The ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision) now includes a diagnosis code for COVID-19. Although new ICD codes are implemented every year on Oct. 1, the new code—U07.1, COVID-19—was…
An examination of asset protection issues from current news headlines highlights the defensive measures doctors and healthcare executives must consider. Physicians face many risks beyond medical malpractice. A shocking case…
Now that the initial wave of Covid-19 has passed and providers have mastered the telehealth billing requirements, it is time to turn attention to the 2021 Evaluation and Management (E&M)…
Sometimes, in an audit, it comes down to the definition of “medical necessity.” While the coronavirus pandemic is horrible already, it seems to be getting worse. But COVID has forced…
The need to improve patient access to mental and behavioral health services is undeniable, and tools from the AMA and others are available to help primary care practices integrate these…
The ICD-10-PCS codes can be found in the XW0 Table for the drug infusions. There were new ICD-10-PCS codes implemented on Aug. 1, involving substances associated with the treatment of…
In our Coding Case Studies, we will explore the correct coding for a specific condition based on a hypothetical clinical scenario. This scenario involves a patient presenting with symptoms of…
Critical limb ischemia, also known as chronic limb-threatening ischemia, is an undertreated disease that often leads to amputation and/or mortality. One reason for undertreatment and underdiagnosis was coding. Until recently,…
Is this “new normal” a false reality? As we are now well into October, many months into COVID-19, I think we all have to look at what all the associated…
For 2021, there are 490 new, 47 revised and 58 deleted ICD-10-CM codes. We will cover the ICD-10-CM guidelines in this article and the ICD-10-CM code changes next month. There…
The pandemic continues to impact Medicare reimbursement. COVID-19 continues to make news on the regulatory front with two new directives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), centering…
The Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved a new, specific diagnosis code for Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) to be used by clinicians in medical records and examined by…
The key to happy and healthy patients? Honest talk about finances. Physicians may be focused on how patients are treated in their practices and the quality of care they receive,…
In the United States, there is currently no authorized or approved vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Operation Warp Speed has been working since the pandemic started to make a…
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked rapid growth in the use of telehealth, and what’s perhaps most surprising to seasoned experts on telemedicine is how smoothly the transition has fared for so…
The term “antibody” has entered our main-stream vocabulary due to the advent of SARS-CoV-2 with manifestation of disease as COVID-19. Antibodies are also called immunoglobulins. They are protein/carbohydrate structures of…