– Reader Questions were reviewed by Lynda Dilts-Benson, RN, CAM, CORN, HAS-DO, HARM, a consultant with Reingruber and Co. in St. Petersburg, FL. Question: What do “NEC” and “NOS” mean in ICD-9 coding? How should I choose between them? Florida Subscriber Answer: ICD-9…

What you don’t know could be called fraud Fraud often is in the eye of the beholder, and inaccurate coding can look like abuse to investigators with their eyes peeled for agencies “gaming the system.” With ICD-9 coding transformed into a…

Diabetes requires definitive coding to reflect the complicated status of the patient. Follow these easy steps to identify the most specific diagnosis code possible: Step 1. Start with 250.xx (Diabetes mellitus). Step 2. Select the fourth digit by determining what, if…

Are you making the same mistake as most of your colleagues? Attention home care providers: If you’re treating a patient for the effects of a stroke and are using the stroke itself as your treatment diagnosis code, you’re probably making a…

Plus: How a recent program transmittal may leave you scrambling to implement these changes Breaking news: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has posted the new, revised and deleted ICD-9 codes to its Web site — and home care coders…

Do your clinicians know the difference between ICD-9 and OASIS? If not, it could cost you. If you’re having a hard time convincing your clinicians they need to master coding, you’re not alone. Here’s how to get everyone on the same…

Hint: A simple journal could solve your complicated coding cases The right coding information in the wrong hands can doom your diagnosis coding efforts — and your bottom line under the prospective payment system. Constant updates, question-and-answer sets, training manuals, etc., from…