11 Before Implementation in 2022

By Karen Youmans / January 6, 2020 / Comments Off on Background & Overview of ICD-11 Before Implementation in 2022

The World Health Organization released the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). This release was presented at the World Health Assembly on May 25, 2019 for adoption by member states, and will come into effect on January 1, 2022. However, note that it is still unknown when ICD-11 will be ready for implementation in the United States.

End of The Fiscal Year Push!

By John Franz / December 31, 2019 / Comments Off on End of The Fiscal Year Push!

Every organization associated with Health Information Coding has felt the pressure to catch everything up at the end of the Fiscal Year. It helps to understand what is at stake and how you can help. Some Fiscal Years (FY) correspond to the calendar year, while others start/end at times established for taxing and accounting purposes. Annual Financial reports are generated during this time to show the success or failure of the organization to meet its goals and expectations.

New Year, New Codes: 2020 CPT Code Changes

By Teri Jorwic / December 30, 2019 / Comments Off on New Year, New Codes: 2020 CPT Code Changes

As we turn the calendar to a new decade, the 2020 CPT code changes take effect. This year there are a total of 394 changes to CPT, bringing the total number of codes to 10,471. This includes 248 new codes, 71 deletions, and 75 code revisions, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Series. In this article, we will discuss the changes in the Surgery Section.

Medicare Advantage Insurers Use Reviews to Get Higher Payments

By YES HIM Consulting / December 20, 2019 / Comments Off on Medicare Advantage Insurers Use Reviews to Get Higher Payments

An investigation by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) revealed Medicare Advantage insurers might be overstating patients’ diagnoses without the proper documentation to receive larger payments. Based on the 2016 Medicare Advantage encounter data analyzed by the OIG, insurers were able to get an extra $6.7 billion in payments in 2017.

Optimal Quality Coding Prevents Medical Claims Denials

By YES HIM Consulting / December 16, 2019 / Comments Off on Optimal Quality Coding Prevents Medical Claims Denials

Medical billing denials generate significant cost for providers and hospitals that could be avoided by improving claims data management and optimizing medical coding processes. Optimal quality coding effectively prevents medical claims denials by reducing the potential for manual error and addressing concerns over fast approaching time limits.

Top 5 Common Myths of Coding Outsourcing

By YES HIM Consulting / December 9, 2019 / Comments Off on Top 5 Common Myths of Coding Outsourcing

These are 5 common myths of outsourcing, and how YES HIM Consulting debunks these concerns with a skilled team of consultants, coders, and auditors.

Is Your Medical Data At Risk?

By YES HIM Consulting / December 2, 2019 / Comments Off on Is Your Medical Data At Risk?

Is your medical data at risk? Google just announced a partnership with Ascension, the country’s second-largest hospital system, that will allow the tech giant to store and analyze millions of medical records to improve healthcare services. HIPAA has been amended to include regulations for the safeguarding and sharing of information digitally as new systems have entered the scene…

Should Secondary Medical Conditions Be Coded?

By YES HIM Consulting / November 18, 2019 / Comments Off on Should Secondary Medical Conditions Be Coded?

Locating causes for denied claims can be a tricky process because staff is accustomed to assigning ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes based on the provider’s one major diagnosis documented in the medical record and assume the coding is correct if there isn’t a difference.  However, the lack of support for necessity of the bill might not be as obvious.

Clinical Documentation Integrity Significance in Revenue Cycle Management Success in Healthcare

By Mari Cely / November 6, 2019 / Comments Off on Clinical Documentation Integrity Significance in Revenue Cycle Management Success in Healthcare

Revenue Cycle Management can be thought of as the method of transportation to take an organization from one place to where it needs to go. For the transport to occur successfully and be operationally sound, the processes in place to support it must be accurate and deliberate.

2020 ICD-10-PCS Guideline Changes: Make Room for Exceptions

By Teri Jorwic / October 16, 2019 / Comments Off on 2020 ICD-10-PCS Guideline Changes: Make Room for Exceptions

Make Room for Exceptions: This years’ updates to the ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting include a new section, updates to an existing section, new guidance on a body part, some editorial changes and the introduction to the possibility of exceptions for special cases.