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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Billing/Coding

Rheumatology Coding Corner Question: Coding for a Knee Injection

From the College  |  

Coding for a Knee Injection A 68-year-old female patient with primary osteoarthritis of the left knee returns to the office for her scheduled hyaluronan injection. The patient reports that her knee is a little tender, but on a scale of 1–10, it is a 4. She is stiff in the morning for 10–20 minutes. The…

Documentation: A Key Factor of Risk Adjustment

From the College  |  

In an age of constant change and regulations, one thing remains the same in coding and billing: If it’s not documented, it wasn’t done. This is the main rule for documentation. Good documentation is and always has been the foundation of accurately capturing a provider’s work and the patient’s condition, management and treatment. Introduced by…

Moving to ICD-10 Has Promises, Challenges

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—While the new International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes offer greater diagnostic precision, their implementation will require training of clinicians, coders, and other staff to minimize payment denials or delays from both public and private payers. Brian Outland and colleagues from the American College of Physicians in Washington,…

Preparing for the Transition to ICD-10

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The transition to ICD-10 is not just another yearly diagnosis codes update; it is a complete overhaul. This not only will affect providers, but also all payers, vendors and stakeholders are being affected by the expanded ICD-10 code sets through medical coding operations, software systems, reporting, administration, registration and more. With approximately 20 days before…

One-Year Transition Period May Ease the Pain of ICD-10

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As the Oct. 1 deadline to transition to ICD-10 approaches, the CMS has released multiple resources, including a joint guidance statement with the AMA that details one year of claims leniency to help physicians adjust to the new coding system and smooth the transition process…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Answer: Office Visit for Chronic Idiopathic Gout

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CPT code: 99214 Diagnosis: ICD-9 274.02 **ICD-10: M1A.0720 History—The history of present illness was extended. The review of systems was extended (six systems were reviewed), and two of the three elements for past family social history were documented. This makes the history level detailed. Examination—Three systems were examined. This makes the exam expanded problem focused….

Prepare NOW for ICD-10 Medical Coding Transition

Prepare NOW for ICD-10 Medical Coding Transition

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The ICD-10 page on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website features a countdown clock that shows the time left until Oct. 1, 2015, the date on which compliance with the new code set becomes mandatory. By the time this issue goes to press, the clock will read 90 or fewer days. Time…

Get Ready to Implement ICD-10 Medical Coding

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Full implementation of ICD-10 will go live on Oct. 1, 2015, and congressional leaders have confirmed there will be no further delays. The transition to ICD-10 is not just a simple update; it is a major revamping of diagnosis coding. With the complexity of coding using the ICD-10 system and the high risk of disruptions…