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Improving technologies call for updating coding practices. Recently, I was asked about coding for the repair or closure of an annular tear or defect (defect), which is a tear or hole in one or more (typically all) layers of the annulus fibrosus (annulus). As with the methods for repairing these defects, the coding has changed […]
The post Closing the Coding Gap for Annular Defects appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
New ICD-10-CM codes allow healthcare providers to be clearer about the patient’s condition. The ICD-10-CM codes for endometriosis are expanded in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 update, which went into effect Oct. 1, 2022. After multiple requests, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL), succeeded in […]
The post Coding Endometriosis With Improved Specificity appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Industry experts explain the intricacies of the 2021 E/M guidelines. During the Evaluation and Management (E/M) Panel general session at AAPC’s HEALTHCON in March, an expert panel made up of a physician, coder, auditor, payer, and a representative from the American Medical Association (AMA) answered audience questions regarding the 2021 E/M guidelines for office/outpatient visits. […]
The post 10 FAQs About E/M Guidelines and Coding appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Make a difference by developing an awareness of the anatomy, procedures, and payer policies. In October, we raise awareness for breast cancer — the second most common cancer in women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Every year in the United States, there are about 264,000 new […]
The post Breast Cancer: Coding Prevention and Treatment appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Industry experts explain the intricacies of the 2021 E/M guidelines. Medical coders, billers, auditors, and other healthcare business professionals always come to AAPC’s HEALTHCON loaded with questions, in search of answers. This past conference, held virtually March 27-30, was no different. During the Evaluation and Management (E/M) Panel general session, an expert panel made up […]
The post 5 FAQs About E/M Coding appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Changes to evaluation and management codes are going to take time getting used to. CPT 2023 brings medical coders 101 new codes sprinkled throughout the code set, but it’s the revised and deleted codes you’ll want to pay the closest attention to. So, let’s start there in this quick review of procedural code changes that […]
The post CPT 2023 Further Refines E/M Coding appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Three tips are all you need to correctly bill allergen immunotherapy, single or multiple antigens. Allergy services, such as those reported with CPT® 95165 Professional services for the supervision of preparation and provision of antigens for allergen immunotherapy, single or multiple antigens (specify number of doses), remain on the radar of third-party payer investigation units […]
The post CPT® 95165 Coding Conundrums appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
What to do when the pathology doesn’t correlate to the service provided. The rules for cutaneous (skin) excision coding are straightforward: When the pathology for a lesion is benign, code for excision of benign lesion, 11400-11446; and when the pathology for a lesion is malignant, code for excision of malignant lesion, 11600-11646. But in the […]
The post Coding Uncertain Lesion Excisions With Certainty appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Medicare updates its policy for these services to align with CPT®. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revised its Part B benefit policy for critical care services, effective Jan. 1, 2022. Policy changes finalized in the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule include a new definition of critical care services, who […]
The post Coding Critical Care in 2022 appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Look to authoritative sources to navigate the challenges in reporting cannabis use and associated problems. Cannabis, or marijuana, is the most commonly-used illicit drug in the United States, growing from 22 million users in 2014 to over 55 million, or 16.9 percent, reporting marijuana use in 2021. In fact, approximately 45 percent of Americans claim […]
The post Don’t Blow It When Coding Cannabis Use appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.