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Recent News » HHS Proposes Adoption of ICD-10 Code Sets and Updated Electronic Transaction Standards Published 09/18/2008

On September 18, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made a long awaited announcement regarding ICD-10-CM. On Friday, a proposed regulation was announced that would replace the ICD-9-CM code sets now used to report health care diagnoses and procedures with greatly expanded ICD-10 code sets, effective October 1, 2011. In a separate proposed regulation, HHS has proposed adopting the updated X12 standard, Version 5010, and the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs standard, Version D.0, for electronic transactions, such as health care claims. Version 5010 is essential to use of the ICD-10 codes.

Developed almost 30 years ago, ICD-9 is now widely viewed as outdated because of its limited ability to accommodate new procedures and diagnoses. ICD-9 contains only 17,000 codes and is expected to start running out of available codes next year. By contrast, the ICD-10 code sets contain more than 155,000 codes and accommodate a host of new diagnoses and procedures. The additional codes will help to enable the implementation of electronic health records because they will provide more detail in the electronic transactions.

Comments on the ICD-10 code sets proposed rule are due by 5:00pm Eastern time on October 21, 2008.

Comments on the updated transaction standards proposed are due by 5:00pm Eastern time on October 21, 2008.

Both regulations may be viewed at www.cms.hhs.gov/TransactionCodeSetsStands/02_TransactionsandCodeSetsRegulations.asp.

To read the HHS press release issued, please click here: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/08/20080815a.html .

Fact sheets describing both proposed rules will be forthcoming at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/fact_sheets.asp.

» ICD-9-CM Coding Products for 2009 Released Published 09/12/2008 It's that time of year again - anticipated changes for medical coding professionals are being released.

CPT® has 294 new codes
ICD-9-CM has 374 new codes and hundreds of other changes.
HCPCS has not been announced.

ICD-9-CM changes are effective October 1, 2008.

Check our list to see if codes that you use might be on the deletion list.

Visit our online store to order your ICD-9-CM coding products for 2009 at specially priced discounts for a limited time.

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» FindACode.com Officially Launches New Online Medical Coding Web Service Published 09/2/2008

Sept 2, 2008 - Spanish Fork, UT - Find A Code, LLC launches www.FindACode.com today. FindACode.com is a revolutionary premium online service known as "The Complete Online Coding Resource." FindACode.com includes medical billing codes, descriptions, plus ICD-9-CM, CPT (R), HCPCS, ABC documentation codes, Medicare policies (LMRP, LCD, NCD), NCCI Edits, Fees, RVUs, alerts, and more.

"Find-A-Code is set to revolutionize the way medical coding professionals do their billing," said Dave Berky, CIO of FindACode, "By gathering together all the different data sources for code information into one simple website, we are providing an extremely efficient way of presenting all the coding information available. The coding experience is personalized according to your preferences. Plus any person can now access CPT(R) codes, HCPCS codes, ICD9-CM codes, Medicare policies (LMRP, LCD, NCD), NCCI Edits and RVUs with a simple search. If you can use Google (R), you can use our system!"

"Currently, so much of the coding data is locked into unusable or hard to decipher 'silos' of information," said John Clark, CTO of FindACode, "Find-A-Code has developed specific storage and searching technologies that allow us to merge, link and index all of these data sources into a single access point for our customers."

"Utilizing the power of the internet and flexibility of the web browser, Find-A-Code can present this specialized data in ways that transcend the 'book experience." It is more than just a legacy networked medical billing software package or PC-centric medical coding solution," said LaMont Leavitt, CEO of FindACode.

"It's amazing how I can just click around in Find-A-Code and go from one code to another. It's so simple to navigate and find the codes and information," said Peggy, a Utah coding specialist.

FindACode.com will be releasing new tools and data on a frequent basis. FindaCode.com already hosts thousands of visitors every month. The FindACode.com release date of Sept 2^nd, 2008 is in time for all of the new 2009 medical codes released in the fall of 2008.

For additional information go to http://www.findacode.com.

Company Background: Find A Code, LLC provides the most complete online medical billing codes resource available. FindACode.com is designed to help users avoid denials, save time, and get answers to medical coding questions on a variety of code sets. FindACode executives and staff have decades of combined experience in both servicing the medical community and system design and architecture. This unique blend of medical and engineering skills have teamed together to simplify everything about coding.

Contact: LaMont Leavitt, CEO
Find A Code, LLC.
65 West 200 North STE 007
Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Telephone: 801-822-0321
Fax Number 801-798-3535
Email: info@findacode.com
Web site: http://www.findacode.com

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» If I receive an electronic remittance does that make me a HIPAA covered entity? Published 09/26/2006 Q: If a health care provider receives health information electronically (e.g. an electronic remittance advice), but does not transmit any health information electronically, is the health care provider a covered entity under HIPAA?

A: No. As long as you currently meet the criteria for a non-covered entity and you only receive information electronically, you do not automatically become a covered entity.

For more information on this question and others just like it, please click the link below.

Recent Articles

» Medicare Payments Reduced IF You Owe IRS Taxes

By Wyn Staheli | Published 08/25/2008 | Medicare | Rating:

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Section 1024, authorizes the IRS to reduce certain federal payments, including Medicare payments, to allow collection of overdue taxes. Should you owe such taxes and your payments are reduced, your remittance advice will reflect a provider level adjustment code (PLB) of “WU” in the PLB03-1 data field. For more information, please see MLN Matters Article #MM6125 available at:
www.instacode.com/downloads/MLN-MM6125.pdf

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» New bill to require adoption of ICD-10

By Wyn Staheli | Published 05/12/2007 | Billing & Coding | Rating:

Once again, another bill has been introduced to replace ICD-9-CM with ICD-10-CM by 2011.

We support S.628 (introduced by Senator Norm Coleman). ICD-9-CM has long needed to change to ICD-10-CM.

Contact your senator to encourage your support of this bill.
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

To read more about ICD-10, visit: http://www.instacode.com/news-icd10cm-update.htm

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» Smoking Cessation Codes

By Wyn Staheli | Published 04/30/2007 | Billing & Coding , Medicare , Behavioral Health | Rating:

Even though the smoking cessation codes are in the section of HCPCS for Medicare, they can be used to submit to other payors besides Medicare. Each carrier can have their own policy coverage determinations. It is a good idea to include a tobacco dependence ICD-9 code (305.1) and check with coverage through the payors provider relations department.

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» Destroy patient data on computers before discarding

By Wyn Staheli | Published 04/28/2007 | Behavioral Health , Billing & Coding | Unrated

A recent article in ADVANCE for Health Information Professionals reminds all of us to take precautions when discarding old computers. Please click the link below for a complete article.

In summary, we may forget that confidential patient information (PHI) may be contained on our computers. HIPAA security guidelines specifically state that we should follow reasonable procedures to protect that data. Simply deleting files is not enough protection. Those files are still stored on your computer and can be recovered unless specific procedures are performed. Wiping, degausing, clearing and media destruction are the best methods to safe-guard your patient data. All four methods are discussed in the article below.

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» Recovery Audit Contracts and Your Practice

By Wyn Staheli | Published 04/28/2007 | Billing & Coding , Medicare | Unrated

In May 2005, CMS began the recovery audit contract (RAC) in an effort to find Medicare underpayments and overpayments with a goal of collecting overpayments. For now, RAC is only implemented in a few states, however, a national implementation is in the works.

There is some concern that discoveries made in the three states currently involved (California, New York and Florida) do not reflect coding practices in other states. This would result in unfair "profiling" in other states.

This information comes from an article in the March 26, 2007 ADVANCE for Health Information Professionals magazine. To read the entire article, see the link below.

At InstaCode Institute, we have always promoted correct coding practices. The best thing you can do to safeguard your practice is to know and understand the codes you are using. Make sure your patient documentation supports both medical necessity and the level of service billed to not only Medicare, but all payors.

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