2024 ICD-10 Diagnosis Changes, Part III

Are you coding for the whole picture? November 27, 2023 We’ve had our first taste of winter in many parts of the country. And with winter come accidents caused by snow, icy surfaces, and outdoor activities—and injured patients whose encounters you’ll need to code...

Giving Thanks—and Not Burning Out November 20, 2023 As you look forward to a long, relaxing weekend of family, food, and fun (and maybe some football, too), we’ll address an issue that increasingly affects both providers and coders—and serve up for Thanksgiving some...

Answers to Your Coding Questions November 13, 2023 Every week, we invite you to submit questions about what you read in Coffee & Coding or any coding-related issues you may encounter. This week, we’ll answer a few questions we’ve received. We’ll also pose a couple...

Why Would Patients with Chest Pain Need Diapers? It Depends. November 6, 2023 Once, when I was working with a DME company, I noticed what seemed to be a bizarre pattern in the medical records. All patients with a diagnosis of CP were receiving disposable diapers or...

Halloween Edition: Why Coders and Physicians Shouldn’t Be Scared of AI October 30, 2023 Halloween week is here, so as you settle in with a cup of coffee, we thought you might enjoy a quick review of several codes that might appear to have been created for Fright...

Sneak Peek at CPT Changes: Part II October 23, 2023 Last week, we began highlighting some of the key changes in the new CPT codes for 2024. This week, we’ll pick up where we left off, with changes affecting telemedicine visits, reporting of E/M services, and deletions...

CPT Changes for 2024: A Sneak Peek October 16, 2023 As of October 1, the ICD-10 changes for 2024 became active. But we are still being teased with bits and pieces of the new CPT changes, which will go into effect on January 1. What we know is that the annual update to...

Open Doors to Better Coding (and Revenue Cycle Performance) October 9, 2023 We’ve just reviewed the approximately 350 ICD-10 coding additions for 2024. Next week, we’ll dive into the new list of CPT code changes. This is the time of year, dreaded by physicians and...

2024 ICD-10 Diagnosis Changes, Part II September 25, 2023 In last week’s Coffee & Coding, we highlighted two sections of the new ICD-10 codes coming on October 1, which provided an indication of just how extensive the additions are. There were 24 changes to codes...

Coming October 1: 2024 ICD-10 Diagnosis Changes September 18, 2023 This time of year can be stressful for providers and coders. It is a time when we’re on the lookout for notifications about ICD-10 code updates. Each year, the volume of these changes appears to...

How Better Communication Makes for Better Documentation September 11, 2023 Artificial Intelligence (AI) is only as good as the documentation it reads. But what does that mean? In the realm of doctor pro-fee office billing, if the documentation is unclear, AI cannot...

Coding for Social Determinants of Health: The New Rules for 2023 ("Z" codes) September 5, 2023 In last week’s edition of Coffee & Coding, we began a dive into Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)—why they’re increasingly important and how they impact our work. Now...

Coding for Social Determinants of Health August 28, 2023 Here’s a sobering thought for healthcare professionals: According to the National Academy of Medicine, medical care accounts for only 10% to 20% of all health outcomes. Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)...

Billing for E/M Services During the Global Period August 21, 2023 We frequently receive questions about "Global Periods" for surgical procedures. People often ask, "What are the time limits for these periods?" and "To which types of procedures do these post-op periods...

Making Sense of the Three Most Confusing Complexity of Data Categories August 14, 2023 Based on questions from our clients and readers, there appears to be a lot of confusion about definitions and interpretations of several categories involving “Complexity of Data.”...