Exclusion notes are among the most misunderstood conventions in ICD-10-CM — and the April 1, 2026 update quietly changed several of them in ways that affect everyday code assignment. If…
Remote physiologic monitoring has been one of the fastest-growing service lines in outpatient medicine — and one of the most frustrating to bill. Until this year, the CPT structure assumed…
The CPT 2026 code set, effective January 1, 2026, delivered 418 total changes — 288 new codes, 84 deletions, and 46 revisions. That's a lot to absorb, so here's a…
If you code diagnoses for a living, the fiscal year 2026 ICD-10-CM update — effective for discharges and encounters from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026 — is one…
If you've been thinking about a career in medical coding — or leveling up the one you have — there's one credential that comes up in job posting after job…
Ever found yourself Googling "how do I actually start a career in medical billing and coding" and feeling like every answer just leaves you more confused? If so, you're far…
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and its expansion into clinical analysis, decision support, and autonomous clinical actions raises questions about how physicians’ role in clinical medicine will evolve. These…
We all lost an hour of sleep when we “sprang forward” this past weekend. This week is National Sleep Awareness Week for 2026. In its 28th year and instituted by the…
As we approach 2026, students preparing for medical coding certifications like the CPC (Certified Professional Coder from AAPC) and CCA (Certified Coding Associate from AHIMA) face an exciting yet demanding…
H.R. 1 doesn’t directly rewrite ICD-10 or CPT, but it does change the environment in which you’re coding. The impact is mostly indirect – through eligibility, documentation, the social determinants…
Let me start with the two big news items. First, Nina Youngstrom, the editor of the Report on Medicare Compliance, actually got a response from the Centers for Medicare &…
Once again, a well-known consulting organization has mischaracterized the “incident-to” requirements. A few months ago, I wrote about an article that asserted you can’t bill “incident to” when the patient…
Have you ever caught yourself wondering if you should pursue an AAPC or AHIMA certification—and, more importantly, which one is the right fit? I've talked with so many aspiring coders…
Lots of things happening last week for me to talk about. First, still no sign of the 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rule. Many of us expected a…
The 2026 Medicare Physician Schedule Final Rule includes several distinct policy changes in which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) modifies how it uses or pays for services…
When I first walked into the revenue cycle department of a midsize outpatient clinic in Raleigh, I expected to see stacks of patient charts and billing ledgers. What I found…