If your hospital doesn't plan to take advantage of government financial incentives for those who become "meaningful users" of EHRs, it is in the minority. According to HHS, 85% of hospitals plan to demonstrate meaningful use and earn incentives by 2015.
A Boston resident is at a New York Yankees game in the Bronx cheering on his beloved Boston Red Sox. Despite his best efforts to catch a foul ball coming into the stands, he misses, and the ball bounces off his head. He's woozy, and ballpark officials suggest he get to a hospital for precautionary reasons.
Providers and payers may have an additional year to transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS if the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalizes a proposed rule released April 9.
Consider this scenario: A physician orders three hours of hydration as well as a one-hour therapeutic antibiotic infusion for a patient. A nurse documents the hydration start time as 10 a.m. and the antibiotic start time as 11 a.m. Neither provider documents a stop time. What should coders report?
Facilities can't bill for skin substitutes unless they also bill for a skin substitute application procedure on the same date, according to the April update to the I/OCE. If facilities don't comply with this practice, they won't receive payment for the skin substitute. The April update includes a list of eight procedure codes (CPT codes 15271-15278) and 27 specific skin graft materials.
