AI Tools Used in Medical Coding

In today’s data-driven world, accurate and efficient medical coding is essential for patient care, insurance claims, and regulatory compliance within the healthcare system. However, manual medical coding can be time-consuming,…

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Best Practices for Handling AMA Discharges and Coding Accuracy

When a patient leaves the hospital against medical advice (AMA), the discharge is not only a clinical concern, but it can also create coding and compliance challenges. Ensuring the process…

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ICD-10 Code for Weight Loss

Weight loss can indicate a variety of health conditions, from minor nutritional changes to serious medical disorders. For healthcare providers, accurately documenting this symptom isn’t just important for clinical care;…

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When Two CMS Factions Interpret Identical Facts Differently

There are times when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) doesn’t agree with itself. I am dealing with a situation in which one team at CMS is saying…

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Revenue Cycle at a Crossroads: AI is Not Enough

The Coming Storm in Healthcare Finance America’s healthcare system is heading toward a breaking point. By 2030 the US will face a shortage of more than 86,000 physicians. Hospital margins…

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Coders on Borrowed Time

For decades, armies of medical coders have served as the translators of American healthcare, converting physician notes and hospital encounters into ICD, CPT®, and HCPCS codes that power reimbursement, compliance,…

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Coding Considerations When Waiting for Transfer

Today’s topic is in reference to a coder question posed about discharge status for inpatients who are waiting for discharge to a nursing home. The questioner noted the possibility of…

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AMA releases CPT 2026 code set

The American Medical Association (AMA) announced the release of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) 2026 code set adding 288 new codes designating the latest advances in medical, surgical, and diagnostic services available…

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Docs warn that Medicare payment rates put them in a precarious financial situation

Physicians are asking for greater certainty around Medicare reimbursement, arguing that compounding payment decreases over time have drastically increased the pressure on practices. Industry organizations, individual physicians and others weighed…

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Looking Forward to 2026: What CDI Leadership Needs to Know

The biggest impacts to clinical documentation integrity (CDI) professionals for the 2026 fiscal year (FY) will not be associated with updates to the ICD-10-CM code set or the Inpatient Prospective…

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Why this summer is make-or-break for star ratings

While plans are still grappling with last year’s significant changes to The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2025 Star Ratings, more change is on the way. The new…

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Wound Care: Medicare Audits & The Skin Substitute Surge

Federal contractors – Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) and Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPICs) – have increasingly targeted wound care claims, particularly involving expensive skin substitutes billed under Medicare Part B. In…

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