Category: Medical Coding

resolve-initial-vs-subsequent-encounter-misconceptions

Resolve Initial vs. Subsequent Encounter Misconceptions

End the sequela struggle for when to include a 7th character with this primer. ICD-10-CM codes aren’t just for coding; they’re also used for payments, statistics, and other health information management activities. Therefore, some codes are designed to meet certain episode of care requirements that translate into costs. For example, a code describing an acute […]
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2021 E/M Guidelines FAQ – December

  Ever since the release of the new 2021 evaluation and management (E/M) guidelines for office and other outpatient services, AAPC has been conducting numerous trainings through webinars, virtual workshops, conference sessions, online courses, and multiple articles in Healthcare Business Monthly and the Knowledge Center blog. In the May issue we started to answer your […]
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Master CPT® 2022 Coding With This Expert Overview

The CPT® 2022 edition incorporates a total of 249 novel codes, along with 93 codes that have been revised, and 63 codes that have been removed. Every segment of the CPT® code set has undergone modifications to codes and guidelines. The most substantial revisions are observed in evaluation and management (E/M) codes, spine-related procedures such […]
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Beware: Proportion of Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries is Shrinking

The volume of Medicare beneficiaries has been slowing growing while the distribution of Medicare plans is quickly changing. Medicare provides federal healthcare coverage for Americans 65 or older, or anyone with end-stage renal disease, regardless of age, as well as certain people with disabilities under the age of 65 who often also have Medicaid benefits […]
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cms-repeals-final-rule-digital-therapeutics-year-shifting-guidance

CMS Repeals Final Rule on Digital Therapeutics in A Year of Shifting Guidance

  The absence of an established, repeatable, and scalable path to commercialization and prescription of DTx has bottlenecked broader uptake, says one physician leader. Key Takeaways The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has repealed its Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology final rule. The action leaves multiple unanswered questions for digital therapeutic reimbursement, with payers […]
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The CMS Expands Medicare Coverage for Remote Patient Monitoring

  CMS has been incrementally expanding coverage for remote patient monitoring since first recognizing the platform in 2019. Through RPM, healthcare providers can use digital health tools and telehealth platforms to improve care management for patients at home, especially those with chronic conditions or who’ve been recently discharged from a hospital. The platform has the […]
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New ICD-10-CM/PCS Codes Released

  The implementation of the new codes is April 1, 2022. The new ICD-10-CM/PCS codes for implementation on April 1, 2022, were recently released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CMS v39.1 version of the MS-DRG grouper will be released in February […]
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Reporting COVID-19 Vaccination Status in 2022

Three new diagnosis codes for reporting COVID-19 vaccination status will go into effect April 1, 2022. The codes were presented by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Sept. 14-15, ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting, so they are not listed in the 2022 ICD-10-CM code book. The new ICD-10-CM codes for reporting […]
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The Impact of Coding on Maternal Outcomes: Part III

Severe maternal morbidity often intersects with cesarean deliveries. Reducing the number of cesarean deliveries can lower the maternal mortality rate, and one of the drivers of cesarean rates is thought to be induction of labor (IOL). In 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) adopted definitions for labor, labor induction, and augmentation of […]
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CPT Code Set Adds Code for J&J COVID-19 Vaccine Booster

  AMA updated the CPT code set to accommodate the new mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine booster strategy endorsed by the federal government. The update comes on the heels of a decision from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize booster doses of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine. The federal agency has recommended a booster dose of the vaccine […]
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