The holidays can be such a wonderful time of the year for so many people. It’s all about family gatherings, traditions, and religion. But it can also be the most difficult time of the year for many people. Between end-of-the-year deadlines, loss of a loved one, family conflicts, divorce, and loneliness, the holidays can be […]
Learn how to identify hypothermia and assign the appropriate ICD-10-CM codes here. My Uncle Jim lives in Maine where the winters get exceptionally cold. Last year he needed to save some money, so he turned his heat down to 62 degrees. That decision almost cost him his life. When Uncle Jim’s daughter, my cousin Julie, […]
How strong are you at coding for multiple E/M services? Test your knowledge and see if you can determine the right way to code this scenario. Hint: There are CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10-CM codes needed. Question: A 51-year old female patient is seen for a follow-up visit for her seronegative rheumatoid arthritis that […]
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 congestive heart failure due to hypertension. Assign the ICD-10-CM code(s). Answer: I11.0, I50.9 Hypertension is another […]
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 describe the level of consciousness in a person following a traumatic […]