Coding

RCS-I: Where will your rehab patients fall?
July 06, 2017With the shift from volume in RUGs IV to a goal of value and patient characteristics in RCS-I, rehab providers should ask themselves a number of frank questions.

Ode to ICD-10
June 30, 2015Oh, ICD-10, you are so near, Your extra digits is what we fear. We have to start on October One, But coding drafts are still undone!

CodeSmart releases new reference tool
February 25, 2014CodeSmart Holdings Inc. is launching the CDI Smart™ Software and Smart Code™ Reference Tool during the HIMSS 2014 Annual Conference this week in Orlando, FL.

MDS data quality: Things are not always as they seem
July 15, 2013Open up the hood and look at the engine. Does the data scrubbing module focus only on standard CMS coding and consistency checks and the "RUG" items, or is it more robust and emphasize clinical quality and risk management. We studied MDS data from 11 software vendors and two suppliers of MDS scrubbing services: The "best" had MDS error rates of 62%, the "worst," 79%.

Preparing for success under the looming ICD-10 deadline
July 12, 2013The October 1, 2014 deadline for healthcare providers to change to ICD-10 coding ushers in the greatest medical coding enhancement in 30 years. The challenge to providers is not just how to seamlessly make the transition, but also how to realize the benefits of ICD-10 from day one.
Genpact Limited releases ICD-10 white paper
July 02, 2013The ability to analyze clinical and cost data will require more granular clinical documentation to meet ICD-10 requirements, according to a new white paper from Genpact Limited.

Pyramid promotes O'Brien
June 27, 2013Kathleen O'Brien, RHIT, has been promoted to becoming the new director of coding compliance for Pyramid Healthcare Solutions.

AHA releases ICD-10 coding handbook
June 19, 2013The ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding handbook, 2014 edition, with answers, is now available from the American Hospital Association. Exercises are presented in clear but technically correct language, and answers list assigned and appropriately sequenced codes.
New MDS training video addresses discharge assessments, use of dashes
June 06, 2013Providers can now access a training video on discharge assessments and how to properly code using dashes in the Minimum Data Set, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Thursday.

Incorrect ADL coding is common and costly, expert says
April 17, 2013Improper coding related to activities of daily living is common, causing providers to lose significant Medicare reimbursements, a coding expert said during a McKnight's Super Tuesday webcast. "The biggest coding error I find is undercoding," said Mary-Beth Newell, RN, vice president of clinical reimbursement at Post Acute Consulting. "Undercoding is much more prevalent than overcoding."

Accuracy with ADL coding
September 27, 2012If there's one overwhelming challenge in a long-term care setting, it's how to code the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).

HHS finalizes ICD-10 delay
August 28, 2012Healthcare providers will have an extra year to become compliant with ICD-10 coding standards and will be issued standardized identification codes, according to a final rule issued by Department of Health and Human Services on Friday.
Restorative nursing boosts resident care and billing levels, expert explains
July 25, 2012Activities of daily living and restorative nursing present good chances to optimize reimbursement, a nursing expert said Tuesday at the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration/Long-Term Care conference in Nashville.
Coding improvements to blame for uptick in fatal falls in the elderly, study finds
May 17, 2012More accurate coding and reporting could be the reason behind a recent spike of fall-related deaths in the elderly, new research finds.
New 2013 ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS Coding Handbook coming in August
March 20, 2012A new edition of the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding handbook is scheduled for release in August. More than 800 new or revised diagnosis codes and 3,000 new or revised procedure codes have been examined in preparation for this revision. The content reflects the latest official coding guidelines. The coming edition introduces new illustrations of surgical procedures and a new appendix on reimbursement methodologies. The 260-plus case-summary exercises are based on actual health records and require readers to consider the patient's condition as well as medical history, reason for admission or encounter, laboratory results, procedures performed and the diagnoses listed.

Final Super Tuesday webinar on MDS 3.0 to be held tomorrow
September 12, 2011Is your facility scrambling to stay on top of possible Medicare changes with MDS 3.0? Let McKnights' last 2011 Super Tuesday webinar, "Keeping pace with the MDS 3.0," get you up to speed.