CCS Prep! Hospital Outpatient and Physician OfficeCoding Guidelines Should Be Reviewed Patricia Maccariella, RRA, CCS Time is flying by, and hopefully those of you who are taking the certified coding specialist (CCS) or the CCS-P (physician-based) exam have been studying each month. As we…
CCS prep! ICD-9-CM Combination Code Assignment Review Is Necessary for Test Preparation Patricia Maccariella, RRA, CCS Both seasoned and new coding professionals know that the assignment of combination codes can at times be very tricky. It is imperative that the ICD-9-CM index be utilized…
Employees Push Casual Dress Policy to the Limit Q: Melanie is the manager of the six-person health information management (HIM) department at Holmes Hospital. Recently, the hospital announced a “casual dress” policy, and a memo from administration was issued. The hospital set only two…
letters to the editor Concurrent Coding Can Be Successful TO THE EDITOR: I read the article titled “Concurrent Coders: On the Floor and Maintaining Contact” in the April 6, 1998, issue with much interest. However, I feel the article came across without enthusiasm for…
coding corner Billing for Low Osmolar Contrast Media Jeff Majchrzak, BA, RT(R)NMTCB (Editor’s note: This is part one of a two part article on how to bill for low osmolar contrast media.) While billing requirements have existed for low osmolar contrast me-dia (LOCM) since…
AAMT track Celebrate National Medical Transcriptionist Week Kathy Rockel, CMT This week, medical transcriptionists (MTs) are celebrating National Medical Transcriptionist Week (May 17-23). The theme for this year’s celebration is “Medical Transcription: The Key Word is Quality.” This is a very exciting time in…
Hourly vs. Per Diem The Age-Old Transcription Payroll Question Revisited By Elizabeth E. Sanders, CMT It is an issue that has divided much of the medical transcription world for more than a decade–to pay transcriptionists on the basis of hours worked or work completed.…
Ultrasound Breast Biopsy Breast Biopsies ULTRASOUND MAKES GREAT STRIDES IN EVALUATING BREAST LESIONS BY LORI FINK Kathryn has just received her most feared diagnosis–suspicious mass. Although her physician believes the lump is most likely benign, Kathryn has a choice to make: Does she return…
house calls Maintaining Competency on Your Own Catherine Verrier Piersol, MS, OTR How do OTs working in home health maintain their professional competencies while independently practicing in the field? Opportunities to increase knowledge and clinical skills through in-services and conferences are greatly increased when…
CCS prep! Quiz Tests CPT and HCPCS Coding Knowledge Patricia Maccariella, RRA, CCS As promised last month, this segment of CCS Prep! provides a brief multiple choice exam to test your skills in CPT and HCPCS coding. See if you can answer in one…