Making Assumptions About Hypertension and Heart Disease in ICD-10-CM
If you understand the FY 2021 ICD-10-CM coding guidelines involving causal relationships and the word "with" in the Alphabetic Index of the ICD-10-CM coding manual, coding for hypertension and heart disease in ICD-10-CM should not be difficult. Question: Patient has...
Glasgow Coma Scale Coding in ICD-10-CM: Change For FY 2021
A change took effect related to Glasgow coma scale coding in ICD-10-CM for FY 2021. This post has been updated to reflect the change. What is the Glasgow Coma Scale? The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a scoring system used by medical practitioners to...
Taking the Pain Out of Gunshot Wounds in ICD-10
Coding for gunshot wounds in ICD-10 begins with knowing that a gunshot wound is more than an "open wound." What is a Gunshot Wound? Basically, a gunshot wound is physical trauma caused by a firearm. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines a firearm-related...
Master ICD-10-CM Codes by the Chapter Letters (FY 2021)
Did you know there is a way to master ICD-10-CM codes by the chapter letters? Obviously, there is no way to remember all of the codes in ICD-10-CM, especially since there are 72,616 of them. There is a strategy, however, that you can use that will get you into the...
Compliance and Regulatory Quiz: For All Medical Coders
Be sure to read my article on the 17 things every medical coder should know about the Business of Medicine.
Medical Coding Business of Medicine: 17 Things Every Medical Coder Needs to Know
What Is Medical Coding Business of Medicine? Healthcare is a business. Like physicians, medical coders (and billers) need to understand the business of medicine, as they play an essential role in the success of medical practices and facilities. That means complying...