Category: Medical Coding

2021 ICD-10 CM Codes

Sneak a Peek at ICD-10-CM 2021

There are a slew of changes and only a few months before you will need to start using the new codes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released on July 1 the ICD-10-CM code descriptions, tables and index, and addendum for fiscal year 2021. There are 490 additions, 58 deletions, and 47 revisions — increasing […]
Sneak a Peek at ICD-10-CM 2021

New COVID-19 Test Codes Effective Immediately

Just when you thought you had all the COVID-19 coding for laboratory testing figured out — hold the phone — there are three new CPT® codes. These newest codes are effective June 25, 2020. CPT® Code Long Descriptor 0223U Infectious disease (bacterial or viral respiratory tract infection), pathogen-specific nucleic acid (DNA or RNA), 22 targets […]
CMS Guidance for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

CMS Guidance for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided some guidance within the “Medicare and Medicaid Programs Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency” interim final rule (IFR), allowing for remote patient monitoring, or RPM. This type of patient care is very helpful for ongoing treatment during the COVID-19 […]
Telehealth Codes To Know

Telehealth Codes To Know

There are numerous coding options when it comes to reporting telehealth visits and others that are not the traditional face-to-face office visit. There are numerous options when it comes to reporting visits that are not the traditional face-to-face office visit. This varies somewhat by payer, of course. Medicare has temporarily relaxed some of the geographic […]
New CPT Code Expands COVID-19 Coding, Billing to Antigen Tests

New CPT Code Expands COVID-19 Coding, Billing to Antigen Tests

The AMA’s new Category I CPT code will allow for COVID-19 coding and billing of antigen tests performed on patients suspected of being infected by the novel coronavirus. The American Medical Association (AMA) recently updated Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) to enable proper COVID-19 coding and billing of antigen tests performed on patients suspected of being infected with […]
Codes for COVID-19 Patients

19 Codes Used for COVID-19 Patients

  At the onset of the pandemic, increasing use of three codes — 31500 for emergency intubations, 99291 for intensive care unit treatment and 99233 for complex hospital visits — reflected rising numbers of COVID-19 patients, according to Tony Mira, president and CEO of Anesthesia Business Consultants. ABC coding teams have captured a wide range of […]
ICD-10-CM Codes Spark Great Interest

ICD-10-CM Codes Spark Great Interest

Over the past few months, the folks at ICD10monitor have seen an increase in website searches regarding two specific ICD-10-CM codes: U07.1 (COVID-19) and F32.9 (Major depressive disorder, unspecified). Some say that this is a sign of the times, and that may be absolutely true, considering what has gone on in the past four months […]
COVID-19 Specimen Collection and Testing

COVID-19 Specimen Collection and Testing

How to code Medicare Part B claims for reimbursement. These past few months have been a whirlwind for everyone, but it’s fair to say medical coders have been hit with a category 5 hurricane. New codes and revised guidelines have been whirring about, making our heads spin. And now we have another new CPT® code […]
Future of Telehealth

Telehealth is the Future- and the Future has Arrived

For several years, we’ve seen Medicare and the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) manual slowly approach the age of telehealth. Despite a lot of discussion and many headlines during each of the past few years, the codes and coverage embracing the modern age of medicine have lagged far behind the technology. This isn’t […]