DAVID STERN, MD (Practice Velocity) Updates to the ICD-9 code set went into effect October 1, 2010. There will be one more regularly scheduled ICD-9 update on October 1, 201, the vastly larger ICD-10 code set is scheduled to take effect. The following are changes that are of particular interest to us in the urgent care field: New code to specify post-traumatic seizures: When a patient experiences seizure(s) as a result of a head injury, …
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September 2010
July/August 2010
June 2010
Coding for ‘Feared Complaint,’ Facility E/M Codes, and Nuances in Complexity of Medical Decision-making
DAVID STERN, MD (Practice Velocity) Q. We recently coded a visit for a young woman who thought – although she had no symptoms or foreign-body sensation – that there was a tampon left in her vagina. On pelvic exam, however, no retained tampon was found. What ICD-9 code is appropriate? Should the physician still diagnose this as a foreign body in the vagina? Question submitted by Japhlet Aranas, Resurrection Healthcare, Illinois A. One should not …
Read MoreMinding Your E’s & M’s
Nothing hurts a business more than leaving money on the table. It is hard enough to attract business; the last thing you want to do is not get paid once services are rendered. There are a number of steps in the coding and billing process, and errors at any level can lead to bad debt, missed charges, and poor reimbursement. Let’s look at a few I would call the “low-hanging fruit.” Collection at the Time …
Read MoreWriting Off Patient Responsibility, Modifier-51, and More on New vs. Established E/M Codes
DAVID STERN, MD (Practice Velocity) Q. I listened to your UCA coding webinar, and it raised a question. You mentioned that if we bill insurance for a 99051 and the payor denies payment as “patient responsibility,” then we should bill the patient and not write it off. Does that hold true to the S9088, as well? I often see this code either denied or applied to the patient’s coinsurance/deductible. Question submitted by Megan Fontenot, Integrity …
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May 2010
Coding X-Rays Ordered by Outside Docs, G-code for Drug Testing, and 99051 for Scheduled Visits
DAVID STERN, MD (Practice Velocity) Q. We have quite a few primary care physicians who regularly send patients to our urgent care center for x-rays. These patients have a prescription for the x-ray service, and they don’t want to be seen by the urgent care doctor. I have several questions related to this service: Should we collect the urgent care copay (or) radiology imaging services copay (which is usually $0)? Should we code S9083 to …
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